FAMILY

Marriage and Children

us to the them
Grounding principle
What God has joined together , no
human being must separate. (Mt.
19:6)
Man and woman are no longer two but
one.
Oneness of personal love, love of God
and procreation and education of
children.
Marriage is a union of spouses and
children in the love of God.
A union that demands Fidelity.
A union that is for a Life-time.
Fruitfulness of Marriage
Children are gift of married love.
Children enrich marriage by their
presence
Children contribute to the family
By their very presence,
By their love,
By their activities,
By their care and attention when their
parents are already old.
Fruitfulness of Marriage
Marriage and conjugal
love are by their nature
ordained toward the
begetting and educating
of children.
Children are really the
supreme gift of marriage
and contribute very
substantially to the
welfare of their parents.

Fruitfulness of Marriage
"Parents proper mission
transmitting human life
educating those to whom it has
been transmitted.
They are cooperators with the love
of God the Creator, and are, so to
speak, the interpreters of that
love" (Gaudium et Spes, 50).
Planning for family
Parents own welfare
the welfare of the children
being planned for
of those already in the family.
Consider the following:
Material conditions
Interest of the family group
Spiritual conditions of the times
1. Material conditions
the immediate and long term financial
situation of the parents and family.
Could we afford to give what is due to
the children?
Good living conditions, health,
education, etc.
The dignity of every child is of the
utmost importance.
2. Interest of the family group
how and in what way the family
can help the rearing of children.
how best the family can help in
the human development and
education of children.
We are born into a family and we
must live within it also.
3. Spiritual condition of the times
refer to the ability to link spiritual
growth to physical and psychological
development.
Integration of religious belief into the
everyday activities of the home.
Education of children in the real and
true Christian-Catholic values.

Life is a gift to be
shared, and the
Christian couple are
called to be generous
in the service of life
according to their
circumstances.
What method?
"When there is a question of harmonizing
conjugal love with the responsible transmission
of life, the moral aspect of any procedure does
not depend solely on sincere intentions or on an
evaluation of motives. It must be determined by
objective standards. These, based on the nature
of the human person and his acts, preserve the
full sense of mutual self-giving and human
procreation in the context of true love.

(Gaudium et Spes, 51)
The practice of NFP helps
1. Improve communication and relationship,
2. the absence of feelings of being used,
3. development of non-genital courtship,
4. peace of conscience, and
5. no fear of the dangerous effects of some
unnatural methods, and
6. strengthen character which are necessary
for marital fidelity and life-long marriage.
To pill or not to pill
Artificial Method
Rule of the thumb
In view of some existing goods
weightier than the openness to
the possibility of transmission of
life, the couples option to use
appropriate means to plan their
family is justified.
Situations that could lead to the
openness to other possibilities
1. The assurance of the present childrens
education which may now cost more
money than before.
2. The promotion of better conditions for the
familys greater growth of love and
intimacy.
3. The welfare of the community being
served by the couples who need more
precious time.