Mastering the Mysteries of Sacramental Love: A Relationship Enhancement Program for Catholic Couples is now available. MMSL combines Relationship Enhancement Skills in the MML format with Catholic teaching on sacramental marriage.
Mastering the Mysteries of Sacramental Love: A Relationship Enhancement® Program for Catholic Couples is an enrichment program for couples who have been married for a year or more and who have already been catechized on marriage as sacrament. It reviews Catholic teaching on marriage and helps couples focus on its practical applications as they live as the “domestic church.”
The twenty hour program teaches couples the “how to” of living out their sacramental bond. It includes eight segments which specifically focus on Catholic teaching and twelve relationship/communication skills. Participants practice each concept and skill in class and are encouraged to carry over the concepts into practical applications at home. The program can be taught in its entirety or divided into two, three, four, or eight shorter programs. It can be presented in a week-end or a weekly evening format.
Catholic teaching concepts are taken from the Catholic catechism. They are joined with readings from the Gospel of John. Concepts include:
- Jesus Invites Us (John 1:35-51) Love is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. Love is seeking the good of the other.
- Empty Jars, Water, and Wine, and You (John 2: 1-12) Man and woman were created for each other. In the sacrament of marriage a man and a woman become instruments of grace to each other. Through their love for each other and their children, including their struggles with each other and life, they grow in virtues and capacity to love. Invite Jesus to your marriage.
- Living Water (John 4: 1-42) Conjugal love involves a totality of intimacy—body, emotions, thoughts, and will. This intimacy is open to fertility.
- The Picnic, the Boat, and the Question (John 6) The marriage bond has been established by God himself in such a way that a marriage concluded and consummated between baptized persons can never be dissolved.
- How Do You Respond to Love? (John 13) The grace of marriage is intended to perfect couples’ love and strengthen their indissoluble unity.
- Love One Another as I Have Loved You (Selections of John 14) As couples care for each other and their children, Christ is the source of their growing capacity to love. Their union is made clear in the equal personal dignity given by the couple to each other and the moral, spiritual, and supernatural life parents hand on to their children.
- Love for Breakfast (John 21) Couples sin when they hurt each other, and they show God’s mercy when they forgive each other. Forgiveness is a part of Christian and married life.
- Love—A Fruit Always in Season (John 15: 1-17) “Love one another” within a couple extends beyond the couple relationship to children, family, parish, and world.
Written text for each topic ties Catholic teaching with practical applications through a couple scenario, references to Church teaching and scripture, the Relationship Enhancement®skills, and at-home applications. In-class learning activities combine lectures, group discussions, experiential activities, couple dialogues, and at-home follow-ups.
The Relationship Enhancement® skills are from research-validated interpersonal science. When tied to Catholic teaching, they give couples needed tools to live their faith. These skills include:
- Empathy Skill—how to see things from each other’s perspective and show understanding for each other’s feelings.
- Expression Skill—how to fully express yourself in ways that foster cooperation and compassion.
- Discussion Skill—how to talk an issue through, sharing thoughts, feelings, concerns, and desires at ever deepening levels to a point of shared vulnerability, so compassion and problem solving are easier.
- Problem Solving Skill—how to solve problems by the Golden Rule—so each person’s core concerns are included.
- Self-Change Skill—how to use what we know of behavior modification to succeed at following through on promised change.
- Helping Others Change Skill—how to change nagging or criticism to support for another’s efforts to change.
- Coaching Skill—how to hold each other accountable to maintain respect during conflict and in everyday interactions.
- Conflict Management Skill—how to manage interactions when spontaneous conflict happens so respect is maintained and conflict is resolved.
- Generalization Skill—how to become a more compassionate person by practicing skills in everyday interactions at home, work, and in the community.
- Maintenance Skill—how to make and take time to nurture your couple relationship on a regular basis.
- Forgiveness Skill—how to face failures to love with honesty and compassion, then move beyond resentment or guilt to forgiveness and renewed trust.
- Commitment Skill—how practice behaviors which maintain or recover fidelity of commitment.
Note: Forgiveness Skill and Commitment Skill are new Relationship Enhancement® Skills added in 2010.
Additional Information from: Mary Ortwein at IDEALS, 859-806-4484 or mary@skillswork.org Website description of the program at www.skillswork.org
Mastering the Mysteries of Sacramental Love $12 single copy, $9 per copy for 20, $8 each for 100
Features of Mastering the Mysteries of Sacramental Love:
- Each skill is taught in the context of Jesus words, “Love one another.”
- Teaches skills for the emotional intimacy of Theology of the Body
- Uses the simple, fun presentation of Relationship Enhancement® in MML
- Lots of practice!
- Couples talk through three issues during class
- Inviting Jesus In provides practical ways to use skills as a spiritual practice
- Evidence based-40 years, 27 formal research studies of the consistent effectiveness of the Relationship Enhancement Program
- Video, practice materials, Leader’s Guides, Facilitator or Mentor Couple training available. MML materials available in Spanish and Korean.
- An evidence-based, skills training program by a Catholic author
- Written to be taught by volunteer lay couples
- Presented in a style that is comfortable to non-Catholic spouses
- Applicable to couples across the lifespan
TRAINING: Training is available at special prices to Diocese who want to implement Mastering the Mysteries of Sacramental Love. Contact
Mary Ortwein at 859-806-4484 or 502-227-0055 mary@skillswork.org