Giving Oneself Completely

Married life is like a three-legged race that requires runners to submit their individual egos and desires to the pace of their race. Marriage requires self-giving. When you enter Christian marriage, you are running your race as a team, and Christ is your partner and coach. He is there to teach you how to submit your will to God and to each other. He will guide you, and when you trip and cause each other to fall, he will help you pick yourself up. All you need to do is remember that he is next to you. Your regular participation in the sacrifice of the Mass will nourish you, teach you self-giving, and help you remember that Jesus is present in your life.

Self-giving, the third step in the blueprint of love, is not something that happens only on your wedding day when you pronounce your vows to each other. It is a constant in the marriage relationship. It is needed day after day because your three-legged race starts on the wedding day but goes on the rest of your life.

The Sacrament of the Eucharist

The Sacrament of the Eucharist as Real Presence (Bishop Barron, Word on Fire)

On the Eucharist (Peter Vaghi)

The Church’s Teaching about Sexuality

Redeemed Sexuality (For Your Marriage)

Becoming a Total Gift of Self

Sacrifice in Marriage: Essential, but Sometimes Irksome (For Your Marriage)

Intimacy

Intimacy/Cohabitation (For Your Marriage)

Sexual Intimacy: Becoming a Total Gift of Self (Together for Life Online)

Conflict Resolution

Conflict Resolution Questionnaire (Arizona.edu)

Strategies for Effective Conflict Resolution (Focus on the Family)

6 Steps for Resolving Conflict in Marriage (Family Life)