What is LL

Living in Love is a “back to basics” positive approach to empowering married couples to experience the irresistable joy of being “in love” every day of their lives. It does so by providing the motivaton, inspiration, and practical skills necessary to embrace a lifestyle consistent with the teaching of the catholic church as embodied in Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body while raising couples’ awareness of their role in the plan of God and the prophetic witness that they are to the church.

The Living in Love romance retreat workshop is a refreshing, day and a half, step out of the grind of daily life, opportunity for couples to reflect on where they are in their relationship, remembering who they were when they started out and taking an honest, insightful look at what interferes with their living “in love” consistently. Participants come away with renewed ambition for their marriage, a fundamental conversion of heart, and practical ways to prioritize their relationship that can make a significant difference in their lives.

The retreat is normally held in parish facilities and facilitated by parish couples who have been specially trained by the Pastoral and Matrimonial Renewal Center. It consists of ten exercises that address topics relevant to marriage and follow a simple pattern of large group presentation, individual reflection, couple sharing, and concluding prayer. The presenting couples share personally from their own lives in order to illustrate the content of each exercise with practical, relevant, and inspirational real life examples that set the level of openness for the participants. There is no large group sharing nor counseling.

The atmosphere of Living in Love is upbeat, energetic, often humorous, and always engaging. It is action oriented and inherently male-friendly yet addresses both masculine and feminine spirituality, i.e. ways of loving, affirming and honoring both. It is a practial application of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body expressed in the lived experience of matrimonied couples.

Every couple who experiences the Living in Love retreat workshop is invited to participate in an eight session follow-up program that revisits the content of the weekend in smaller pieces spread out over time. This allows for deeper understanding, personal integration, and continued growth. It is more informal, interactive, and focused on developing practical skills that will empower the participants to live in love every day.

Living in Love Every Day is presented in two hour blocks nominally once a week at a time convenient to the participating couples and generally facilitated by one couple who has also been specially trained by the Pastoral and Matrimonial Renewal Center. It is the “How to” course that expands on the principles of the Living in Love retreat and offers additional insight and specific tools to help couples live more intentionally and reflectively. For example, two sessions address verbal communication skills that are encouraged but not taught on the weekend. Additional topics expand the sense of knowing why we are the way we are and develop a confidence that we can be in control of our own destiny.

Living in Love Every Day reinforces the experience of the Living in Love weekend and provides the skill building that is so helpful to creating a lasting impact on the marriages and families of those who participate. It is optional but strongly encouraged.