The three day retreat was focused on resilience in marriage, for couples who have to face the most challenging situations due to their military lives. Of course, we put the accent on the incredible grace of the Sacrament of Matrimony, and the words of Christ, “Without me, you can do nothing.”
Each of the four sessions was filled with laughter, some tears, a lot of friendship, and prayer. The awesome settings of the luxury resort allowed each couple to take a break from the crude reality, rest from daily stress and engage in a deep dialog. Father offered the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and we celebrated the Ascension mass facing the East China Sea. A romantic dinner, the surprise of a photographer to take souvenir pictures of each couple, the beautiful smiles of all the Japanese personnel, made this retreat unforgettable!
All couples were very happy and “recharged” at the end of the retreat today. Many came to us, eyes filled with tears, to thank us. They said that they never experienced something so spiritual before, something really focused on their own marriage, their difficulties, their relationship. They all said that they had learned much, about their faith, and also about ways to make their marriage better. Once couple laughed explaining how they were trying to improve their communication with their newly learned skills!
All in all, it was well worth it! and tomorrow, one of the couples will take a day off to help us discover the beauty of the island!
Visit Agapè Catholic Ministries‘ to register for the Catholic Marriage Prep course. To learn more about the course, please visit https://www.catholicmarriageprep.com/course-info/courses-info