"Spouses are therefore the permanent reminder to the Church of what happened on the Cross; they are for one another and for the children witnesses to the salvation in which the sacrament makes them sharers."

(Saint John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio 13)

"To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others and share their burdens."

(Saint John Paul II, homily from Mass at the

Capitol Mall in Washington, DC, on 7 October 1979)

"As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live."

(Saint John Paul II, homily from Mass

in Perth, Australia, on 30 November 1986)

From Symbolon: The Catholic Faith Explained Part 2, Episode 5, "Matrimony & Holy Orders: The Sacraments of Service & Communion":

More than merely a contract between two people in love, marriage was created by God as part of his plan for humanity. How we fit within that plan may depend on our view of the Sacrament of Matrimony and its profound meaning for the world.

Watch for free on Formed.org through our parish subscription. If this is your first time using Formed.org, click here to get started.

Looking for advice on dating, marriage, and family life?

Check out this YouTube playlist from Ascension Presents featuring Catholic speakers like Dr. Edward Sri, Fr. Mike Schmitz, and Jackie and Bobby Angel. Some of the videos include Watch Out For These Red Flags in Your Relationships, Theology of the Body Crash Course, and A Catholic Guide to Sex and Intimacy.

From Symbolon: The Catholic Faith Explained Part 2, Episode 8, "A Love that Lasts: God's Plan for Sexuality":

Understanding God's truth about human sexuality can transform our lives. But are we ready to rebel against our culture's view to take sexual intimacy to its true level?

For Your Marriage is an initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to help couples at all stages of life to understand and live God’s plan for happy, holy marriages by providing educational and spiritual resources.

Whether you are dating or engaged, married, parenting, or struggling with adversity in a relationship, For Your Marriage has lots of resources and encouragement to help.

SPX also offers periodic Date Nights and marriage enrichment opportunities. Visit StPius.net/Marriage Enrichment to learn more.

Saints Louis and Marie-Azelie Guerin Martin were the parents of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux ("the Little Flower"). They were the first married couple to be canonized together! Click here to learn more about the story of the Martin family, and see if you can spot this saintly pair depicted on the triumphal arch of Saint Pius X Church the next time you're at Mass.

Looking for more opportunities to deepen your faith here at Saint Pius X? Visit our website to learn more!

• StPius.net/Faith Homepage for seasonal adult faith formation programs
• StPius.net/Bible Bible studies and Bible study resources, including our Living Water Bible Study blog
• StPius.net/Groups Grow in faith with a group! Check out That Man is You! and She Shall Be Called Woman
• StPius.net/Resources Parish lending library, subscriptions to Catholic periodicals, and instructions for accessing Formed.org