Beloved DVD Set

What if marriage is more than a simple contract between two people, based on romance, mutual fulfillment, and basic attraction? What if woven into the very design of your humanity is a purposeful desire for you to be united with your beloved, creating something new, mysterious, and holy? What if your marriage is designed to be a vital part of God’s work in the world?

In 12 sessions, Beloved explores the essential realities of marriage, dealing with the deepest spiritual, emotional, and practical aspects of what the sacrament means for those preparing to get married as well as those who yearn for a richer married life. Through Scripture, Tradition, and Church teaching, God’s plan for marriage will come alive.

You’ll see firsthand how to experience the mystery, happiness, and joy of this sacrament—from that first “I do” through the rest of your lives. Informative and inspirational, Beloved will help you live out the Sacrament of Marriage more profoundly, so that your love story is drawn ever more into the greatest love story of all… God’s own love for us.

The Mystery and Meaning of Marriage

Session 1: Does Marriage Matter?
Long before governments and societies ever discussed marriage, God put on the human heart a longing for the unique lifelong commitment and total self-giving love found in the Sacrament of Matrimony.

Session 2: Entering the Story of Marriage
Marriage isn't just one of the world's great institutions. God actually created the world for the union of husband and wife. From the beginning of creation to the coming of Christ, God unveils his plan for married couples to share in his very divine love and to be a most profound sign of his love to the world.

Session 3: Love Revealed
God reveals what love is most perfectly on the Cross. Jesus Christ-the bridegroom-lays down his life in sacrifice for his bride, the Church. And our human marriages are meant to share in that sacrificial love of Christ for the Church and reflect that love in the world.

Session 4: Total Gift of Self
How do we really give ourselves totally to our spouse? Putting our beloved's needs before our own self-centered interests takes a lot of work and a lot of sacrifice. But the total gift of self is at the heart of the daily married life, affecting everything from how we communicate and how we respond when we are hurt, to how we approach the expression of self-giving love in sexual intercourse.

Session 5: A Sacramental Bond
Marriage brings something new into existence that didn't exist before: a real bond between the husband and wife. And flowing from that sacramental bond is a font of grace to help us as couples face whatever challenges may come our way and to love and serve each other far beyond what we could ever do on our own.

Session 6: Real Challenges, Real Love
Marriage is absolutely beautiful. But it's also messy. Conflict, difficulties communicating, unexpected turns in life, and wounds from the past are all a part of every good marriage. Will these challenges be sources of division in our relationship-or opportunities for our love to rise to a whole new level?

Living Marriage

Session 1: Christ at the Center
Putting Jesus at the center of our lives is crucial for maintaining a strong marriage. The more we live in union with Christ, the more he helps us give the best of ourselves to our spouse and draws us closer to him through the many challenges and joys in our marriage relationship.

Session 2: A Deeper Unity
Like a good wine, a good marriage takes much time and effort to develop. God is already working in our relationships to form beautiful and lasting marriages, but he also needs our individual commitment to each deepen our union with our spouse.

Session 3: Conflict and Communication
Conflict is inevitable in any relationship, but it doesn't have to be damaging or hurtful. With the art of good communication in marriage, some tensions can be avoided and even conflict situations themselves can become opportunities for growth.

Session 4: Building a Thriving Marriage
Strong marriages don't happen by chance. We generally get out of our relationship what we put into it. Becoming aware of our personal weaknesses, making it a priority to overcome them, and seeking God's help to do so can make all the difference between a marriage that just survives and one that truly thrives.

Session 5: Protecting the Bond
Marriage is a priceless gift. And one that is worth going out of our way to protect. We must always be careful to not let other things in life-a career, a hobby, social media, friendships with the opposite sex-take up our attention in a way that starts to divide our union with our spouse.

Session 6: Sexuality and Authentic Love
The physical union of sexual intimacy is meant to express a total gift of one's self spiritually, personally, and emotionally. Following God's plan for sexuality helps us say "yes" to authentic love-the love we are ultimately longing for.