PARAGUAY, Adriana Cardozo •
At the entrance of the Retreat House, the hosts (affectionately called “parents) warm welcome and a postcard marked the official start of a long-awaited marriage adventure, the Family Branch retreat at the introductory level.
After a self-knowledge workshop, forty-seven couples from different cities belonging to the Diocese of San Lorenzo were ready to relive the best years of their lives together especially learning facets that they had never discovered in each other. The premise of the first workshops was very interesting. The focus on self-knowledge was transcendental to heal, forgive or to assume aspects of the past, which unconsciously do not allow one to advance or that can affect the lives of both of them. The marriage encounter and the encounter with God were developed in a very coherent, intimate, and enriching manner.
In the midst of joy and tears, the hours of a weekend promised to be a unique and unforgettable second honeymoon, were no less than this. It was this and much more, thanks to the sheltering felt at every moment. The presence of the Blessed Mother was experienced absolutely in every corner of this beautiful place. It was truly a time for love.
To see my husband again like I did at one time with that sincere and tender love
“I wrote again after fourteen years. When Miguel and I became engaged during the first course, I filled his notebooks with I LOVE YOU and with declarations of love, until we married and routine overtook us. It was a very beautiful experience to see my husband again like I did at one time, with that sincere and tender love of early courtship.”
Norma Cabrera
“It was a great joy to be able to open myself to my husband, to look him in the eye without fear or shame and to know everything that he still likes about me, despite the twelve years of marriage. We made many promises to each other and above all, to dialogue more, for each one to give our little grain of sand, things that would not be possible without this retreat and this re-encounter.”
Carmen Añazco
“We returned more in love, we got to know each other more, I had the confidence to tell him the things I felt, what pleased me and displeased me, and of course, we promised to improve, to change some things and we pledged eternal love. We are more than grateful to our parent guides and for this beautiful experience which makes us love Mary more and to grow as a couple.”
Viviana Maidana
“We loved it, we are very involved in the routine and focused on our daughter. I think that after this retreat, we are going to relax a little more and allow ourselves more time for the two of us.”
Lourdes and Raúl González
Source: Revista Tupãrenda, June 2017
Original: Spanish, 17 July 2017. Translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA. Edited: Melissa Peña-Janknegt, Elgin, TX USA
