Marriage in the Four Seasons

Married Couples meeting - Porto Alegre, Brazil

Interior Santuário En el Santuario de Porto Alegre In the Shrine of Porto Alegre Im Heiligtum von Porto Alegre
Apresentação dos Grupos Presentación de los grupos Presentation of the groups Vorstellung der Gruppen
Rosângela e Tomé Lovato da União de Famílias Rosângela y Tomé Lovato de la Federación de Familias Rosângela and Tomé Lovato of the Federation of Families Rosângela und Tomé Lovato aus dem Familienbund
Ornamentação do Grupo - Estação Primavera Decoración del grupo “Primavera” Decoration of the Spring group Raumgestaltung “Frühling”
Ornamentação do Grupo - Estação Inverno Decoración del grupo “Invierno” Decoration of the Winter group Raumgestaltung: Winter Fotos: Sandro Estafor © 2009

BRAZIL, Sandro Estafor - On May 30^th, the program of the Month of Mary had its closure at the Maria Cor Ecclesiae Shrine in Porto Alegre. A cold and rainy afternoon, but warm in love and spirituality, welcomed in tens of couples in a special moment, where all could visualize their marriage in an analogy with the four seasons.

The experience of the meeting made us reflect through the analogy with the differences between the seasons and our own differences as a way of mutual complement and fortification of the relationship.

The meeting had the valuable participation of Rosângela and Tomé Lovato, a married couple belonging to the Union of Families of Santa Maria, who, with their charisma and experience, spoke about the catholic marriage, being focused in important subjects in reference to the valuation of the family.

Next, Valmir and Nara did a brief introduction with a comment on the influence of the four seasons in our lives, preparing everyone to "travel" through each one of the seasons.

The Marriage and the characteristics of each season of the year

The four seasons were presented in different rooms in a very original way by the team leaders who, during the peregrination of the married couples, guided a unique moment of reflection and debates on their subject.

Marriage was observed from the characteristics of each season. In Spring, we observed the dreams, the joy, the hopes and the expectations of marriage. In Summer, the accomplishment of the spring dreams, the growth and the solidification of the bond. In the Autumn season, we savoured our conquests, the confidence and the faith. And, finally, Winter was the moment to rediscover the beauty of love, the mutual welcome, the overcoming of the difficulties.

Discovering our differences

Through the beauty of the differences between the seasons of the year, Sister M. Fátima took us to another moment of reflection to discover and to identify these differences and, from them, to value our wife or husband, and to take a new position that stimulates its personal and spiritual growth.

In the end, after ending the meeting, Father Roque Machado celebrated Holy Mass, which enriched even more the experience lived.

We finished this commentary with a phrase taken from one of the reflections: "Marriage is a love school. Of a faithful and mature love that is expresses: `I am here so that you are totally yourself, so that you make something of yourself, so that you are happy. This way, both will be happy in the love that unites us.' "

Translation: Maria Geraldine Tiscornia Kunc, Coventry, GB