Couples enjoy a day of faith formation

IC photo/Laura Vallejo

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Carmela Panadero presented one of the talks during the Christian Life program “Couples for Christ” on Nov. 9 at Saint Martin de Porres Parish. Some of the participants had been married for many years; others recently were married in the Church.

TAYLORSVILLE — The Christian Life program “Couples for Christ” brought local couples together for a day of fellowship and faith formation Nov. 9 at Saint Martin de Porres Parish. Some of them had been married for many years; others recently were married in the Church.

In 2019 Bishop Oscar A. Solis endorsed Couples for Christ and their incorporation as an “integral part” of the diocesan family ministry because marriage and family life are among the priorities of the diocese’s mission.

Sharing stories of life, camaraderie, prayer, songs and reflections, the couples attending the Nov. 9 formation program heard from local couples who led the presentations with the support of Doroteo Ricky Coronel, the Couples for Christ general coordinator.

Rodel and Crislyn Santos, Carmela and Leo Panadero, Dom Posadas, Katherine Gran, Salvador and Sonia Jara, Ruben and Lidia Arredondo and Pablo and Lourdes Hurtado offered presentations in English and in Spanish with the purpose of “enriching Christian values, attitudes and behaviors in the context of family relations,” Coronel said.

Being a member of Couples for Christ and participating in the program “it has been wonderful,” said Lourdes Hurtado, who with her husband Pablo are parishioners of Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Ogden.

The Hurtados were participants in last year’s Couples for Christ program; this year was the first time that they did a presentation.

“It has been a great experience; we haven’t been very active with the program in Ogden, but being able to offer a presentation here today to the new couples that are participating has shown us that we need to step up and be present for all the couples in our parish,” Lourdes Hurtado said.

Talking about taking the risk of approaching people to evangelize, Sonia Jara said that “sometimes people fall into the sin of omission; sometimes we know how we can help people approach God and Jesus Christ but we become silent,” and she encouraged others to approach people and evangelize wherever they are.

“Sometimes we have prejudices and do not focus on the important part of our faith, which is to be in communion with God,” Hurtado added.

One of the questions that was asked during the presentations was how each participant has experienced God’s love.

One participant responded that they “have felt his love in many, many ways in my everyday life, in sickness. … But sometimes we move away from him. … If God promises something, he will do it. In God’s time, but he will do it. His love for us is expressed every day just by the fact that we wake up.”

Making the commitment of accepting God as the Savior, all the participants said yes to having him as the center of their lives.

“From now on we are in a brotherhood [sisterhood],” Jara said. “We are here to support each other all the time in all our challenges.”

Each participant will have a unique spiritual growth, but “it’s beautiful,” Santos said. “There will always be struggles in our marriages but the beauty of it is that we are together, going through life challenges together and supporting each other with God as our guide.”

Of the couples’ presence that day, Ruben Arredondo said, “We all are in search of the reconciliation of God. As a matter of fact it is a duty that we all have. We all know what is the next step that we have to take, so let’s take it.”

Emphasizing that all the couples need to find Jesus in their lives, Arredondo said that “Jesus is there in the light, waiting always for us.”

The couples attending the event became members of Couples for Christ; with continued formation and preparation they may become able to give presentations in the program.