Zenit interview with David Dawson, director of the Archdiocese of New Orleans Family Life Apostolate, on how this lay apostolate is helping married couples to grow closer to each other and to God.
As society moves progressively farther from God’s plan for marriage, a Polish-based lay movement is providing married couples with the tools to see what God has in mind for sanctity in their vocation. The Domestic Church movement blossomed out of a Polish movement for young people, the Light-Life Movement, founded by a friend and contemporary of the future St. John Paul II. Now Domestic Church is expanding in the United States.
David Dawson, director of Family Life Apostolate for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, has been instrumental in establishing Domestic Church in the United States and in overseeing its growth. ZENIT asked Dawson to tell us more about the movement.
ZENIT: What is Domestic Church and where did it get started? What was John Paul II’s role in it?St. John Paul II had a close relationship with the founder, Servant of God Franciszek Blachnicki, and even when he became pope, he would make visits to their retreats in the mountains and even hosted them in Rome so he could participate. The gatherings of the youth portion of the Light-Life movement are what gave St. John Paul II the inspiration for World Youth Day. The formation materials for Domestic Church are highly influenced by his thought and teaching.
Domestic Church formation provides no new information or strategies that have not been available for generations, but it provides the rich spiritual tradition of the Church in a way that is applicable, and the long-term companionship with other families provides a network of accountability and support. Also, since spiritual growth can only really happen in the context of participation in a Church parish, families are driven to both a deeper participation in the Sacramental life of their parish and a fuller participation in service to their parish community.
Domestic Church has given us just enough structure and accountability to fight the good fight to make time for prayer, to overcome obstacles to the vulnerability of couple prayer, to work to make family prayer fruitful, and to intentionally and prayerfully dialogue about the difficult topics that we tend to avoid. We are able to experience the awesome things that God is doing together, and as a result our intimacy is greater than we could have asked or imagine. And, we are able to get deep insight into the journey of other couples, which helps us get our bearings and provides fantastic companionship.
The participation of priests in the circles has not only given them a very real insight into the long-term spiritual journey of married couples, but it has allowed them to be better spiritual fathers to us since they understand the dynamics and unique challenges of married couples stumbling on the road to sanctity in today’s world.
The good news, however, is that once we begin to experience small victories in the daily struggle to grow in the basics, we are always pleasantly surprised by God’s response in prayer and an unexpected depth of intimacy with our spouse and children. Families usually do not have time or energy for complicated approaches to the spiritual life, so we are often deceived into thinking that we will never be able to ascend to the heights of holiness where God is waiting to meet us. However, Domestic Church provides direction and accountability to help us discover, for example, that God is willing and able to meet us in just 15 minutes of time spent focused on His presence if we fight the good fight to make that happen.
Working in the Family Life Office at the Archdiocese of New Orleans has given me the opportunity to connect with leaders in ministry to families all over the U.S., and when I am able to share what a gift Domestic Church has been, it has not failed to strike a chord. This continues to give me hope that it truly addresses a deep, felt need, and it has been clear that God has provided for its being made available here, so I trust that He will provide for its sustainable growth in His time for many.
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For more information: http://www.domesticchurchfamilies.com
Interview originally published at Zenit.org. Click here for more information.