Married couples are invited to step away from the busyness of daily life and invest in their relationship at a Marriage Retreat Day titled God Chose You for Me, sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Hartford. The retreat will take place on Saturday, March 21, at the Archdiocese of Hartford’s Pastoral Center in Bloomfield. Designed as a day of reflection, prayer, and renewal, the retreat focuses on deepening the spirituality of marriage and strengthening the bond between husband and wife. Rooted in the missio...

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The late Pope Francis was a man of great humility and compassion. No doubt he is one of the holiest men of our times. Yet he would be quick to assert that holiness is something every person should work toward and that, with the grace of God, all can grow into it. Holiness Is for Everyone In his Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad), Pope Francis wrote: “To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spe...

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While bicycling, my husband and I stopped by a pond and noticed a small turtle climbing onto a log in the water. The turtle struggled several times, slipping into the water and trying again before achieving his goal. I commented to my husband, “Too bad the turtle didn’t have someone to lift him up, like we help each other.” All of us have moments when we are not at our best, are filled with self-doubt, or see situations we are facing as problems rather than opportunities. We need someone in our life to lift us up out of our challenging moods and help us...

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