Pre-Cana

Seminar

Orientation

Prayer of St. BonaventurePrayer of St. Bonaventure to the Holy Spirit

Lord Jesus, as God's Spirit came down and rested upon you,May the same Spirit rest on us,Bestowing his sevenfold gifts.First, grant us the gift of understanding,By which your precepts may enlighten our minds.Second, grant us counsel, by which we may followin your footsteps on the path of righteousness.Third, grant us courage,by which we may ward off the enemy's attacks.Fourth, grant us knowledge,by which we can distinguish good from evil.Fifth, grant us piety,by which we may acquire compassionate hearts.Sixth, grant us fear,by which we may draw back from eviland submit to what is good.Seventh, grant us wisdom,that we may taste fully the life-giving sweetness of your love.                                                         ~~~~~~

“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith, if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness”.

Romans 12: 6-8

DIOCESAN FAMILY LIFE MINISTRY

Helps in the organizing of FLM in parishes where it is non-existent or non-functioning

Develops the Parish FLM by providing trainer’s training services for Pre-Cana, ME, Sons and Daughters Encounter, Family Encounter, Marriage and Family Counseling, Parenting and Shepherding

Supports the Parish FLM by contacting resource persons for the ME, SADE and FE, Parenting, Shepherding and other follow up programs and providing referrals to professional counselors

Animates the Parish FLM by regular monitoring and evaluating on parish and the vicariate level, by an annual FLM convention and by diocesan level updating seminars and gatherings as the need arises.

DIOCESAN FLM COMPOSITION

Priest Coordinator Head Couple Couples/Single(widow/er or religious) in- charge of:

1. ME/FE/SADE/Shepherding2. Pre-Cana3. Parenting4. Marriage and Family Counseling5. Current Issues and Advocacy

Vicariate coordinators

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF DIOCESAN PRE-CANA HEAD

Organizes and ensures the smooth flow of the Trainer’s training for Pre-Cana

Monitors and refers to the team the problems and issues faced by parishes in implementing their Pre-Cana program

Regularly attends meetings of Diocesan team

PARISH FAMILY LIFE MINISTRY

Aims to provide adequate preparation, enrichment and guidance for marriage

and family life based on authentic Christian values by establishing,

developing and animating a family life ministry in every parish

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

Promotes to parishioners the importance of and facilitates the reception of the sacrament of marriage

Provides adequate spiritual and psycho-emotional preparation for engaged couples through the Pre-Cana Seminar

Enriches the relationship of married couples through the Marriage Encounter Program and its subsequent deepening programs which encourage fuller and more active participation in parish life

Enriches relationships of parents with their children through Family Encounter Program, the sons and Daughters Encounter Program, Parenting Seminar and other subsequent deepening programs

Provides personalized guidance and counseling to married couples and families

Enables married couples, through education and mobilization to be more involved in shaping public policies affecting the integrity of marriage and family

PARISH FLM COMPOSITION

Head Couple

Couple and/or single (widow/er or religious) in charge of ME/FE/SADE

Couple and/or single (widow/er or religious) in charge of Pre-Cana training, Parenting and Marriage and Family Counseling

Couple and/or single (widow/er or religious) in charge of post-ME and post-SADE (shepherding) and current issues/advocacy

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARISH PRE-CANA COORDINATOR

In close coordination with the parish office, promote the importance of and facilitate the reception of the sacrament of marriage

Prepare engaged couples by providing the Pre-Cana Seminar based on what has been learned in the training program or module provided by the Diocese

Regularly attend the meetings of the parish Family Life Ministry

DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE PREPARATION

Preparation of couples for marriage with emphasis on its Christian dimension

Popularly known as Pre-Cana seminar

Conducted by a team made up of a priest for canonical interview, and couples to share their experiences of marriage and give witness to the fact that marriage can and does succeed

John 22On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ 4And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ 5His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ 6Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim.

8He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it.9When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ 11Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

3 STAGES IN MARRIAGE PREPARATION Remote preparation

Infancy, childhood and adolescence

Family and school

Period where respect for human values is instilled

Formation of character, self-control and self-esteem

Solid spiritual and catechetical formation

Education is a reciprocal offering of both parents

Chastity and love as self-giving

3 STAGES IN MARRIAGE PREPARATION

Proximate preparation

Period of youth; period of engagement

Includes everything that pertains to the pastoral care of youth; deepening of personal faith and rediscovery of the value of sacraments and prayer

Stage of evangelization which involve the personal and community dimensions both of the individual engaged persons and their families

3 STAGES IN MARRIAGE PREPARATION

Immediate preparation

Introduce the rite of marriageTakes place months or weeks immediately

preceding the weddingDeeper knowledge of the mystery of Christ and the

church, meaning of grace and the responsibility of Christian marriage

Pedagogical, doctrinal, medical , legal aspects of marriage

OBJECTIVES OF THE PRE-CANA SEMINAR

1. To develop awareness of the spiritual and human dimensions of Christian marriage.

2. To clarify one’s expectations about married life.

3. To realize God’s plan in marriage

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. To understand the meaning of true and authentic love.2. To provide the meaning of personhood.3. To give the meaning of human sexuality.4. To assess the couple’s readiness for marriage (maturity).5. To provide ways on how couples should communicate with each

other.6. To give the importance of the sacrament of marriage.7. To introduce the MEI as a tool in assessing how well the couple

know each other.8. To introduce the genogram as a tool to enable the couple to

understand the strengths, weaknesses behavior, attitudes, beliefs and traditions of their own family as well as their partner’s family .

9. To orient couples on the legal aspect of marriage.10. To give an example of a marriage rite.

PRE-CANA SEMINARDay 1 AM Module 1: Authentic Love (1 hour)

Module 2: Personhood (30 min.)

Module 3: Human Sexuality (30 min.)

Module 4: Maturity in Marriage(1 hour)

Module 5: Communication (1 hour)

PM Module 6: Marriage as a Sacrament (1 hour)

Module 7: Marriage Expectations Inventory (MEI) (1 1/2 hour)

Module 8: Genogram (1 ½)

PRE-CANA SEMINARDay 2 AM Module 9 Natural Family Planning*

Module 10 Legal Aspect of Marriage (1 hour)

Module 11 The Wedding Rites (1 hour)

METHODOLOGY

Interactive Lecture Q & A Writing activity Workshop (one-on-one processing of

couple/s)

THANK YOU!