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Dear friends,
Hello from the Life, Marriage and Family Centre and welcome to another month. Now it's June I can really feel the year moving along, and the weather has certainly become crisper (a polite way of saying cold)!
This edition of LMF News is again packed full of articles, videos, podcasts, upcoming events and even a survey on 'work life balance' if you feel so inclined. You can see the contents on the quick links to the left but some items to highlight are the articles on 'annulment' and 'contraception vs NFP' and also the beautiful but sad video '99 balloons' (to put a smile on your face watch the 'Sound of Music' video).
If you were following the whole Matthew Johns/Footballers scandal you might be interested in 'Sex, Footballers and Jesus'...written by one of our own team! Be sure also to have a look at 'Upcoming Events' as there is a lot happening (and if you have upcoming events that you think may be of interest, email us a flyer well in advance so we can promote it).
If you have been with us for some time you might notice the new 'Forward this email to a Friend' button just to the left, please feel free to make use of that one, and if you have been sent this newsletter by someone else, try the button above to 'Join our Mailing List, we are always looking for new friends :) If you are new to LMF News, you can still see our past newsletters in the archive section on the front page of our website, there is plenty of interesting material we have covered this year.
Well I will leave it there. I hope you find a few items of interest in this month's LMF News. God Bless you, keep well and enjoy the 'crisp' weather if you live in Australia!
The Life, Marriage and Family Centre Team |
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Too Many People? |
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The Myth of Overpopulation
The question of overpopulation is no longer just a topic of conversation. It forms a major part of policy in governments around the world. Relief aid is often provided to third world countries on the condition that a certain level of population restriction is enforced. Many people in the developed world, believe that it is completely irresponsible for anyone to have more than two children.
 But in truth, our world is in population decline. Urbanisation, contraception and abortion have played a large role. The United Nations now expects a below-replacement fertility level in 75% of the developed world by 2050. A growing number of countries, including Australia, are putting in place incentives and subsidies to encourage couples to have children.
Yet the conversation continues to go on...is the world really overcrowded? The article below looks at the 10 main "overpopulation" myths. It is a topic that all of us should know something about.
I bet you didn't know that the world's entire population could fit into the state of Texas with over 100 square metres each!
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Work Life Balance Survey |
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How do you manage?
The Australian Women's Forum (WFA) exists to promote the well-being of all women and they do this through education and advocacy on relevent issues. They do a lot of work to help stop the demeaning sexualisation of women. WFA is currently preparing research entitled 'Reality Check: Work Life Balance' and is seeking men and women to complete their Work Life Balance Survey. The survey will take about 10-15 minutes to complete.
Recently WFA featured on Channel Ten's morning program, you can find out more about WFA and the research they are conducting by clicking on this interview.
If you are interested in further information about the work of Women's Forum Australia, you will find their website here, as well as place to sign up for their newsletter and even become a member. |
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Free Podcasts |
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Some Great Catholic Talks
Each morning I get the train to and from work, sometimes I read, somtimes I pray, sometimes I listen to music and  sometimes I entertain myself by watching those around me. I have discovered another way to use my time though and that is by downloading podcasts on different aspects of life and faith and listening to them on the train. For those who don't know, a podcast is simply a digital media file that is downloaded from the internet and played back later.
Peter Kreeft is our podcaster of the month! Peter Kreeft is a Catholic apologist and philosopher who is the author of 45 books and has the ability to bring the mysteries of life and faith into understandable and amusing bite sized pieces.
You will find on this page of podcasts, talks on pain, heaven, suffering, sexuality and even the Lord of the Rings!
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Miscarriage: The Forgotten Grief |
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Thoughts and Prayers for Those who Suffer
For every four couples who welcome a new baby into the world there is one couple who will not, falling victim to that dreaded word - miscarriage. It can be a difficult event for a couple to deal with, even if the miscarriage occurs very early. The Church loves life from the very moment of conception, because a new person with an immortal soul has been created and therefore the Church entrusts all those who die at such a tender age "to the great mercy of God" ( Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1261).
 What of those who are left behind; mums, dads and families? We wanted to include a couple of articles for the reflection of those who may be dealing with, or know someone who is currently dealing with this pain.
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Is Pornography the New Tobacco? |
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A Curious Reversal in Moralising
Mary Eberstadt; Catholic Education Resource Centre - Imagine a substance that is relatively new in the public square, but by now so ubiquitous in your society that a great many people find its presence unremarkable. Day in and day out, your own encounters with this substance,  whether direct or indirect, are legion. Your exposure is so constant that it rarely even occurs to you to wonder what life might be like without it.
In fact, so common is this substance that you take the status quo for granted, though you're aware that certain people disagree. A noisy minority of Americans firmly opposes its consumption, and these neo-Puritans try routinely to alert the public to what they claim to be its dangers and risks. Despite this occasional resistance, however, you -- like many other people of your time -- continue to regard this substance with relative equanimity. You may or may not consume the thing yourself, but even if you don't, you can't much see the point of interfering with anyone else's doing it. Why bother? After all, that particular genie's out of the bottle. Read the complete article.
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Are you a Single Parent? |
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CatholicCare's Solo Parent Ministry
Parenting alone can be a difficult and lonely road but it is one that many parents face. Pope John Paul II, in his letter on the role of the family in the modern world, acknowledged that people in these situations are often  there independentely of their own wishes, and called for a "generous, intelligent and prudent" pastoral commitment always modelled on Christ, the Good Shepherd.
CatholicCare is the agency of the Church especially charged with bringing Christ's presence to the world through a tradition of compassion and care for individuals and families. Their services include family and relationship counselling; counselling for drug, alcohol and other dependencies; marriage preparation; foster care and adoptions; services for children and young persons at risk  of physical or emotional harm; employment services and training for people with a disability; respite services; services for the aged and people with a disability.
CatholicCare also runs a Solo Parent Ministry which was started to give support to parents who are alone through divorce, separation or death. The group is for men and women. It exists as primarily a social network but also has spiritual activities a couple of times a year. They have groups meeting in Marsfield, Kensington and Hoxton park with hopes to expand to other areas. If you or someone you know is a solo parent and would like to be part of a support network, you will find more information here.
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S.C.E.N.E |
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Sydney Congress Embracing the New Evangelisation
In July of this year, one year after World Youth Day, the Archdiocese of Sydney will again host a great event!
From 19-26 July there is a congress called SCENE - Sydney Congress Embracing the New Evangelisation - and it is  open to families, parishes, teachers, priests, religious and individuals. The Congress is made up of prayer, talks, workshops, testimonies and cultural events. It is an event worth putting in your diary. All are invited to register as delegates for this event. To find out more about it, including the congress program click here. Read more about the event in this Catholic Weekly article.
Bishop Julian Porteous has recorded a video and invites you personally to join in the events that will be in the in the city streets, stages, cathedrals and classrooms. Watch the Bishop's video here.
Familes are especially welcome at a special one day Congress of the family. This event, from 10:30am to 3pm, will include Mass, a picnic in the park, workshops for parents and teenagers, drama workshops for children and a family procession. For details on what will be a great day have a look here.
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Contraception vs NFP |
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Answering Four Common Objections
Sarah Peterson; Envoy Magazine - In the more than five years I have been teaching and speaking about Natural Family Planning (NFP), I've found that people everywhere have the same questions and concerns.
Sometimes their comments or questions are pejorative, but more often, they are just genuinely curious and honestly want to understand why the Catholic Church - virtually alone - continues to teach that contraception and sterilization are always gravely immoral.
The Catholic Church's teachings on family planning are logical, consistent and wonderfully liberating when properly understood, yet they are rejected by the overwhelming majority of Catholics.
The frequency with which I hear the same objections and the shocking infrequency with which this topic is competently addressed in homilies, marriage preparation and RCIA programs leads me to believe that a significant part of the problem is that people simply haven't had their very reasonable questions adequately addressed and can't find anyone who is willing and able do so.
Here are the four objections I hear most often and the responses I have found to be most helpful. Learn them and be ready the next time someone challenges you about Catholic family planning.
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Archdiocesan Family Life Network |
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Join us...
 The Life, Marriage and Family Centre coordinates the Archdiocesan Family and Life Network (AFLN). The AFLN aims to enable members from all parishes to share their collective insights with respect to marriage and family issues and to hear about what is happening at a diocesan level. Our central purpose is work collectively to promote life, marriage and family within the Church and the wider society.
We have about 30 parishes with members in the Network and we would love to increase this. Have a look at our flyer and if you are interested in being involved in this important initiative you would be most welcome. Speak to your Parish priest about representing your parish community.
Our next meeting is Tuesday 25 August.
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99 Balloons |
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The Value of Every Child
This is video about a little boy with an undeveloped lung, a heart with a hole in it and DNA that placed faulty information into each and every cell of his body. However, that could not stop the living God from proclaiming Himself through this boy who never uttered a word.
A beautiful video about the value of every human life, but be warned it could lead some people to tears.
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Sex, Footballers and Jesus |
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Why We Lose the Moral Plot When We Forget Our Humanity
Bernard Toutounji; Catholic Weekly - If Jesus was asked for his opinion on the recent group sex scandal that embroiled former footballer  Matthew Johns I would feel very certain about the way he would respond. At one point in his public life, a group of Pharisees came up to Jesus to ask him if divorce was permissible (they were asking about the way in which they should act). Christ however did not simply point them to the written law but instead he invited them to consider that "from the beginning God made them male and female" and created a marriage bond that could not be broken. The Pharisees complained that Moses had allowed them to divorce, but even though this had happened, Christ looked deeply at them and said "but from the beginning it was not so." Why direct the people to the beginning and not just the written law? Because Christ was directing them to the law written on their hearts. We exist in a fallen world, in a world where we struggle to do what is right, where the  body and the spirit battle one another. However, it was not always like that, there was a time when humanity knew what it was to love God, love others and love themselves rightly. This time was before Original Sin entered the world and we read about it in just a few short passages in the book of Genesis. Thirty years ago a young Pope John Paul II began to give a series of addresses that delved back into the beginning so that we would know better the answer to the questions, 'Who am I' and 'What does it mean to be human'. These addresses are known today as the Theology of the Body. Read the complete article here.
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The Sound of Music |
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Four Fun Minutes in Belgium
At 8am on 23 March, at Antwerp Central Train Station in Belgium, commutors were treated to a surprise performance of "Do Re Mi" featuring more than 200 dancers. With just two rehearsals they created this amazing display! All  captured on video for our enjoyment.
It was a promotional stunt for a Belgian television program, where they were looking for someone to play the leading role of Maria, in the musical "The Sound of Music".
This will bring a smile to your day...share it around!
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Annulment |
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Is it Simply Catholic Divorce?
Fr John Flader; The Catholic Weekly - Many people ask this question, some of them bewildered on hearing of annulments being granted of marriages they thought were certainly valid. I will try to address the principal issues.  First of all, the word "annulment" itself can be misleading. It seems to suggest that the Church is annulling, or making null, a valid marriage, much as the state does when granting a divorce. This is not what an annulment is. Rather, the Church is declaring that the marriage bond never existed, that the marriage was null from the outset, for any number of reasons. It would be helpful to trace the process that leads to a declaration of nullity. It begins with a couple, who have been seemingly validly married in the eyes of the Church, experiencing difficulties in the marriage, with the marriage eventually breaking down and a civil divorce being granted. Read the complete response here.
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More Events for you... |
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 There are a lot of different events coming up and here are a few that you should know about. If you are hosting an event that you think we should be promoting let us know!
Seek His Face: A Retreat for Women with Mother Ann Marie OP. All women are invited to this day! Saturday 6 June. Flyer here.
Annual Procession of the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Sydney. Join thousands of Catholic walking in prayer behind Our Lord. Sunday 14 June. Details here.
Touring from the USA, back after packed WYD performances last July. Catholic singer and songwriter Matt Maher and his band. Presented by Catholic Youth Services. Two concerts, 3 & 4 July. Flyer and details here.
Former American Baptist Minister turned Catholic apologist Tim Staples on his Sydney Speaking Tour 'The Bible Made Me Catholic'. Sun 5 to Sat 11 July. A week of free talks, open to all. Check out the details here.
Dinners for Married Couples - This is a chance to meet with other couples, share a meal and grow together. Next dinner Saturday 11 July. Find the details here.
A Day for Familes. The Richness of the Marriage Bond: Communication. Mt Schoenstatt, Mulgoa. Sunday 12 July. Details here.
Congress of the Family will take place in Sydney on Sunday 19 July during the SCENE congress. This day will involve Mass, a family picnic and workshops for parents and children. Note down the details here.
Family Retreats run by the Alliance of the Two Hearts. National schedule through July and August. See here for details.
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The Life, Marriage and Family Centre is an agency of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and has been established to extend the research, policy, educational and pastoral activities the Church undertakes with respect to life, marriage and family issues. Our website is www.lifemarriagefamily.org.au.
Thank you for taking time to read our newsletter, we hope it has been of interest. We welcome your comments and feedback at lmfnews@sydneycatholic.org. We hope we will be able to serve you in some capacity in 2009.
Yours in Christ,
The Life, Marriage and Family Centre Team
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