My name is Quynam Nguyen. I am a convert and a Catholic Christian for three years now. I have been asked to give my thoughts and feedback on the Nazareth Family retreat and educational program here in Orange County, California.
First , my wife Chau, a devout cradle Catholic, and I attended the retreat in 2009, after my baptism and after our marriage. We were newlyweds at that time but not new to relationships. I can honestly say that at first, I did not want to attend because I was so busy in my job, and thought that I should be spending more time learning about the Catholic faith which was so new to me. I felt I could be spending more of my precious time doing that rather than going to “another one of those family type counseling” courses.
But oh how wrong I was. And after attending, I was so glad and felt both a relief and contentment at the same time. Not only was the time well spent, but I learned more about the inner structure of the family unit from a Catholic faith perspective which was instrumental in keeping my family together, happy, and most importantly with living with meaning everyday.
Why do I say “from a Catholic faith perspective?”. The reason is that a family can certainly function well and be happy, and even overcome what difficulties it may have, without faith. However, the family of faith I believe can do the same but with a much deeper power of understanding as to one’s relationship as a father, mother, husband or wife. That one is undeniably tied to God’s intention and plan for each family that exists. That every person is made in the image and likeness of God, and as a family unit, every person has an invaluable role to carry out, as God has planned.
The Nazareth Family educational retreat is a must-I believe, for young Catholic couples, but it can also be refreshing to those couples who have attended before. As we all know, life is a series of experiences, with many pieces in the puzzle, but with Faith and Our Lord to guide us, we can only fail if we do our will instead of His. Jesus has set a model for the family for 2000 plus years, the Nazareth Family-with Mother Mary, Joseph. If we follow His Word and example, we cannot help but be successful, and at the same time be on our way to the most beautiful beatitude, and that is: HEAVEN FOR ALL ETERNITY.
In closing, I would be less than honest if I said everything was perfect in my marriage, even after attending the Nazareth retreat. However, armed with the knowledge I received from it, along with using and communicating with my unbelievingly faithful and understanding wife, and with offering up to Jesus all of our difficulties and obstacles, as well as giving Him all the credit for our success, I believe we have taken a big step toward being a worthy Nazareth Family.
I leave you with a quote from Father Menezes, a priest from the Fathers of Mercy Congregation, from which I remind myself frequently when I find myself distancing myself from Jesus because of being so “busy” with my work and personal life: “God Constantly Calls Us To Himself.” The implication of this quote, I leave for each one of you Faithful Souls to ponder.
Thank you,
And May God Bless you.
April 23, 2012
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