Doug shares the single most important habit for a strong marriage and discusses how to build an emotional connection with your spouse; Plus: The Friday Rant! Listener questions and comments: <ul> <li>Marissa - Prayer as a couple and doing things as a couple will save your marriage. (8:43)</li> <li>Marci - Advice for marriage: If you're wrong admit it, and if you're right, shut up. (10:41)</li> <li>Sylvia - Doug and his wife are fulfilling scripture by going to Eucharistic Adoration together. (23:06)</li> <li>Joe - What do you think about background checks while dating? (27:57)</li> <li>Brian - I called in March about an emotional affair and shared that my wife caught me. My wife and I are back together, but are having a hard time processing that I was with this other person. (35:58)</li> </ul> Resources: Rekindled Hearts Marriage Bundle <a href="https://relevantradio.store/collections/books/products/marriage-bundle">https://relevantradio.store/collections/books/products/marriage-bundle</a> &nbsp; Building an emotional connection with your spouse <ol> <li>Identify and name your feelings.</li> <li>Share your feelings with your partner.</li> <li>Share and listen for understanding.</li> <li>Spend quality time together.</li> <li>Make your spouse know they are your top priority.</li> <li>Protect your relationship from other people.</li> </ol>

Building an emotional connection

This meditation was preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at the end of a retreat for priests to the Manoir de Beaujeu, near Montreal, on February 3, 2023.
Easter Vigil Gospel: Mark 16, 1-7 The women: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, had an important task.
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
We can think now what is the stone in my way to see the real truth about Jesus? What stone stops me from testifying? Stone could be our fear. Stone could be our lack of readiness to give of ourselves. Our anxiety.
Thumbnail: Piero della Francesca Resurrection 1460s in the Palazzo della Residenza in the town of Sansepolcro, Tuscany, Italy.
Music: Mossy Garden by Bert Alink.

Who Will Roll Away The Stone?

Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation at Lyncroft Centre on Ascension Sunday, May 21 2023.
Ascension is traditionally celebrated 40 days after after Easter Sunday. So he was with them for 40 days, in and out, instructing. That’s why it falls on Thursday after the 7th Sunday of Easter. Early Fathers of the church celebrated it on Thursday. It was know to be a great feast.
 
This now is the hour that the lord spoke about. All four Gospels, presuppose that the period of the risen Lord’s appearances was limited. Paul was conscious of being the last to whom an encounter with the risen Christ was granted. In 1 Cor 15 we have these endearing words of our Lord’s appearances. &quot;For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,  and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
 
Music: Waltz Op 121 No 1 Ferdinando Carulli Played by Cristian Garcia.
Thumbnail: The Ascension, in Passion Book by Albrecht Dürer ca. 1510, Metropolitan Museum, NY.

Why Hide Behind a Cloud in the Ascension?

Los formularios litúrgicos en la Misa de cada santo recogen lo más central de su mensaje. En la de san Josemaría, la línea que los engarza es la filiación divina, es decir, la transformación en Cristo por la gracia santificante. Es tan increíble el proyecto de Dios que esa identidad ha de ser aún mayor que la identidad de cada uno consigo mismo.

2025-04-08 Identidad con Cristo

María, con Jesús en brazos, sale de su ocultamiento de 40 días previsto por la ley mosaica. Va al Templo, y se le anuncia que una espada traspasará su corazón en el ofrecimiento de su Hijo. La pureza se purifica, como para invitarnos a vigilar la propia pureza de nuestro corazón. Más que atender a las virtudes aisladas, monitoreemos nuestro corazón, del que procede todo lo bueno y lo malo.