"We are blessed..."
We are blessed to have been one of the 14 married couples who attended the Marriage in the Holy Spirit retreat last month! It was such a blessing being together, getting to know the other couples, and hearing from the married speakers who generously shared their experience, wisdom, and encouragement with us. The biggest takeaway we received from MIHS has been the strengthening of our prayer life together as a couple. One of the prayers we offered during the retreat was for a greater zeal for praying together, and the Lord has graciously answered that prayer, providing us with the strength and grace to commit to it fully. We have also seen the fruit of this grace impact our focus and commitment to personal prayer as well.
One of the prayers we offered during the retreat was for a greater zeal for praying together, and the Lord has graciously answered that prayer
Each evening after dinner, we've made it a point to set aside time to sing a worship song or two, followed by thanksgiving and intercessory prayer. This intentional time of prayer has drawn us closer to the Lord, and through our prayer together, we are reminded to keep our eyes fixed on the cross—through both the joys and challenges we face.
Another fruit of the retreat was a sense to re-invite St. Joseph, as the head of Holy family, to intercede and encourage Manny in his leadership.
Another fruit of the retreat was a sense to re-invite St. Joseph, as the head of Holy family, to intercede and encourage Manny in his leadership. Manny consecrated himself to St. Joseph over 3 years ago, before we were married, and that has helped him grow stronger as a leader in the men’s community. We are now receiving a new grace to invite St. Joseph into our marriage. Through his example of spiritual leadership, we ask St. Joseph to guide Manny in growing as the head of our household and in his role as a leader. As part of our prayer time, we always ask for the intercession of the Holy Family, with a particular focus on St. Joseph.
We recognize that our prayer life will evolve as different seasons of life come, but we are incredibly grateful for the renewed passion for prayer together and the consistent, unified routine that works for us in this season.
-Manny & Julia Sanchez
Manny & Julia Sanchez will be married two years in July. They live in Springfield NJ & are active Lighthouse members.
