What is the Light-Life/Domestic Church Movement?
The Light-Life Movement, founded in Poland by Servant of God, Fr. Franciszeck Blachnicki in 1973, with the guidance, support, and influence of his bishop, Karol Wojtyla (soon to be Pope St. John Paul II), offers couples the great gift of "conjugal spirituality."
Originally created for young adults in Poland, to provide them with a foundation in their Catholic faith amidst the Communist threat, Light-Life was then developed for married couples as the Domestic Church Movement to truly come to grow in their knowledge and experience of Christ and His Church.
More information can be found at www.domesticchurchfamilies.com
Photos from our first Couple's Retreat
Couples outside the Conception Basilica following the closing Mass.
The chapel where we gathered each day for morning prayer.
The "official" retreat photo.
The Basilica entrance.
The Basilica interior.
The Basilica ceiling.
The Basilica green.
The retreat center.
The Seven Promises
In the initial retreat, couples are invited to commit together to living 7 Promises. The beauty of these "promises," or commitments, is that they aren't specific prayers, Scripture passages, or structures that a member commits to pray as individual, as a couple, or with their family, but the movement provides formation, using the Church's spiritual tradition and official teachings, for how to pray, how to use Scripture in prayer, and how to grow in a real relationship with God, our spouses, and our children in light of our Baptism.
This commitment is to step outside of the activities of the day everyday to a separate, quiet space to do nothing but enter into the presence of God.
In a quiet, separate space, the individual takes advantage of the gift of the living Word of God to commune with Him and come to internalize what He reveals through the Holy Spirit during that time each day.
The couple takes time each day to share intimate and open prayer. There is no length of time or other regulation set on this prayer, but formation focuses on overcoming the obstacles to making real, intimate couple prayer a daily habit.
The formation regarding family prayer time focuses on setting aside time each day, making sure each member is able to participate and
benefit.
This is a three-way conversation--both spouses and God. It is a few hours of scheduled, uninterrupted time so they may deepen their understanding of one another and of God’s will for their lives.
Particularly in connection with monthly dialogues, each couple decides upon specific changes or policies they will put in place in their individual lives, their marriage, and their household that reflect God’s specific will for them.
Family life benefits from an annual retreat. The initial Light + Life Retreat is for the married couple only. Future retreats involve are family retreats, so the kids come, too.
