Blog
Practical wisdom, faith-filled insights, and real-world relationship advice for couples at every stage. Our blog offers practical tools and Catholic perspectives to help you love smarter. Explore topics including communication, fertility, forgiveness, spirituality, parenting, and more — authored by Francine & Byron Pirola and other guest contributers.
Lessons from Mr and Mrs Smith
Earlier this week the news reported that Angelina Jolie had filed for divorce from Brad Pitt. Together for over a decade and married for two…
How to deal with Wedding Mayhem
Weddings these days are fraught with stress for engaged couples. Dealing with family expectations, full-time jobs and a wedding industry on the make are some…
Why is forgiveness so hard?
In this Year of Mercy, there’s lots of talk about forgiving: God’s expansive forgiveness and our own obligation to forgive others. We get it. It’s…
Mating Market – Sheila Shortages and Man Droughts
In the modern Mating Market every one is a loser. When it comes to love and the quest to find a life-long mate, it is…
How to Help a Marriage in Trouble
Over our years as a married couple we’ve had numerous occasions when people have approached us about their troubled marriage. It hasn’t always been in…
Making the most of single life
Many people see single life as the opportunity to have some fun and ‘live it up’ before they ‘settle down’ to marriage. In fact, some…
Avoiding the Divorce Flu
A new study has documented what counsellors have observed for years: divorce is contagious. Just like a virus, divorce spreads among social networks and influences…
Know What You Want
Part 3 of It Takes One to Tango Perhaps you’ve heard the saying: Failure to plan is a plan to fail. So many people fail…
Do Something Different
Part 5 of It Takes One to Tango Too often people don’t think or act ‘sanely’ when it comes to their marriage problems. Picture this…
Passion and domesticity
One of the greatest challenges couples face in our contemporary age is the presumption of sexual excitement. When the romance wanes, marriages are at risk –…
Mercy Gospel Reflection: Jul 17
Gospel Reflections for Married Couples 17 July – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time In this week’s Gospel, we hear the challenging story of Martha and Mary.…
Mercy Gospel Reflection: Jul 10
Gospel Reflections for Married Couples 10 July – 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time In this week’s Gospel, we hear Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan in…
Mercy Gospel Reflection: Jul 3
Gospel Reflections for Married Couples 3 July – 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time In this week’s Gospel, Jesus sends forth the seventy-two disciples, in pairs, to…
Mercy Gospel Refection: June 26
Gospel Reflections for Married Couples 26 June – 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time This week’s Gospel ends with the words of Jesus, “Once the hand…