The Valley Catholic October 21, 2014 | Page 5

The Valley Catholic marriage & family Life Marriage Minute Community By Orlando & Victoria Salcedo Worldwide Marriage Encounter The world needs strong marriages. Likewise, marriages also need the support of the community to thrive. As a married couple, we can let our light shine together much brighter than it ever could alone. In doing this, not only do we strengthen our neighborhoods and communities, but we strengthen our bonds as husband and wife. As many young newlyweds do, we struggled financially at the beginning of our marriage. We both worked in public service jobs, and didn’t take home much pay. We paid for our wedding ourselves and didn’t have any savings. The bills were piling up and there was no relief in sight. Being positive people helped keep us strong emotionally, but all of the positivity in the world wasn’t going to pay the bills. Being involved in the community helped us get in touch with local community groups. We reached out and were able to get help with some with our bills which was just the boost we needed until we were able to increase our income. We felt humbled and blessed to be supported in our time of need. During our courtship, engagement, and now, in our married life, we have always made a point of giving back to our community. We still both work in public service jobs with children. We also very much enjoy volunteering together. We have volunteered for many different things such as school dances, children’s fairs, holiday toy drives, and Worldwide Marriage Encounter. When we work together as a couple there are numerous benefits. Our community benefits because two volunteers are better than one! The youth benefit because seeing us united, working together as a team, in love, they see an example of what a positive marriage can be. We benefit as a couple through experiencing the joy in giving and fulfilling our sacramental call of service through the vocation of marriage. Our love for each other can make a big difference in the community. Marriages need the support of the community to thrive, and likewise, the community is in need of strong marriages! How can your love for your spouse help make a difference in your community? For more tips on creating a joy-filled marriage, visit www.sanjosewwme.org. October 21, 2014 5 Be in a ‘holy hurry’ to share Gospel, love others By Cindy Wooden, CNS VATICAN CITY -- On the feast of St. Teresa of Avila, Pope Francis said he wished the whole church would follow her example and be in a “holy hurry” to bring the Gospel and God’s love to the world. “It is time to walk, proceeding along the pathways with joy, prayer, brotherhood and this time lived as grace,” the pope said Oct. 15 in a letter to the bishop of Avila, Spain. The diocese is observing the 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Teresa, a mystic, reformer of the Carmelite order and doctor of the church, from the Oct. 15 feast day through the date of her birth, March 28. Pope Francis asked Carmelite women to continue to study St. Teresa’s writings and “tell us who Mother Teresa was and what she can teach us men and women of today.” For him, he said, S и