A Catholic Handbook for Engaged and New Married Couples

by Frederick W. Marks III

In this practical guide to marriage, learn the "secrets" of building a sound, spiritual relationship with your fiancé or spouse—from toothpaste in the sink to natural family planning. In the Foreword, Father Kenneth Baker praises the book as both practical and "This handbook is outstanding both for its practicality and for its fidelity to the Catholic faith. It is practical because it offers good suggestions on most aspects of married life, such as the wedding, the honeymoon, the relationship between husband and wife, in-laws, finances, raising children, sexual relations, practicing the faith, and developing a spiritual life of personal relations with God. The handbook is also thoroughly Catholic. It offers excellent advice on how to live the Catholic faith as a married man or woman. There is no waffling here, no dissent, no ambiguity. The author spells out clearly what the Catholic Church expects of married people in the areas of married life, sexuality, and family life. "

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Nonfiction, Marriage

162 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1994

About the author

Frederick W. Marks III was an American historian and Catholic apologist. As a scholar, he has written and taught extensively on American diplomatic history. As a proponent of Roman Catholicism, he has written dozens of articles and tracts and spoken extensively in public. Marks graduated with a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He taught at the University of Michigan, Purdue University, and St. John’s University.

Reviews

[Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone who wants to be married. Containing very sound advice backed by research and lots of resources for help, it really covers everything you would want to know. It was also extremely well-written to boot.

[Katie Kreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book after winning it through the Goodreads First Reads program. I am not Catholic, but am always curious about faiths other than my own. This book was very interesting and in a lot of aspects can apply to any marriage no matter what faith they practice. It was an interesting read and certainly made me ponder on how I could make my happy marriage and even happier one.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author repeats a lot of Catholic teaching in this book, which is helpful for Catholic couples who are unaware or need a push in the right direction. However, most practicing Catholics won't learn anything new. There were a couple of biblical/historical things I learned, however. While this book isn't bad, it also isn't great. The author clearly did his research, but the book felt lacking to me. First of all, it's a book about marriage with no female perspective! That's a huge loss. Additionally, the author's tone is quite serious and rigid when it comes to "the Law." As a Catholic, I believe being faithful to Church teaching and one's well-formed conscience is essential to living out our vocation and call to union with God. However, I didn't read much joy in the author's tone! To me, it read more like, "This is the way it is for these reasons, and this is what we have to do/sacrifice." In short, if you're a Catholic considering reading this book, it's a quick read. It's one you can pick up and put down easily. This book has its uses, but it's not going to bring you much joy or excitement about the vocation of marriage.

[Caley Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty much exactly what was described in the title and fairly thorough, though a lot of the book was dedicated to instruction on how to be a good Catholic in general and not just a married one.

[grace !! · Rating 3 out of 5]

idk a veces estuvo medio interesante y luego no

[Eve Marlborough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cramming for finals!

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing new here.....more of a review of Catholic principles, but worth the read.

[LL · Rating 5 out of 5]

It might not be the most groundbreaking read, but it does raise some interesting points.