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Intimate Graces: How Practicing the Works of Mercy Brings Out the Best in Marriage
Winner of a Catholic Press Association Family Life Books (First Place). In Intimate Graces, bestselling author and Catholic media personality Teresa Tomeo and her husband, Dominick Pastore, invite couples to enrich their marriages by practicing the fourteen Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. Through their own story and that of other married couples, Tomeo and Pastore demonstrate how reciprocating the works of mercy brings out the best in a marriage. The Catholic Church encourages believers to perform Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, tangible actions that show charity toward others. In Intimate Graces, Teresa Tomeo and her husband, Dominick Pastore, demonstrate how applying the fourteen traditional virtues of Catholic spirituality can foster deeper intimacy in any marriage. The couple uses personal stories and reflections, as well as the experiences of other Catholic couples, to show how a husband and wife can become, in a real way, a haven of compassion and virtue for each other. Tomeo and Pastore each write in their own voice and include reflection questions, practical suggestions, and a prayer at the end of each chapter.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2015
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64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 18, 2016
This is the sort of book that I'd give to any couple experiencing a bit of strain. Actually, I suppose that is everyone as even good marriages are always a balancing act.
It can sound a bit academic or offputting when reading that the basic concept of the book "demonstrates how applying the fourteen traditional virtues of Catholic spirituality" leads to a better marriage. However, Tomeo's warm personal style and the couple's many stories about their marriage take the forefront. The virtues are woven throughout in ways that make a lot of sense and don't club you over the head.
It can sound a bit academic or offputting when reading that the basic concept of the book "demonstrates how applying the fourteen traditional virtues of Catholic spirituality" leads to a better marriage. However, Tomeo's warm personal style and the couple's many stories about their marriage take the forefront. The virtues are woven throughout in ways that make a lot of sense and don't club you over the head.
July 25, 2019
We read this as a marriage couples study and had some great conversations. The writing wasn't my favorite but had some good food for thought and we had good conversations based on the book. I was curious how they would incorporate each work of mercy into marriage and they did a nice job of incorporating it.
July 24, 2019
Meh, I liked their creative incorporation of the works of mercy as they relate to married couples. I feel like we honestly got more from the discussion with our small group each week than the actual book.
October 3, 2018
Deep, beautiful, real and touching, this is the book to read for anyone interested in (their) marriage. Teresa Tomeo and husband Dominick Pastore - in both of their voices - share short, but very much on-the-spot devotions based on fourteen Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy about the reality of marriage (maybe your one and certainly theirs!) and offer the working solutions about how to show mercy (in lot of forms, because mercy, like love, has a lot of faces) to your spouse. Mercy might be offering the forbearance in the place of rightful/"rightful" anger, the forgiveness as a healing balm even if the differences are still here, the love to your spouse where they are right now (not where we would like to see them, for good or not so good reasons).
They are honest yet not preachy at the least, warm yet not overbearing, being themselves and yet as open as they can to the total strangers.
THANK YOU. I´ve been enriched by this book.
They are honest yet not preachy at the least, warm yet not overbearing, being themselves and yet as open as they can to the total strangers.
THANK YOU. I´ve been enriched by this book.
September 17, 2019
Teresa Tomeo and her husband Dominick Pastore share the writing. Each Chapter has her insights and then the next section is his. The Chapters end with a Tips to help the couple, a short prayer, and questions for Reflection. My paperback has 133 pages. It can be a quick read or I would encourage a couple read a chapter together and discuss. Maybe a Chapter a week and see if they can implement some of the wisdom in this book.
December 23, 2020
Our parish priest gave this to me as a gift. Short but incredibly powerful. It’s the type I’ll read again and again as part of my meditation practice.
October 5, 2015
Teresa Tomeo and her husband Dominick Pastore emphasize throughout this guidebook how the corporal and spiritual works of mercy can transform a marriage. They discuss how we need to meet people where they are at right now. Not where they were or where we think they should be, but where they are.
Their willingness to be extremely honest and vulnerable makes this couple’s witness compelling. They haven’t had a perfect-looking marriage. They’ve had some really rough times when they thought that the best thing to do might be to separate and eventually divorce. The prospect of working through things together became almost unfathomable.
In fact, two of their good friends, Greg and Julie Alexander, who wrote the foreword, had some similar marital strife. The two of them were also led to a closer walk with the Lord and each other and have since started a ministry to help married couples grow in faith and in their covenant to one another. They talk about their struggles and newfound hope in another book I read, reviewed, and really liked called Marriage 911: How God Saved Our Marriage (and can save yours, too!)
Fortunately, God placed people and arranged circumstances in their lives so that when things fell apart, they could bear the suffering together. Love, faith, and the willingness to accept the need for God’s forgiveness, the need to forgive one another, and themselves opened the door to unprecedented healing.
Dom shares about how a Bible study helped revitalize his faith and change his trajectory in life. Teresa wasn’t there, yet. She still needed to mourn the loss of her career and identity as a high-profile mainstream media broadcast journalist. (Teresa talks about this transition in two of her previous books, which I loved. They're Extreme Makeover and God's Bucket List.) The best way her husband knew to minister to her at that time was to be a loving, welcoming, compassionate presence. She needed a trusted friend and confidant with whom she could be honest and feel safe.
Like Dom, if we’re open to the Lord working in and through us, then we’re changed, so our relationships with other people are also going to be transformed.
Each chapter and explanation of the 14 works of mercy includes practical tips, a poignant prayer, as well as questions for reflection and discussion.
Intimate Graces is ideal for couples preparing for marriage or for those who are already married and committed to enhancing their vocation through continuing conversation, prayer, and study.
Their willingness to be extremely honest and vulnerable makes this couple’s witness compelling. They haven’t had a perfect-looking marriage. They’ve had some really rough times when they thought that the best thing to do might be to separate and eventually divorce. The prospect of working through things together became almost unfathomable.
In fact, two of their good friends, Greg and Julie Alexander, who wrote the foreword, had some similar marital strife. The two of them were also led to a closer walk with the Lord and each other and have since started a ministry to help married couples grow in faith and in their covenant to one another. They talk about their struggles and newfound hope in another book I read, reviewed, and really liked called Marriage 911: How God Saved Our Marriage (and can save yours, too!)
Fortunately, God placed people and arranged circumstances in their lives so that when things fell apart, they could bear the suffering together. Love, faith, and the willingness to accept the need for God’s forgiveness, the need to forgive one another, and themselves opened the door to unprecedented healing.
Dom shares about how a Bible study helped revitalize his faith and change his trajectory in life. Teresa wasn’t there, yet. She still needed to mourn the loss of her career and identity as a high-profile mainstream media broadcast journalist. (Teresa talks about this transition in two of her previous books, which I loved. They're Extreme Makeover and God's Bucket List.) The best way her husband knew to minister to her at that time was to be a loving, welcoming, compassionate presence. She needed a trusted friend and confidant with whom she could be honest and feel safe.
Like Dom, if we’re open to the Lord working in and through us, then we’re changed, so our relationships with other people are also going to be transformed.
Each chapter and explanation of the 14 works of mercy includes practical tips, a poignant prayer, as well as questions for reflection and discussion.
Intimate Graces is ideal for couples preparing for marriage or for those who are already married and committed to enhancing their vocation through continuing conversation, prayer, and study.
October 29, 2015
Received from Netgalley. Expected more from this book. Didn't really care for it.
March 30, 2017
This is a good book to tead and ponder with or without your spouse. i read it alone this time, but will.tead it again with my husband. Good for solid marriages to keep on track.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews