MARRIED couples who have shared bread with an Adelaide priest have contributed to a new book that shows the path to love is not smooth but always worthwhile.
For years Monsignor Robert Egar has welcomed groups of engaged and married couples to his home in Adelaide.
The nights were an opportunity for Christian married couples to share stories of their victories and struggles as Christian husbands and wives.
Those meetings have now inspired an honest and theologically faithful book, titled Lifelong Love: Christian Marriage, published by Msgr Egar’s non-profit organisation Pilgrims Quest, which has also released books on the priesthood and the beauty of the Mass.
Msgr Egar’s newest book features testimonies from 24 Christian couples from around the world, including several from the Brisbane archdiocese, on what the path to love in marriage is really like.
“They’re couples who, as you can see from their stories, have a great understanding of the Church’s role in sacramental marriage,” Msgr Egar said. “They’re very honest, they’re all different, but they all talk about the sacramental side of marriage.”
Msgr Egar said the book was not a direct response to political efforts to oust traditional marriage, including the debate on legalising same-sex marriage in Australia, but believed the Church needed to promote “positively Christian marriage”.
He also said the Church needed to rethink how it promoted vocations among young people.
“The fact is at present vocations are not promoted as widely as they should,” Msgr Egar said.
In response to what he saw as a growing need, Msgr Egar has compiled a small book titled Priests of Tomorrow that includes the vocation stories of 12 seminarians across Australia, including two from Brisbane.
The book will be available for free at the upcoming Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Sydney.
Lifelong Love is available from Christian Supplies South Australia on (08) 8244 1811 or chrisupp@adam.com.au.
