This is the beginning of what will hopefully become a regular series where I review a recent marriage book that I’ve read. I will do my best to be honest and constructive! This post does contain affiliate link(s). If you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. Read our privacy policy for more information.
Couples, Awaken Your Love!
I recently read Couples, Awaken Your Love! by Robert Cardinal Sarah, a book that surprisingly doesn’t seem very well known. A priest friend very active in marriage ministry saw it on our kitchen table while visiting, and he was so intrigued that he immediately ordered some copies for couples he knew! (I was only a couple chapters into reading it at the time so I didn’t have much of a review to offer him.)
Cardinal Sarah is already well known for many books, including The Power of Silence and God or Nothing. This little book, Couples, Awaken Your Love!, is currently his only book on marriage. It includes short reflections from a retreat he gave to couples in Lourdes, France, in 2019.
This book is for marriages in all stages, from newlyweds to those who have been married for decades. I think any married couple will find a few nuggets of wisdom! My favorite reflections were on the Eucharist and spiritual combat.
Honestly, I think anyone can and should read this book, married or not. It addresses many of the issues attacking marriage and family life today, and considering the final battle will be against marriage and family life (and let’s be real, we’re in it now), we all need to be aware of how we can win this battle. Cardinal Sarah quotes many church documents and other writings, and personally I was inspired to pull up some of those documents to continue reading.
This little book would be a great option for couples to read together, as each chapter is fairly short. It would likely start some very valuable discussions! Because this is a book review, I do have to share this: sometimes at the end of a chapter/reflection, I would find myself saying, That’s it? I want more! Some reflections are very short, and there were a few that I was questioning why it was included. But the former could very well be because it’s an edited work, and the latter might have to do something with translation.
The hidden gems at the back of the book
Regardless of what one might think about the reflections, though, I think this book is worth it solely for the appendices, one on conjugal prayer and one entitled “Workshop: A Time for Listening”.
The appendix on prayer gives couples a daily plan, so to speak, on how to pray together. It also gives a week’s worth of that plan with specific Scripture passages. One can easily use the daily plan with other Scripture passages. Logan and I really enjoy using this prayer plan together, so this book now sits on my nightstand. It includes it all, really — time to examine your conscience, opportunities to both ask forgiveness from your spouse and to affirm your spouse, Scripture reading, rote prayers, a meditation to read, and a prayer for spouses. It might sound like a lot, but it takes less than 10 minutes.
The second appendix on listening would be great to use if there is a topic that is causing tension in a marriage. Cardinal Sarah gives some very helpful suggestions for this listening workshop, but Logan and I haven’t actually gone through it together yet.
Overall, I’m glad I finally read this after it sat on my bookshelf for an entire year, and I have a few pages marked to revisit. I enjoyed Cardinal Sarah’s The Power of Silence several years ago, and it’s obvious he’s a very intelligent and prayerful man. I enjoyed reading his reflections with a marriage spin.
