Presentation
We, Emmanuel and Bénédicte Odin, live in the city of Lille, in northern France. We have been married for 19 years, and are the parents of 9 children, between the age of 18 and one year.
Emmanuel, 40 years old, works as a sales manager and Bénédicte, 42, a former teacher, takes care of the children. We have been committed members of the Emmanuel Community for fifteen years.
Three years ago the Emmanuel Community entrusted us with the responsibility of founding Love and Truth on the international level. Since then, in order to accomplish this mission in the best possible way, Emmanuel works part-time in Love and Truth.
Love and Truth is a work of the Emmanuel Community, whose aim is to support the journey of its members toward holiness, as well as announcing the good news of Christ on marriage and the family, to proclaim the Gospel of life to all, and help children and adolescents in their Christian life.
We work —in connection with the priests, consecrated persons and some couples— on pastoral topics related to the family: marriage preparation, support for couples, couples expecting children, support for single parents, divorced and remarried Christians, education and sexuality (natural family planning) with pastoral responses.
1) In the context of formation for marriage, you have found new ways that allow people who have turned away —or who have never been members— to return to the Church? Could you describe them?
«Among the various activities carried out by “Love and Truth”, the “schools of married life” especially reach couples who are far from the Church, couples who sometimes do not even dwell on the issue of marriage (civil or sacramental). The school of married life was founded a decade ago in Paris. Its aim is to help couples discern a possible commitment, to help them to manage their emotions and begin their married life. This is not marriage preparation as such. It isn’t directly addressed to couples of practicing Catholics, but to couples who are not married or who have left the faith, and who have not yet made the choice of marriage. The recruitment is done by “word of mouth”. Each year two cycles are organized, and each cycle is limited to 25 couples. In order to enroll, a preliminary interview with the head of the school or with a priest is necessary. At the end of the course, each couple is invited to an open house with two other couples who are friends. Every year, we refuse fifty couples.
The school functions over a four-month period and includes ten nights and one weekend. We ask couples to commit themselves to the full training. Each meeting is preceded by a prayer of the animation team. The evening begins with a buffet and then a time of prayer of praise. We then meet for 30 minutes in the sharing groups to discuss three questions for reflection on the topic of the day. The evening continues with a teaching that offers some answers to questions previously presented.
Here is the list of topics: What is love? Freedom, Genesis, Judeo-Christian Anthropology, forgiveness, emotional and sexual harmony of the couple, a couple's fertility, a rapid presentation of the Natural Family Planning, happiness, trust, loyalty, the balance of life, Why get involved?, and, finally, the sacrament of marriage.
After the first three lessons comes a weekend during which there are alternating moments of prayer and moments of teaching and sharing (in the couple or in groups) on the following topics:
• the differences between men and women
• communication
• dining face to face with exercises of active communication
• the life plan
• Mass is explained (catechesis) with an announcement about communion
• ask the Church (the priest) without taboos
• personal prayer and the couple’s prayer.
In addition, halfway through the cycle, a bonus of four evenings is proposed, on which natural birth control methods are presented. At the end of these courses, we see if they are making the discernment for commitment or non-commitment. Many of unmarried couples decide to get married. The availability of the animators touches these young couples who return to the Church, and this is so because we take care of them».
2) Can you tell us about your path as a couple in “Love and Truth”? How did it happen, and what were the unexpected gifts that you have received in your life as a couple?
«After our first three years of marriage, we took part in a course of three weekends for couples organized by Love and Truth. We realized that it was difficult for us to progress alone on the path of holiness, and that we needed the support of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Precisely during this cycle we felt the desire to walk with the Emmanuel Community».
3) In the various courses of marriage preparation —each of you responds to the diverse needs of participants in formation—, how do you deal with the crisis of the role of the man that characterizes our society today?
«Through the different teachings that are given, it seems essential to lead young people to reflect on their specific vocations as men and women, before addressing the issues of married life. During the first meetings, the sharing groups are separated, the men on one side and the women on the other, so that each one is truly free to think».
4) How was the initiative “Love and Truth” born?
«Love and Truth is born in the Emmanuel Community. Since the foundation of the community, the couples became aware that they were asking the same questions that and experiencing the same difficulties. In 1976, the Emmanuel Community, therefore, organized the days to meet the demand of its members: Love and Truth was born of necessity. These couples, happy with what they had received, wanted to share it rapidly. This desire was quickly confirmed by several bishops. What had been designed for members immediately became an instrument of evangelization».
