Living Abundantly

Jan. 1, 2025

In our marriages and families, God calls us to witness to the sacredness of human life and to live to the full

By Ryan Verret

Jan. 1, 2025

When I was a college student in Boston, a priest named Father Tom and a sidewalk counselor named Eleanor invited me to join them in praying outside a Planned Parenthood abortion facility. The experience was heavy and heartbreaking, with glimpses of God’s grace. I witnessed the courage and compassion of Father Tom and Eleanor, whose unwavering presence spoke volumes to me about the value of every human life. Their example stayed with me, planting seeds for the family that my future wife and I would one day build together with God.

Before meeting Mary-Rose, I was also part of a group of young Catholic men who gathered for what we called the “John 10:10 workout” — named for Jesus’ declaration, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” I didn’t realize how much this promise of abundant life would unfold in ways I could not yet imagine.

Now, as parents of six children ranging from toddlers to teenagers, this promise is lived out daily in our home — from the chaos of breakfast before school to the stillness of family prayer before bed. It’s beautiful, but it’s also real and raw. God has woven his love into the fabric of our marriage and family, reminding us that when we open ourselves to him, he shows up in the most surprising places.

As a family, we’ve embraced the call to defend life in small, consistent ways — through prayers for the unborn, pro-life marches, donating to our local pregnancy resource center, bringing meals to new moms, and supporting friends considering adoption. Watching our children pray for mothers and babies is a humbling reminder that this mission is about so much more than us. It’s about God working through us and through our children.

When our daughter was 6, she asked, “How does a child come into a family?” Before I could answer, she said, “But I already know, and I will tell you. First, you see, a child is born in God’s heart, and he thinks about that child and what family it should be in. Then that child is born from God’s heart into the parents’ hearts, and God makes the baby grow in its mommy’s tummy. Babies are always born in God’s heart first.” Amazed, I said, “You were right when you said that you already know!”

As we renew our commitment to being witnesses of love, joy and abundant life, we find ourselves drawn back to the heart of God.

*****

RYAN VERRET is a member of Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard Council 2398 in Breaux Bridge, La. He and his wife, Mary-Rose, are founders of Witness to Love, a Catholic marriage preparation and enrichment program.

Supper at Emmaus (oil on canvas) by Rembrandt (1606-1669) (Photo Josse / Bridgeman Images)

Living Abundantly

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