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itemProp="item"><span itemProp="name">Home</span></a> </li> <li class="breadcrumb-item"> <a href="/family/" itemProp="item"><span itemProp="name">Family</span></a> </li> <li class="breadcrumb-item"> <a href="/family/marriage/" itemProp="item"><span itemProp="name">Marriage</span></a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <section class="content-grid container"> <div class="col-article__title"> <h1 > <div class="rich-text "> A Game Changer </div> </h1> </div> <div class="col-article__date"> <time>September 1, 2026</time> </div> <div class="col-article__subtitle"> <span > <div class="rich-text "> The Church’s vision of marriage is a countercultural challenge that becomes an immeasurable gift </div> </span> </div> <div class="col-article__byline"> <span>By Mike Sweeney</span> </div> <div class="col-article__date-mobile"> <time>September 1, 2026</time> </div> <section class="col-article__featured "> <figure class="image-block-wrapper"> <picture><source srcset="https://files.kofc.org/images/assets/Kitchen+Couple.jpg/b1ea54709cbe11f1bab07ace34408d57?width=900&height=506" /><img src="https://files.kofc.org/images/assets/Kitchen+Couple.jpg/b1ea54709cbe11f1bab07ace34408d57?width=900&height=506" alt="A married couple displays affection in a kitchen. " loading="eager" class="img" decoding="auto" width="900" height="506" /></picture> <figcaption class="caption"> <div class="rich-text "> Frazao Studio Latino / E+ via Getty Images </div> </figcaption> </figure> </section> <section class="col-article__content-rich-text"> <div class="score-rich-text-block default default"> <div class="content-area "> <div class="rich-text "> <p>A number of years ago, my wife, Shara, our two young children and I attended an Advent penance service at our home parish. Beside me, my 9-year-old niece held a laminated examination of conscience. Pointing to one of the listed sins, she innocently asked, “Uncle Mike, what does ‘contraception’ mean?”</p> <p>I gently told her that was something her parents could explain later. But her question stayed with me. Although Shara and I had made a promise of purity on our first date and kept it until our wedding night, we had never been properly formed in the Church’s beautiful teachings on marriage and sexuality.</p> <p>Driving home, I told Shara that I had confessed something I hadn’t even known I needed to. It turned out she had the same realization. Through the grace of confession, God opened our hearts to a deeper understanding of marriage.</p> <p>Our penance was not simply a litany of prayers but a roadmap to a treasure. We enrolled in Natural Family Planning classes, and what began as our penance became one of the greatest gifts God gave our marriage.</p> <p>There were certainly challenges — traveling with the team during “green days” and being home during “red days” required sacrifice, communication and trust. But for us, NFP became Navigating Faithfully with Prayer.</p> <p>Through God’s grace, I began to see Shara’s beauty not merely through my own desires but with a new vision, magnified through the lens of the Church. Our marriage was renewed as we began to experience Christ’s promise of life in abundance (Jn 10:10).</p> <p>We thought we were going to an Advent penance service to prepare a manger in our hearts. Instead, God used that experience to deepen our understanding of marriage — and our openness to his gift of life.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">*****</p> <p>MIKE SWEENEY, a five-time Major League Baseball All-Star and member of the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame, has been a Knight of Columbus since 2014. He and his family live in Southern California.</p> </div> </div> </div> </section> </section> <section class="col-article__related-articles bg-colorExtraLightGrey"> <section class="article-card-block container"> <section class="article-card-block__title content-grid"> <h1 class="article-card-block__title__text grid-col-full text-left">Related Articles</h1> </section> <section class="article-card-block__cards content-grid"> <div class="article-card"> <div class="article-card__image"> <a href="/family/marriage/2026/07/adventures-in-ordinary-love/"> <picture><source srcset="https://files.kofc.org/images/assets/Couple+in+Kitchen.jpg/Zz1lZjJjMzgzZTczY2YxMWYxYWZjYzBlZGNmZGM1ZjYxNQ==?width=318&height=212" /><img src="https://files.kofc.org/images/assets/Couple+in+Kitchen.jpg/Zz1lZjJjMzgzZTczY2YxMWYxYWZjYzBlZGNmZGM1ZjYxNQ==?width=318&height=212" alt="A couple cooks together." loading="lazy" decoding="auto" width="318" height="212" /></picture> </a> </div> <div class="article-card__details"> 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srcset="https://files.kofc.org/images/assets/DomesticChurch_Marriage.jpg/Zz00ZjJiNTI5NGNmYWYxMWYwODBjNGJhYWNmM2U2ODNhZg==?width=318&height=212" /><img src="https://files.kofc.org/images/assets/DomesticChurch_Marriage.jpg/Zz00ZjJiNTI5NGNmYWYxMWYwODBjNGJhYWNmM2U2ODNhZg==?width=318&height=212" alt="A sculpture showing an expectant Mary with Joseph en route to Bethlehem is seen in a church during the season of Advent" loading="lazy" decoding="auto" width="318" height="212" /></picture> </a> </div> <div class="article-card__details"> <div class="article-card__details__category"> <a href="/family/marriage/"> <h3>Marriage</h3> </a> </div> <div class="article-card__details__title"> <a href=/family/marriage/2025/12/advent-pilgrims/> <h2>Advent Pilgrims</h2> </a> </div> <div class="article-card__details__title-mobile"> <a href=/family/marriage/2025/12/advent-pilgrims/> <h2>Advent Pilgrims</h2> </a> </div> <div class="article-card__details__by-line"> <p>By Soren and Ever Johnson</p> </div> <div class="article-card__details__teaser"> <p>During this holy season, Mary and Joseph invite us to follow God with open-hearted trust</p> </div> <div class="article-card__details__teaser-mobile"> <p>During this holy season, Mary and Joseph invite us to follow God with open-hearted trust</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="article-card"> <div class="article-card__image"> <a href="/family/marriage/2025/11/spousal-sandpaper/"> <picture><source srcset="https://files.kofc.org/images/assets/Domestic+Church+Marriage-GettyImages-1490765582-sRGB-small.jpg/f3d341a8b0ec11f096474ebbc80d9d2d?width=318&height=212" /><img src="https://files.kofc.org/images/assets/Domestic+Church+Marriage-GettyImages-1490765582-sRGB-small.jpg/f3d341a8b0ec11f096474ebbc80d9d2d?width=318&height=212" alt="Domestic Church Marriage-GettyImages-1490765582-sRGB-small.jpg" loading="lazy" decoding="auto" width="318" height="212" /></picture> </a> </div> <div class="article-card__details"> <div class="article-card__details__category"> <a href="/family/marriage/"> <h3>Marriage</h3> </a> </div> <div class="article-card__details__title"> <a href=/family/marriage/2025/11/spousal-sandpaper/> <h2>Spousal Sandpaper</h2> </a> </div> <div class="article-card__details__title-mobile"> <a href=/family/marriage/2025/11/spousal-sandpaper/> <h2>Spousal Sandpaper</h2> </a> </div> <div class="article-card__details__by-line"> <p>By Stephen Colella</p> </div> <div class="article-card__details__teaser"> <p>Marriage, like anything of great value, takes faith, hope and a willingness to lose our rough edges</p> </div> <div class="article-card__details__teaser-mobile"> <p>Marriage, like anything of great value, takes faith, hope and a willingness to lose our rough edges</p> </div> </div> </div> </section> </section> </section> </main> <div class="jump-to-top-btn"> <button type="button" class="scrollToTopBtn"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" 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