Bishop Sitima gives tips to enjoying married life

A lot of the problems that couples face can be fixed if both people can just change the things that they focus on in their marriage, His Grace Bishop Montfort Stima of Mangochi Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church has said.

Bishop Sitima said this when he led 30th anniversary celebrations of a christian movement, Worldwide Marriage Encounter-Malawi of the Catholic church.

“Instead of focusing on what your partner does that annoys you, remind yourself of the things that you enjoy about him or her. So many people look for negatives even when surrounded by positives,” observed Sitima.
‪
He also said marriage is a basic foundation of any society that requires tolerance and understanding.

“Always remember that what God has joined together, no human being must separate,” he emphasized, adding that couples should be taking time to appreciate each other.

On his part, Mayor for Blantyre City, Noel Chalamanda, who was the guest of honour, said the sacrament of marriage is of great importance to the church and the society for it is through this sacrament that families are built and are leaven to society.

He also said marriage is still necessary in today’s modern society and best form of unit for bringing up children.

“We cannot talk of a church and society without families.  The church is there because of families, as such our lives should be in tandem with the scriptures,” said Chalamanda.

The Christian movement has existed in the country for the last 30 years and it is aimed at giving spouses the opportunity to examine their life together and help them refresh and renew their marriage and take their marriage to an even deeper and more satisfying level.

It also focus on the development of an open and honest relationship within marriage, and learning to live out a sacramental relationship in the service of others.

In Malawi, the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Movement came in 1985 through the instrumentality of His Lordship, the late Bishop Matthias Chimole, who sponsored some couples and priests to do their first Original Weekend in Zambia, and came back to start it in Lilongwe, the same year,1985.

Under the late Bishop Chiona’s patronage the movement was introduced to Blantyre, southern region in 1992 and Mzuzu in 1990.

The Movement is open to couples in stable family relationship, Catholic priests, sisters and brothers, and Christian couples from other churches.