Couples for Christ Ministry saving countless marriages

Every morning before Avelino and Tanya Rodriguez head off to work and drop their children, A.J. and Viviana, off at school, the entire family gathers in their living room for prayer.

“I think our faith in God starts with me, the man of the household. I set the tone for my family, and we all understand that without God, we are nothing,” Avelino said. “Tomorrow is not guaranteed, so we hold hands in prayer, say, “I love you,” and give each other hugs. We take this seriously and know God will bless our marriage first and then our family.”

The couple first met at work, and their relationship initially started as friends and co-workers. But soon, they both noticed a spark and realized they wanted the same things from life and wanted to experience them together.

“We knew in our hearts God wanted us to be together forever,” Tanya recalled.

Like most couples, Tanya and Avelino endured hardships that threatened their marriage. But they never gave up on each other – a trait lacking in many modern marriages today.

“I think a lot of marriages end up failing simply due to a lack of communication,” Tanya noted. “No matter how busy you get with work and children, you need to make time for your marriage. It all starts with communicating, no matter how small you might think something is or maybe it’s something major, no matter how difficult it might be; it needs to be shared, or someday it will eventually explode.”

The couple have become leaders with the Couples for Christ ministry at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Corpus Christi. The group meets every first Saturday of the month and helps couples understand how to strengthen their marriages. Avelino and Tanya understand a lot about saving marriages because they worked hard to protect their own.

Avelino shared that their marriage was failing years ago until he realized only he had the power to save his marriage.

“I had to lay myself at the foot of the cross and literally let the monster inside of me die who was not being respectful of my wife and my family. I told God I was tired of being this man, and little by little, here we are today,” he said, holding back tears as Tanya held his hand.

Another key to a successful marriage is maintaining a healthy sense of humor, Avelino added.

“Life’s too short to be a bump on the log, so I believe a sense of humor is a must for any marriage,” added Avelino. “I love to make my wife laugh, and I love who I am and who we are now with God in our lives.”

Tanya said they recommend scheduling date nights away from the house and children, whether it’s a movie, dinner or time spent in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Reflection time together is integral to strengthening the marital bond.

“God helps us strengthen our marriage every day. By no means do we have a perfect marriage. When we feel tension come up, we promised each other we’d stop and pray together,” said Avelino.

Tanya added that praying together doesn’t have to mean praying in the same room together.

“Sometimes, the best thing to do is go to separate rooms and pray. Conflict will come up; there is no doubt. But you have to decide if you will fight evil with evil or rebuke it, step away and let the Holy Spirit take over,” she said.

Avelino said whenever they hear of a couple going through tough times, they tell them it’s never too late, especially with God at your side. They also keep the couple in their constant prayers.

“Having a strong marriage takes God, prayer and hope, but you gotta have faith,” he said. “I can honestly say from experience: marriage is 100% better with God in our lives.”

For more information on the Couples for Christ ministry at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Corpus Christi, visit olphcctx.org or email [email protected].