Catholic families need to be open to children. We are absolutely called to this. Yes, we are allowed to properly space our children and if there are severe economical problems, children can be spaced according to the families circumstances or until they are stable.

Years before my obedience to my faith I called the shots and controlled my own fertility. I am now terrified of telling God "no". Now, I am a cradle Catholic but I let the world’s view on Artificial Birth Control become mine. My husband is the most devout, God fearing man that I have ever known. He Converted to Catholocism of his own free will. We leave everything to God.

It is really sad to hear people that are supposed to be Catholic talking about "never wanting to have a lot of kids". As Catholics we are called by God to be open to knew life all our lives. Not to say to God "No God I have no desire to have more children for you". Personally I'd be scared to death to say that to God. Small Families are a blessing when you remain open to new life and God chooses not to give you more. But to say you have no desire to have that many children is a slap in Gods face. God knows best even when we think we do. As Sacramental Couples we stood before God and said yes, I will accept children lovingly from God on our wedding day. Our time is not God's time. He has a good reason for wanting new life to come into ours. The way you should feel is thankful, and blessed. I'm a former OB nurse and just being able to still concieve is a blessing. At age 30 fertlity starts to decrease, and so many who delay fertility due to careers find themselves begging for what God has entrusted to us in pregnancy.

I'm 38 and we were just blessed with #7. Our goal is "Let Go and Let God" whatever he sends we are thrilled to have. After we had #2 we were trying to conceive when she turned a year, It took 11 months, when that child was 10 months we conceived God's little surprise. When she was 11 months we tried and he graciously granted us this baby. During both this last and my previous pregnancy my best friend concieved and miscarried at 13, and 19 weeks. We know we have truly been blessed.

Children are such a blessing and we only begin to realize it when they are young. As ours grow older I appreciate having them more and more. Problems, difficulties, financial difficulties, etc. are Nothing ( and we've had a lot of them) compared to the specialness of each life. We have six so far and, I wish we have twice as many. (That doesn't mean I like dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning, driving, physical problems and exhaustion, lack of funds, etc. etc.) You just cant compare that to the blessing of a life. . Many tell us that we are very irresponsible to have a large family when it seems we can't "afford" one but none of my kids have ever gone without enough food, clothing, love or attention. God will and does provide :-)

We pray for guidance daily. I only speak the truth, from my heart and what our church teaches. As a Catholic Couple who prepares Catholic Couples for marriage, I could not in good concious not say anything. This Page is dedicated to all the "Unborn" lost to abortion. and to all "Traditional" Catholic Couples who face day to day ridicule from those who do not understand

Next Time you are faced with this ridicule ask the person this Question????.

If you refused to let another baby come into your life that God wanted to send to you, when it comes your time to go to God, are they going to go with you to speak to God about what a wonderful Traditional Catholic you are, and that they convinced you not to let another baby into your lives and hearts?

It doesn’t matter what we want anyway, its up to God Everything happens in God's time!!

However, avoiding or postposting birth by natural means, through having relations only during infertile times, can be a moral good, if one is avoiding conception for the ****GOOD OF THE FAMILY AND NOT FOR SELFISH REASONS.*** Respecting the God-given natural fertility cycle of a woman by using the ovulation method keeps God in the picture,  so to speak, in sexual relations.    But artificial contraception,  even when practiced with the best of intentions, takes control of the procreative process within the womb away from God.  This is how one violates God's Natural Law.  One blocks what might have happened within the womb when God's sovereign creative power combines with human bio-logical processess to bring a being into existence.  This procreative process is among the most sacred events in life.  To artificially block it makes the sex act selfish and manipulative.  The whole structure of Christian marriage as mutual gift to one another in Christ collapses.  Natural Family Planning,  does not block this natural process within the womb.  Instead,  the couple waits on God, so to speak, by waiting on nature (for a few days a month) to allow for sexual relations which will not result in procreation.  This keeps the spiritual structure of a marriage intact, keeping God in the picture by letting Him govern things through the natural processess He has established. It also "personalizes" sexual relations, one might say.  This means that having relations becomes a more personal decision,  and less a yielding to emotional impulses and desires.   

The Church is Mother and Teacher As Teacher,  she must be obeyed, even if one is not totally comfortable with her doctrine.  In this grave matter, we must submit to the wisdom of the Church, trusting that the Holy Spirit is guiding her.  As Mother, she understands the difficulty many face today in the matter of bearing and education of children.  Better pre-marriage formation in sexual matters,  including self-control and chasity,  is needed.  Forming Catholics in the need for heroic fidelity to Christ is also crucial.  Jesus clearly taught that "the way is narrow and difficult that leads to life." Further the importance of keeping the Natural Law,  God's Law, is to be stressed.  The pope encourages those couples who have successfully practiced Natural Family Planning to bear witness to others and encourage them.

In conclusion, let me leave you with :

Pope John Paul II's teaching on the Family....

in his letter to Families and Familiaris Consortio

The Transmission of Love

The Lord told our first parents "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the

earth and subdue it." (Gen. 1:28) Procreation involves not only the

biological giving birth to a new being, but the whole process of spiritually

forming children for the Kingdom of God. There is an anti-life mentality pop-

ular today which wants to separate marriage from bearing children and forming

them. This is the so-called "contraceptive mentality." The Church stands

against such a vision of sexuality, and sides with the eternal law of God,

which is reflected in Natural Law. According to this law, written in our

hearts and consciences, the unitive and procreative aspects of sex must

never be separated, as happens when one practices articifical contraception.

Pope Paul VI taught that "every action in which, either in anticipation of

the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its

natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or means, to render pro-

creation impossible" is always immoral (Humanae Vitae, 14).

May God give you His peace