Couple shares marriage experiences through pre-Cana program
By Christie L. Chicoine
CS&T Staff Writer
BROOMALL — A quarter-century of marriage — and counting.
That’s what Michael and Linda Semes of St. Pius X Parish in Broomall
bring to young couples they advise, both in the parish’s pre-Cana
program and as presenters for the archdiocesan marriage preparation program.
“Life is an adventure,” said Linda Semes, who is 47 years
old today. Couples should bring to their marriage “a spirit of going
on a great adventure with the person they love,” she added.
The Semes were married Dec. 30, 1982 at St. Dorothy Church in Drexel Hill.
They moved to Hong Kong two days later to begin jobs in an orchestra —
she as a harpist and he as a bass player.
But newlyweds don’t have to circle the globe to have an adventuresome
life. Instead, Linda Semes said, they should strive to see the joy in
the everyday, and not forget the importance of the little things in life
such as the power of saying “thank you” and “I’m
sorry.”
The Semes encourage couples to think about their lifetime together —
not just their wedding day, added 50-year-old Michael Semes.
According to his wife, that means “God is a big part of the equation.”
They challenge the young couples to “open their hearts up to …
the gifts that God gives them — even though it might not be exactly
what they planned,” Linda Semes said.
The Semes also share how their faith has enriched their own marriage.
To drive the point home, Michael Semes said, they quote the late Pope
John Paul II: “The more you give of yourself, the more you become
… like Christ.”
They also advise couples to forgive one another and to receive the sacraments
of reconciliation and the Eucharist frequently.
“The Church has the answers. The Church has the truth,” Michael
Semes said. “If we’re willing to be honest with ourselves,
we accept that and follow that. In doing so, we become a lot happier.”
In their work, the Semes frequently address the biggest challenge and
enemy of marriages today, which is artificial contraception, Michael Semes
said.
Another challenge, according to Linda Semes, is the example of selfishness
that young couples see in the society around them: “Generally, society
teaches you to be very self-oriented. In a marriage, you have to be very
other-oriented.”
A good Catholic marriage, especially, is “permanent, faithful and
fruitful,” she added.
The Semes have four daughters aged 18, 16, 12 and 10.
“We see the children as the gifts in our marriage,” Linda
Semes said. “My husband and I frequently say we couldn’t have
put in orders for better children.”
Achieving a successful work-life balance is also part of what they talk
about. After they left their lives as musicians, he went on to become
a lawyer and she worked in real-estate before becoming a homemaker.
Attending Mass as a family and praying the rosary are two ways the Semes
strike a work-life balance.
And one more thing: They take time to laugh a lot, every day.
CS&T Staff Writer Christie L. Chicoine may be reached at (215)
587-2468 or cchicoin@adphila.org.