How does a wife help her husband become a spiritual leader?

[otm]

JMJ Theresa:

By holding accountable, I mean that maybe I shouldn’t just say, “Are you going Mass today?” Or, sometimes, I don’t even ask.

Rather, I could say, “I’m worried that you are putting God on the back burner.”

I could also say, “you know you agreed to support me in rearing the kids Catholic, so maybe you should give an hour a week to that end.”

I definitely wouldn’t push him to go to Mass. I know from experience that that backfires.

There is another good thread–how do you provide spiritual accountability to your spouse? For example, my husband knows I have a hard time forgiving, so he reminds me when I’m holding onto a grudge that I need to let it go. What a delicate balance…

Let me ask, have you ever made a Marriage Encounter weekend? The purpose is to assist the couple in growing closer in the main areas of their lives together; although it is a Catholic retreat, it is open to couples who are not both Catholic. Part of what they teach you is a means of communicating which helps to cut through a lot of the clutter that we often call
“communication”. I would suggest that if you have not made one, that you consider doing so. It is not designed to convert anyone; it is simply designed to help the couple strengthen their marriage.

It seems that part of the issue you are having goes somewhere else than how to get him to exercise male headship, if you will; it goes to deeper questions than that. Get to the deeper questions, and you will probably find the answer to the questions you are asking now.

You may find, however, when you get to the deeper questions, that you may not at this time get the anwer you want to the question of male headship.

The answer to that one is going to be prayer.