Offered by Dcn. George Kelly

 

 

                                                    Thoughts on Marriage

 

Have you received a HOLY E-MAIL?  No!  Well, “I did not get one either!”

 

But you and I did get a message from Jesus for Lent – His Word, The Word of God!  The Book of Genesis reminds us of two things: 1. human beings are social beings, and 2. ideally in a marriage the husband and wife promote the goodness of each other which enables them to become one.

 

Divorce is a major problem in our time; it was a major problem in Jesus’ time.  Today’s divorce rate is about 50%, and I’m sure that you are aware of many of the reasons for that rate.  Fr. Dennis Murphy OSFS paraphrased St. Francis de Sales, “I see good in you and I choose to help that good grow for your sake.”  We would have far fewer divorces if married couples based their relationships on that philosophy.

Our society and our culture mock our belief in the permanence of the marriage.  St. Francis de Sales wrote, “… we are born to love.  We are made for relationship.  Much of who we are – much more of who we could be – can only become reality through relationships we establish and nurture with others.” (Sunday Salesian 10/04/2010)

 

Of the many human relationships God gives us to help us, be all that we can be, none can be more beautiful or more pain-filled than marriage.

Beautiful when a husband and wife love each other, support each other, sacrifice for the other, help each other be the best person they can be.

God gives us an ideal for marriage: “Two become one” – one in heart,

one in hope, one in love, one in God ….

 

Each couple creates a life together that sometimes means both taking on and letting go for the sake of the beloved, a life where Christ is the ever-present wedding guest breathing the Holy Spirit through the faith-filled sacrament of matrimony which reveals God’s love.  Join me in praying that we allow God’s grace, to mold us and to guide us, and that married couples reflect the life of the Trinity, where love is the key.

  

Let’s pray for the WISDOM of the Celtic Saints: knowledge of self, compassion for others, and friendship with God.

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

May God Be Praised!