THE HOLY SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGETHE LIFE'S JOURNEY |
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The Holy Bible stresses that marriage is the only way to unit a man to a woman. The book of Genesis says that when God created the man and a woman He told them to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth… therefore we can say that we share in God's life as He shares in ours. Within a Christian marriage procreation has a special meaning. The union of a Christian couple give them an exceptional opportunity to be united by an eternal promise. This promise is a journey that lasts for life. Through it the couple discover together a new way of life where they deepen their relationship and experience together the love of God to them. This understanding and harmony doesn't come instantly as a consequence of their union by the sacrament of marriage. The ability to see God through each other takes time and a complete commitment towards the other partner, associated with a true desire to deepen our love towards the other partner. God is present in the depth of our heart and we have to work all of our life to be able to experience His presence. This life's journey needs the spirit of fidelity. This spirit is associated to a great extent with love and means preferring the other to one's self. In another word giving our partner the priority in our mind and heart. |
The fidelity required is a mutual one where each one of them puts aside his own needs and rights to fulfill his or her partner's needs with all what a married life requires. But what to do when one of the partners refuses this way of life? Before requiring fidelity from your partner you have to be honest with yourself. Not being honest does not imply affairs, but above all means not having a positive attitude towards resolving conflicts or family problems. It also means the lake of initiative, which weakens the concepts of love as seen by the other partner. It causes tense in the relationship. Marriage is a spiritual journey where the couple keep each other company while taking common steps and looking together towards the future. This can only be provided by a marriage of two who have promised to be a reason of happiness for each other through offering, giving and self denial, through accepting each other as they are, and to work on fully understanding each other to live in total harmony. Married life is the way to reach holiness and practice virtues, especially the virtue of love, which is the perfection's bond. When a baby is born he takes the irst place and becomes the centre of the parents' love therefore sacrifices increase, serving becomes more |
agreeable and difficulties become easier. This allows more and more the crossing of the boundaries of one's own self to live with the other. As selfishness melts, giving up of one's self materialises. This is the perfection of love, which is above all virtues. The head of the woman The woman is not a slave or a servant to the man. She is an equal partner in raising the family and caring for the children. This does not contradict the common custom that "the man is the head of the family." This leadership is not based on supremacy but upon love, responsibility and working to secure financial and intellectual needs with the needs to change to the better. All this can be accomplished by mutual understanding, cooperation and complete harmony with the wife. Men, love your wives (Eph. 5:25) Not only does St. Paul recommend that men should love their wives but he goes further to say that this love should be as great as the love of Christ to the church. Christ sacrificed Himself to purify and sanctify her, giving her a new beauty. He still keeps her as His own regardless of her imperfections and defects and He uses all ways to renew and cure her. To be continued… Parish Priest
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