The Right Reasons

 A Benedictine monk told the story of a young monk asking his spiritual director if his reasons for becoming a monk were shallow, or just plain dumb.   The elder monk said that your reasons for becoming a monk don't really count, compared to the reasons why you stay.

I like this.  I also think the same saying could apply to marriage.  

A Counterquestion

In my morning reading, I thought about Matthew 19: 3-9.  Here the Pharisees thought they'd get Jesus with the same subject that caused the demise of John the Baptist--divorce.  John condemned Herod Antipas for divorcing his wife and marrying his brother's wife, Herodias.  It was Herodias' scheme that resulted in John's death.

But Jesus turned the tables.  He quotes Genesis 19: 4-5--the Torah.  Shouldn't the Pharisees have known this?

Marriage is God's creation.

Pope praises bishops' guidelines on helping divorced, remarried couples

Pope praises bishops' guidelines on helping divorced, remarried couples: VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis thanked a group of bishops in Argentina for providing their priests with concrete guidelines for implementing the section of his apostolic exhortation on the family.

You can see that Pope Francis is a pastor and not a theologian.  The Holy Spirit gives us what we need.

Perfect like my Heavenly Father

Internet users recently expressed their views on the perfect relationship. The USCCB and For Your Marriage saw it as an opportunity to enter into the online conversation in a meaningful way. The meme below is how we answered the question, "Is there such a thing as a perfect relationship?" Share, pin or tweet to get the word out.

Call to Prayer

Cardinal Seán O'Malley

Chairman, USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities

It is a great blessing to be joined in prayer with thousands of Catholics nationwide. The Call to Prayer is a reminder for all of us that we rely on God for everything; it is an invitation to grow in faith and love as we pray and fast together for the protection of life, marriage and religious liberty. Everyone can make a difference for the good of the Church and society through participation in this important campaign. Please join me and so many others in holding up the power of prayer.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is asking people to pray, do penance, and sacrifice, for the sake of renewing a culture of life, marriage, and religious liberty in our country.  Life, marriage, and religious liberty are good for society; they are not just the values of the Catholic Church.  The well-being of society rerquires that strong marriages and families, life, and our religious liberties are promoted and protected.

Our culture does not promote family values.  In many ways our government does not support our religious values and hampers our exercise of our religious freedom.  We live in a threatening environment.

So the USCCB has asked all people of good will to join together in prayer.  You can participate by:

1.  Host or attend a Eucharistic Holy Hour on the last Sunday of the month.

2.  Daily Rosary.

3.  Suggested Prayers of the Faithful, at Mass.

4.  Abstain from meat on Fridays.

5.  Pray

Lots of information on the Call to Prayer website.

The Last 24 Hours

Whew!  I've been in a whirlwind of activity these last 24 hours.  I've been too busy to think, never mind worry.  In fact, I've decided that keeping busy is the best way to stop worrying.  I know that Matthew 6: 25-34 tells us to trust in God, and when you're busy you are trusting Him because you're too busy to trust in anyone else, certainly not oneself.

Yesterday, we started by going to the Russian Icon Museum.  I wished I lived closer; I'd be a docent. Afterwards, we had dinner at The Mill Restaurant.   I had chicken champagne salad, and hubby had baked haddock.  In the evening, my parish had a book discussion on Mathew Kelley's Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic.  It was incredible.  There were over a hundred people.  I think the Holy Spirit was bouncing off the walls.  Everyone left excited!  In fact, my friends and I weren't ready to go home.  We went out for coffee and appetizers, and continued our discussion.  When I came home my phone messages were blinking.  It seems that the designer for the newsletter, eLumen, which I edit, had been trying to reach me. The March issue is ready to be sent on Saturday, and the placement of some of the articles needed to be reorganized.  That discussion left me crawling into bed, after midnight.

The alarm woke me up early because my friends and I had planned to go hiking today.  The temperature said 4 degrees.  I wouldn't have gone but one of my friends depends on me taking her.  She looks forward to it, so I went.  I was happy I did.  There was no wind and talking with friends you don't notice the cold.  It was actually nice.  When we finished, the temperature said 14 degrees.

I had to rush home to get to RCIA.  One of my "cloistered brothers" was talking about the sacrament of marriage.  He said that love is an emotion and emotions don't stay the same.  But marriage is a commitment.  To Catholics, marriage is a sacramental covenant.  It is a vow, meaning it takes sincere effort to persevere.  He said it affirmatively and completely.  I had nothing to add.

Next is a nap.

Normalizing Perversion

Good grief!  What acrobatics we put out consciences through to justify our actions!  I'm thinking of how young adults justify "recreational sex."

"We've made a personal commitment to each other."  That's their reason.  Mmmm, like I've made a personal commitment to feed my cat every day?  Walk the door?  Take care of my pets?

Is that what love has been reduced to---a personal commitment?

(Thank you Jesus for Dick, my hubby.)

That kind of personal commitment doesn't do it for me.  I want a sacred covenant relationship, made before God, and sealed with the Eucharist.

How did we ever get to this stage of human development?

Isn't love a supreme desire to seek the true good of the other person?  Forever and ever?  A desire to grow old together?  To enjoy children together?

The nature of marriage is love. I always think of Tobit praying before taking his wife, "... And so I do not take my sister for any lustful motive; I do it in singleness of heart..."

What is the nature of a personal commitment--depends (feed the cat, etc.).  Do couples in "personal commitments" take their partners not for lust?  

Nowadays, people don't take sex outside of marriage, seriously.  The culture promotes recreational sex. No  one sees any wrong in it.  Our culture has so perverted society that sex before marriage is normal.  I feel especially sorry for young women.  They have rationalized that their bodies' main purpose is to pleasure men.  Is it fun to have your hymen broken? Is it pleasurable to have sex, rather than make love?  She is also taking the risk of pregnancy, and her partner is letting her take it. I think this is a perversion of love.  The personal commitment isn't about love; it's normalizing perversion.  

(Thank you Jesus for Dick, my hubby.)