By FR. BEL R. SAN LUIS, SVD
ONCE a wife said to the husband. “You’ve been examining our marriage contract for an hour now? What are you looking for?”
The husband replied: “I’m just finding if it has an expiration date.”
Church marriage has no “expiration date.”
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In today’a gospel, Jesus teaches the reason why marriage should be monogamous, permanent and indissoluble.
He said, “From the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and the two become one flesh. What God has united, man must not separate. The man who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery.” (Mk 10, 6;9;11).
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This teaching of Christ is the basis of the Catholic Church’s doctrine against absolute divorce.
Admittedly, there are numerous trials and problems in monogamous marriage but they outweigh the problems of broken families and separated spouses.
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For instance, it’s been found that many of the youths coming from broken families have anti-social behavioral problems. One reason is because of the lack of parental love, guidance, and supervision from separated parents.
My personal experience as former director of high school students confirmed it.
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Aside from the traumatic experience of separation suffered by the couples and children, divorce is a simplistic way of resolving marital problems. Couples who resort to divorce because one of the spouses is lazy, irresponsible and a drunkard is only transferring his or her personal problems to another marital relationship, that is, if he or she does not change his negative traits and vices. Recycling personal problems will lead to the same result of separation or divorce.
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What should be done is for couples to work out their problems and save their floundering marriages as far as possible.
Spouses should learn to forgive and reconcile. As the saying goes, “A happy and lasting marriage is the union of two forgivers.”
There are other reasons which make the Christian teaching on marriage a hard pill to swallow at times. However, there is value in FIDELITY, outweighing the difficulties of married life.
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In the evening of the couple’s life, they can say, “Lord, despite our problems, conflicts and difficulties, we’ve made it. We’ve followed your will in marriage.”
And the Lord will say: “He who is faithful until the end will receive the crown of glory.”
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Today is the feast of the HOLY ROSARY. Once a widow confided to a priest that she not only meditated on the rosary but effectively applied it in her life.
She said: “When I got married, it was joyful mystery; when my husband’s vices surfaced, sorrowful mystery; when my husband died of accident – glorious mystery; when I preferred to remain single – luminous mystery.”
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Let’s pray the rosary, especially in this month of October. The family that prays together stays together.
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FAMILY TV MASS – aired on IBC 13 (channel 15 cable) at 7-8 a.m. every Sunday; also on international GMA Pinoy TV. SPONSOR: NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE DIVINE MERCY, MARILAO, BULACAN. Priest presider: FR. PROSPEROUS TENORIO.
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