4th Sunday Ordinary Time

       As we move into the month of February, with Valentine’s Day on the horizon, I thought it might be a good time to talk about Marriage! If you remember, early last Fall, I did a series of Pastoral Notes on Baptism, Godparents, and Confirmation Sponsors. I cannot say I received too much feedback – positive or negative – on those PSA-styled notes, except one. It was suggested that a similar series might be helpful on Marriage and various associated matters. Well one request is just one request, but as your pastor, I’m bound to help form, shape, and catechize the laity in the Faith. And well, few things impact our collective practice of the Faith, except for the Eucharist & Liturgy, as the wonderful gift of Marriage.

      First, if you do not believe I am literally required to teach about Marriage (and other aspects of the Faith), you might be interested to see part of my job description as clarified in Canon Law for a Pastor’s responsibilities:

Can. 1063 Pastors of souls are obliged to take care that their ecclesiastical community (i.e., parish(es)) offers the Christian faithful the        assistance by which the matrimonial state is preserved in a Christian spirit and advances in perfection. This assistance must be offered  especially by: 1) preaching, catechesis adapted to minors, youth, and adults, and even the use of instruments of social communication, by which the Christian faithful are instructed about the meaning of Christian marriage and about the function of Christian    spouses and parents. (emphasis added).

      The first place to begin is to ask, what is Marriage? While there are many places for us to look for that understanding, I’m going to utilize two particular sources here: the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) and the Code of Canon Law (Can.) Yes, the Scriptures have a tremendous amount to say about Marriage. In fact, Jesus spoke directly to Marriage on a number of instances – upholding its earthly permanence, fidelity, inherent giftedness, created order as male & female, and blessing in children. Such investigation, meditation, and reflection are helpful. In this particular series, I would like to focus more particularly on specific expectations, requirements, and practices drawn from Christ as discerned, lived, and defined by the Catholic Church. Yet, the Catechism itself starts with this Scriptural context.

CCC 1602: Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of     "the wedding-feast of the Lamb." Scripture speaks throughout marriage and its "mystery," its institution and the meaning God has given      it, its origin and its end, its various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from sin and its renewal "in the       Lord" in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church.

CCC 1603: "The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and                 endowed by him with its own proper laws.... God himself is the author of marriage." The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature    of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it      may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. These differences should not       cause us to forget its common and permanent characteristics. Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with       the same clarity, some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures. "The well-being of the individual person and    of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life."

Nothing Less than saints for the Holy Family of God.

Holy Family, Strengthened by Holy Marriage, Pray for us.

~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries