The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friend,

Our Lord's first public miracle was performed to honor the sacrament of Marriage. He blessed this union not only by His presence, but also with a miracle and His grace.

Christ has given His gifts not only to honor the marriage contract but to elevate it to the status of a sacrament. And to the end of time all those who receive the sacrament in accord with laws of the Church (God's laws) receive these blessings and graces from God.

As I write these words I am too well aware of the countless marriages that have failed to live up to the ideal. And all too often we refuse to accept any responsibility for this failure. We want to believe in a "no fault" failure, but such an attitude leads us to actually blame God for the failure. After all it was God who brought the couple together and it is He that has joined them together. And if it has not worked out, then it must be because He did not give us what we needed to make it all work out.

But, such an attitude is ludicrous, if not blasphemous. The graces are available, the miracles are available, the happiness is all available. God over abundantly provides more than is necessary. God is a God of goodness and bounty, and He is extremely generous.

The problems with many marriages rest upon the shoulders of the husband and wife. The graces are abused, denied, or outright rejected. All too many enter this holy sacrament with completely hedonistic ideas and plans. And when their hedonistic plans are frustrated they want to dissolve the sacrament and try again with someone else.

The obvious question then is: How can we obtain the pleasures and happiness that God wishes us to have in the marriage state?

The answer appears a little counter-intuitive to most of the world, and perhaps this is why it is so seldom followed. In order to enjoy pleasure we must be willing to endure suffering and pain; and in order to enjoy happiness we must be willing to endure sadness. Jesus points this out very clearly when He commands us to take up our crosses and follow Him and then promises us that He will make our cross light and sweet and that we will find rest for our souls.

The husband and wife must each die to themselves so that they can live for each other. They must each be ready, willing, and able to sacrifice themselves and their temporal happiness and pleasures for the sake of the other. And once this is put into practice we find a wonderful transformation takes place. In sacrificing our own wills and desires for another, we find more peace and pleasure than we would have in doing our own will. "It is in giving that we receive".

This denial of ourselves is not just for one another, but must extend to God. God is an integral part of every good marriage. Husband and wife not only sacrifice themselves for the love of each other, but most importantly they sacrifice themselves to each other for the love of God. They must practice and develop true humility.

No matter how mismatched a pair may be, if they truly cooperate with the grace of God they can receive enough graces to not only enjoy a peaceful union here on earth but most importantly they can merit their own eternal happiness with God in heaven.

They key is in accepting our burdens and crosses willingly and cheerfully for the love of God and our spouse.

And to ensure this self-sacrificing attitude God often gives us children to elicit this love and willingness to suffer for the good of others. Children are created lovable (especially to their parents) and quite naturally without any forethought parents begin to do all that they can for the welfare of their children, even at the cost of their own comfort, pleasure, health and even their own lives. This is the love that Jesus has for us as He became man and suffered and died to save us. And in cooperating with the grace of their vocation, parents learn the love that God has for us, and practice this love for their own children.

In this we can see and appreciate the love of God for us and the many graces that He showers upon us in the sacrament of Matrimony. He transforms the bitter waters of pain and sacrifice in to the sweetest and most pleasant wine of joy and consolation.

Franciscan Benefactor Seraph Subscription Vocations Have you remembered God?