Category Archives: Marriage and Family
Marriage and Family
Jesus elevated marriage to a sacrament. A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give sanctifying grace. Therefore, in holy matrimony, husband and wife receive the grace appropriate to that state in life. Primarily this grace will help them in sanctifying each other and the children God sends them. It will give them strength to keep the bond of matrimony in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, in riches or poverty, in good times and bad, until death parts them.
In a good marriage the spouses must be open to life, which means that they should bring forth the fruit of children, and do nothing to frustrate conception. Herein lies another great grace that ordinarily comes with matrimony, namely that God will send a couple as many children as they can properly raise, if they cooperate with Him. It takes a strong act of Faith to firmly believe this in this materialistic age, in which economics trumps trust in the Creator.
Pope John Paul II often referred to the family as a “domestic church.” This is but another way of interpreting what Saint Paul meant when he was inspired to write these tremendous words to the Ephesians: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it” (5:25).
There is only one perfect family, the Holy Family of Nazareth. Meditating on the peace, charity, and industriousness, that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph exemplified in their domestic life will help the families of poor sinners who are trying against all odds to counter the evil influences of a godless society. When the hearth has been chilled by selfishness and technological idols, this sad state will by necessity be reflected in a cold and ruthless civic disorder.
Skateboarder Defends Marriage
You can learn a lot from this man. From the TFP: This two-minute unplanned recording was captured during a campaign for traditional marriage in White Plains, New York, by TFP Student Action volunteers. When the man featured in this interview came rolling down the sidewalk on his skateboard, he saw our signs promoting God’s marriage, stopped, and accepted a copy of our handout, 10 Reasons … More →
Update: Nearly 1 and 1/2 Million Protest Same-Sex Marriage in Paris
Yesterday I posted the number at an impressive 300,000. I was misinformed. LifeSite News: According to organizers, nearly one and a half million people joined the third demonstration in five months against the legalization of same-sex “marriage” by the French government in Paris, on Sunday. Meanwhile, large numbers of demonstrators who were unable to join the main venue – which had filled up by 3 p.m. … More →
Homopseudomarriage Roundup: Conservatives Who Conserve Nothing
I. Reuters reports on the growing acceptance of, and indifference to, homosexual “marriage” on the part of those who call themselves political conservatives. Of note in the report is the purported change of major proportions in the Mormon view of Homosexuality. Due to the large number of Mormon-sponsored BSA troops, this could bode ill for the Boy Scouts’ continued resistance to allowing homosexual members and … More →
48% of US Babies are Born to Unwed Mothers
CNSNews Service Report: These “dramatic changes in childbearing,” the report states, results in dramatic statistics about American children. Among them, 48 percent of first births are by unwed mothers, and by age 30 two-thirds of American women have had a child, typically out of wedlock. More on this here.
Obama Administration Files Amicus Brief to Mock Marriage
Catholic Online: On February 28, 2013, the Department of Justice of the Obama Administration filed what is called a Friend of the Court or Amicus Brief in the case styled Hollingsworth v Perry.It should have come as no surprise to those who have been actually watching Barack Obama and his administration – and not simply buying into the sophistry which they offer with such regularity. … More →
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In Appeal: US High Court Denying Asylum to German Homeschool Family
LifeSite News: Michael Farris, J.D., LL.M The Supreme Court of Germany declared that the purpose of the German ban on homeschooling was to “counteract the development of religious and philosophically motivated parallel societies.” Having immersed myself for about eight days in writing a brief for the Romeike family (a German homeschooling family who fled to the United States for political asylum), I wanted to share some insights I gained into the view … More →
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Socialist Politician Says Spanish Bishop Should Be ‘Muzzled’
CNA: A socialist government official in Andalusia, Spain, called for a local Catholic bishop to be “muzzled” for arguing that men and women are both different and complementary. Full report is here.
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Cardinal George Issues Pastoral Blasting Promoters of Same-Sex ‘Marriage’
Cardinal George: “Those who know that marriage is a union between a man and a woman for the sake of family will carry a social opprobrium that will make them unwelcome on most university faculties and on the editorial boards of major newspapers,” the cardinal said. “They will be excluded from the entertainment industry. Their children and grandchildren will be taught in the government schools that … More →
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Western Decadence: Children a ‘Low-Reward, High-Investment Arrangement’
The American Conservative: In an unintentional contribution to the “fertility and decadence” debate provoked by Ross Douthat, the Frankfurter Allgemeiner Zeitung has a piece on Germany’s birthrate, which is among the lowest in the world. Here is a translation of the report, which is based on a study by the Federal Institute for Demographic Research in Wiesbaden: Read more here.
New Methods of Modern Oligarchs
The inhuman state we humans are living in at this point of history is getting clearer every day. It gets more and more obvious that the ruling elites are detached from the people they are ruling and that even these elites are ruled by other, mostly financial, elites. The citizens often feel powerless in the face of social, moral, financial and even natural disorder. Money … More →
Austrian Government Fining Visiting Homeschooling Families
Robert F. Cassidy writing for Crisis magazine has the story: For four families in Austria—named the “Gaming 4” after the city where they reside—it is also becoming more and more crucial in their legal fight to homeschool their children. Indeed, this teaching touches more than simply homeschooling; it opens up a vast array of questions ranging from the relationships between family and society, Church and … More →
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‘We Are Worth It’! ‘No You’re Not’! Average Wedding Expense Today 26K
And before that there’s the “wedding shower.” Friends had a couple of wedding showers for my wife, so we are guilty of this as well. But the wedding was very frugal and the reception was totally a work of charity from extremely generous friends who did everything. On account of that, I invited everybody and provided champagne for every table and a cheap camera too. … More →
