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.
“Social Media” and Our Youth
From a Sunday bulletin… Because of the Center’s electronic publishing and online evangelical activities, I am somewhat familiar with the “social media.” The internet giant Facebook is now used by “901 million monthly active users at the end of March 2012,” or so they claim. Among those users are people in our community, including some of our youth. It bears repeating that any and all … More →
Ed Rogers Skeptical on Obama’s SS Marriage ‘Evolution’
The President says that his thinking about same-sex “marriage” has evolved. Writing for the WaPo, Ed Rogers suspects a cynical political motive: Reality check: Obama manipulated gay voters, kept them at a distance and hoped they would settle for the occasional wink and a nod. But he has found himself in a campaign with dwindling enthusiasm and a narrowing electoral map; he needs this group’s … More →
Dean of Roman Rota Calls for Reform of Easy Annulments
Catholic Culture: Speaking at a conference in Rome, the dean of the Roman Rota suggested the need for a more rigorous interpretation of a provision in canon law that is cited in many annulment cases. Read more here.
Pope Against Women in Politics
Considering the age of the Church and that her visible head is bishop of the Eternal City, this news item is only slightly dated. The New York Times quoted the Holy Father saying some apostolically blunt words to an Italian Catholic women’s organization. Recalling a Nancy Pelosi, a Barbara Boxer, or New Hampshire’s own Jeanne Shaheen — all wholeheartedly dedicated to facilitating in utero infanticide … More →
Lady Marines to Front?
Chivalry may not be dead, but it’s in critical condition. (The New York Times) The Marine Corps, the most male of the armed services, is taking its first steps toward integrating women into war-fighting units, starting with its infantry officer school at Quantico, Va., and ground combat battalions that had once been closed to women. Read more… Be it noted that the Germanic and Hibernian … More →
NFP to the Rescue
The Washington Post has an article featuring “a movement of younger, religiously conservative Catholic women who are trying to rebrand what may be Catholicism’s most-ignored teaching: its ban on birth control methods such as the Pill.” Unless the WaPo has gotten the story all wrong — and we won’t rule that out — the problem with this rebranding is that it’s bad marketing. You can’t … More →
Nancy Pelosi: Spiritual Imbecile
Quoth the Congresswoman: “Ninety-eight percent of women in childbearing age that are Catholic use contraception. So, in practice the church has not enforced this and now they want the federal government and private insurance to enforce it. It just isn’t consistent to me.” Some questions come to mind: 1. Does the Congresswoman think the Church should “enforce” God’s Law? 2. How does the Congresswoman think … More →
Nutter’s Colorful Remarks Hit Target
Concerning a roving band of 14-16 year-old youth whose mischief ended in a murderous shooting spree, Philly Mayor Michael Nutter had some choice remarks. While he chose to use profanity in expressing himself, he hit on an important truth. One remark — this one sans the potty-mouth word — is something parents must take to heart: “Their little butts should have either been in bed, … More →
English Journalist Deplores Everything Good in Real Roman Catholic Irish Travelers
Annie Elizabeth in Defende Nos a Proelio quoting Germaine Greer in Saturday’s London Telegraph: “One of the worst things about the travellers that we have here in the UK, the article suggests, is that they’re Catholic.” My comments are in bold. Read more here.
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New York Archbishop Warns Legal Penalties May Come for Defenders of True Marriage
LifeNews: American Christians may one day find themselves facing legal penalties simply for believing marriage can only exist between a man and a woman, a fate already suffered by believers in other countries, said the leader of America’s most influential Catholic pulpit this week. Read full report here.
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Feedback on My Father’s Day Piece
Shortly after sending out the last Ad Rem, I received this email, which I got to today in my queue of backlogged emails. My correspondent — let’s call him “Sal” — is a professional man whose “Uncle Frank” had something to say about the economics of women entering the workforce. Sal graciously gave me permission to share it: Some time ago, when feminism took hold … More →
Mexico City Court Fines Priest for Telling Faithful They Should Not Vote for Candidates Endorsing Same-Sex ‘Marriage’
Catholic Culture: The public spokesman of the Mexico City archdiocese has announced that he will appeal a July 1 court ruling that he engaged in illegal political activity when he said that Catholics should not vote for candidates who support same-sex marriage. More here with link to AP article.
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Former NY Giant Great Speaks Out Against Homosexual Agenda and For Marriage
I was stunned to read that the Giant’s Mark Strahan was pushing for same-sex “marriage.” In fact, this is what prompted David Tyree to speak out and give his support for the National Association for Marriage. Catholic OnLine: As an athlete, Tyree’s catch in the closing seconds of Super Bowl XLII, pivotal to his team’s victory was the undeniable highpoint of his sports career. Since … More →
