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Regnum Christi

Raising the Bar to a Sacramental Level
August 17, 2007

Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Father Ned Brown, LC

Matthew 19: 3-12
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?" He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator “made them male and female” and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate." They said to him, "Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?" He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery." His disciples said to him, "If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." He answered, "Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."

Introductory Prayer:Lord Jesus, you require of me faith to follow your sublime teachings. You want me to trust in your ways, even though at the time all may seem to be an unbearable cross. You love me unconditionally. I believe, trust and love you.

Petition: Jesus, remove the obstacles from my heart, so I may be open and docile to your teachings.

1. Marriage Made Sacrament The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. This is why our Lord defended its indissolubility so strongly before the Pharisees. The sacrament confers to spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church. The image of Christ dying on the cross and Mary beneath the cross is a perpetual icon of love for all married couples. When I experience difficulties in loving others, I should look at these marvelous examples of forgetfulness of self and service to others.

2. Your Standard of Love Is Christ St. Paul said: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her” (Ephesians 5:25). Marriage requires of couples a fundamental life of grace and an integral moral character if it is to be a true Christian witness to the world. The grace of the sacrament perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life. For those who are married: Is your marriage Christ-centered? Is your love modeled after Christ? Do you know how to leave aside pride and egotism, in order to be more like Christ in the way you love your spouse? For those preparing for marriage: Am I making the right moral decisions now in my life to prepare a solid foundation for a future marriage? Do I take time to study and assimilate the Church’s teaching on married love?

3. A Higher Love To a select group of souls, our Lord gives a special grace. Not by their own merit, but by the very gift of God, do souls receive this calling. He calls these souls to renounce marriage “for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven”, to accept the Church as their spouse. These souls are his consecrated souls, souls set apart for the Lord’s work, a work of his choosing. By this gift and calling, men and women leave home, sometimes even their country, and go to mission lands to spread the word of God. Esteem for virginity for the sake of the kingdom and the Christian understanding of marriage are inseparable, and they reinforce each other. Do I have enough faith to believe all that our Lord and the Church has taught on married life and love?

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, you teach us about true married love by your love for your bride, the Church. Your love is always faithful. Bless all married couples. Grant them the graces they need most to keep their love vibrant, flourishing and fruitful. Help them to overcome selfishness and pride which act like cancer to the real life you wish for them. Make them happy in their fidelity.

Resolution: I will take time each day this week to read and thank God for the Church’s teaching on the Sacrament of Marriage. (See Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1601-1666.)

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

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Deliver Your Gifts

August 16, 2007

Jos 24:1-13 / Ps 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22 and 24 / Mt 19:3-12

"I gave you a land you had not tilled and cities you had not built to dwell in. You have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant." So said the Lord to the Israelites, and so might he speak to us all. Everything we have: life, breath, family, hopes, dreams, loves, and every sort of gift and talent. God gave it all to us, all unearned. He gave it and he continues to give it day-by-day even when we're at our worst.

When we catch a glimpse of the immensity of God's gifts and how little we've done to earn them, our minds stumble. From the depths of our souls, we want to SAY thanks and GIVE thanks, but how do we do that?

We shrug our shoulders and shake our heads. What do we have to give to God? Just one thing: the very gifts that God is giving us, we can give to his people. God is a good father and that's all he asks: "Carry your gifts to those of my children who need them."

And we must respond: "I will, Lord. I will."