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But if I contracept because I'm afraid of the health consequences of a pregnancy I'm "mocking" God

This is a harsh thing to say. It is hard to hear. But, I don't think anyone is condemning anyone here. We do a good enough job of separating ourselves from God, all by our selves. My personal sins get in the way of my relationship with God all the time. Thank God for confession. We are all attempting to talk about a very personal and touchy subject.

When we take our wedding vows, we are making an oath to the person we see as the object of our love. At the same time we make this oath before the Church and God. It is a vow of love. God loves within the Trinity way more than any of us could love anyone or anything, and God loves us more than any of us could comprehend. Therefore, it is a sacrament - a taste of what it will be like in Heaven. Love and marriage is His nature. Right? God is love. The Trinity is a love fest.

The Sacrament of Marriage images that love. We are closest to God when we love unconditionally. It is very hard to love unconditionally, even those we love most, such as our children or our spouse. It is very hard! So, our image of God is almost always "mocking" God. We can't help it. I have burned with anger so many times around my loved ones, it ainte even funny how much I mock God.

So, is mocking a terrible description? Does it mean you are hellbound? Is it beyond us to mock the God who loves, even while nailed to a cross, dripping blood when we sin? I think all sin mocks God. Especially my own.

Specifically in our wedding vows we promise our love (to our spouse, in front of God) "for better or worse, in sickness and health ... till death do us part." This is a covenant. This is a sacred vow. This is what Jesus talks about when he warns us not to swear before God unless we really mean it. Mt 23:22 "And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon."

Do we fail? Yes. At least I have. Are we forgiven? Yes. My wife is amazing! And thank God for confession again.

The purest form of expressing my love to my wife is in the sexual act. We two become one and we better image the Triune God with our love. In this union that images the Father and Son, we can help God produce an entire new life, imaging the Holy Spirit. This is a powerful and deep reality that speaks volumes about love, life and the ture nature of God! We have the opportunity to really image God ... and we are here on earth! Amazing! We are given so much by God. It is such a gift that love here on earth can be so intense. And imagine, as St. Paul says, we now only see through a glass darkly.