Posted on 08/16/2002 9:27:10 AM PDT by Salvation
Reading I
Ez 16:1-15, 60, 63 or 16:59-63
The word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations.
Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem:
By origin and birth you are of the land of Canaan;
your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
As for your birth, the day you were born your navel cord was not cut;
you were neither washed with water nor anointed,
nor were you rubbed with salt, nor swathed in swaddling clothes.
No one looked on you with pity or compassion
to do any of these things for you.
Rather, you were thrown out on the ground as something loathsome,
the day you were born.
Then I passed by and saw you weltering in your blood.
I said to you: Live in your blood and grow like a plant in the field.
You grew and developed, you came to the age of puberty;
your breasts were formed, your hair had grown,
but you were still stark naked.
Again I passed by you and saw that you were now old enough for love.
So I spread the corner of my cloak over you to cover your nakedness;
I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you;
you became mine, says the Lord God.
Then I bathed you with water, washed away your blood,
and anointed you with oil.
I clothed you with an embroidered gown,
put sandals of fine leather on your feet;
I gave you a fine linen sash and silk robes to wear.
I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms,
a necklace about your neck, a ring in your nose,
pendants in your ears, and a glorious diadem upon your head.
Thus you were adorned with gold and silver;
your garments were of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth.
Fine flour, honey, and oil were your food.
You were exceedingly beautiful, with the dignity of a queen.
You were renowned among the nations for your beauty, perfect as it was,
because of my splendor which I had bestowed on you,
says the Lord God.
But you were captivated by your own beauty,
you used your renown to make yourself a harlot,
and you lavished your harlotry on every passer-by,
whose own you became.
Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl,
and I will set up an everlasting covenant with you,
that you may remember and be covered with confusion,
and that you may be utterly silenced for shame
when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord God.
or
Thus says the Lord:
I will deal with you according to what you have done,
you who despised your oath, breaking a covenant.
Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl,
and I will set up an everlasting covenant with you.
Then you shall remember your conduct and be ashamed
when I take your sisters, those older and younger than you,
and give them to you as daughters,
even though I am not bound by my covenant with you.
For I will re-establish my covenant with you,
that you may know that I am the Lord,
that you may remember and be covered with confusion,
and that you may be utterly silenced for shame
when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord God.
Responsorial Psalm
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6
R (1c) You have turned from your anger.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the Lord,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R You have turned from your anger.
Give thanks to the Lord, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R You have turned from your anger.
Sing praise to the Lord for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R You have turned from your anger.
Gospel
Mt 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, man must not 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."
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Friday, August 16, 2002 Meditation Matthew 19:312 What God has joined together, let no one separate. (Matthew 19:6)
Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman who commit themselves to loving and honoring each other in good times and bad for the rest of their lives. Given the intensity of this commitment, its no surprise that in the Western world, close to fifty percent of first-time marriages end in divorce.
Its also interesting that in more traditional (old-fashioned) cultures, more married couples tend to stay together, and to stay together longer. Cynics may say these couples are just as unhappy, that theyre just not as free to divorce. There may be some truth to this view, but we should also remember that traditional cultures offer the support and wisdom of a vibrant community to help guide couples and to help relieve some of the normal, everyday pressures that threaten marriages.
Tragically, many people have lost the sense of Gods presence that is the most important dimension to any marriage. Our own day-to-day experience tells us that when that fundamental relationship with God is missing, all other relationships can fall prey to the destructive forces within and around us.
God never stops offering grace to help couples fulfill their marriage vows, but it is only an offer. How can anyone benefit from this grace if they try to live without God? The sacrament of marriage is a constantnot a one-time celebration that evaporates into a few fond memories and fading photos in a wedding album. Every day, there is grace upon grace for couples to overcome differences, love one another more deeply, and smooth out molehills before they become mountains. Every day, there is grace to remain faithful and to forgive even the worst of sins. The secret to reversing those divorce statistics is to consult the Author of marriage himself. He will go to great lengths to heal and restore everyone who seeks him.
Father, make me a passionate lover of your grace. I want to delve deeply into the truths of your word and your promises. In laying down your life for your friends, you have shown that true love is self-sacrificing. Help all married people to lay down their lives for their spouse and family. |
Proclaim! Sing! Evangelization and good news bump!
Marriage Bump!
This is a wonderful experience for any Catholic couple -- Speaking from my own experience before my husband passed away.
Salvation
VATICAN DOCUMENTS on Marriage
THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH gives a beautiful description of the Sacrament of Matrimony and of Marriage in God's Plan and gives us the teaching of the church regarding marriage.
These details are found in:
Part Two - The celebration of the Christian mystery
Section Two - The seven sacraments of the church
Chapter Three - The sacraments at the service of communion
Article 7 - The sacrament of matrimony
THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH also gives us the teaching on human sexuality, the love of husband and wife and the regulation of procreation etc.. These are specifically found in Part Three - Life in Christ; Section Two - The ten commandments: Chapter Two "You shall love your neighbor as yourself"; Article 6 - The sixth commandment.
HUMANAE VITAE - ENCYCLICAL of POPE PAUL VI on the regulation of birth, July 25, 1968
FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO - APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION of POPE JOHN PAUL II to the Episcopate, the clergy and to the faithful of the whole catholic church on the role of the Christian family in the modern world.
Document by the PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE FAMILY entitled FAMILY, MARRIAGE AND "DE FACTO" UNIONS examines the underlying truths regarding family and marriage and reports on the implications of trends in society to treat all unions as similar or even equal.
Archdiocese of Santa Fe Most Reverend Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan, S.T.L., J.C.D
Pastoral Letter on Cohabitation and Marriage in the Church
Catholic Pages is a web site with many links to catholic articles on Marriage.
The National Marriage Project Publication.
Should We Live Together?
What Young Adults Need to Know About Cohabitation Before Marriage.
By David Popenoe Ph.D. & Barbara Dafoe Whitehead Ph.D.
The National Marriage Project Publication.
The Top Ten Myths of DivorceDiscussion of the most common misinformation about divorce.By: David Popenoe Ph.D.
The National Marriage Project Publication.
The Top Ten Myths of MarriageBy: David Popenoe Ph.D.
The Public Benefits of Marriage: Not Just a "Selection" Effect
Marriage and Cohabitation: Not the Same Thing
By Harry Benson
All About COHABITING Before Marriage
"The goal of this web site is to help couples build strong quality relationships that will grow into marriages lasting a lifetime. Its purpose is to (1) detail the harmful effects of living together on the stability and satisfaction of relationships, in general, and marriage, specifically; and (2)suggest ways to help minimize these adverse effects in order to have a successful marriage."
The Responsive Community Quarterly in Volume 10, Issue 1, Winter 1999/2000
Features an article titled; The Negative Effects of Cohabitation by Linda J. Waite
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARRIAGE, COHABITATION, AND HEALTH
Study by the Sociology department State University of Ohio.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter® is a registered trademark
Copyright(c)1998, All Rights Reserved
This is hardly "back to you shortly".........but.......here is what is listed on Catholic Saints Online:
St. Roch - August 16
St. Stephen the Great - August 16
St. Armagillus - August 16
St. Arsacius - August 16
St. Beatrix da Silva - August 16
St. Uguzo - August 16
St. Titus - August 16
St. Serena - August 16
St. Diomedes - August 16
St. Eleutherius - August 16
St. Fructuosus - August 16
Bl. John of Saint Martha - August 16
Bl. Mary Magdalen Kiota - August 16
Thanks for the reminder. I will find that thread and link it here. God bless!
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