A truth to live for

A truth to live for September 20, 2007

I am not married, but I likely will be some day soon. But I know what my Catholic tradition has to say about marriage. We are told by St. Paul that the married are divided of heart, that they are not only anxious about the things of God. We are told by the Council of Trent and by Pope Pius XII that the consecrated life is superior to the married state. We are told by St. Josemaría Escrivá that marriage is for the rank-and-file of the Christian army. There is no question that our Catholic tradition teaches that married life can distract and detract from spiritual life, and although it comes with its own built-in penance system of many crosses married life can easily make sacrifices not a matter of charity and generosity toward God but a matter of inconvenience and chore. But happy are those married couples who seek to live for the truth of Christianity rather than merely believing in its doctrines. Blessed are those families who fulfill the Gospel mandate to love and to give to those in suffering and need. One such story truly embraces this appropriation of truth: An Embarrassment of Riches. When I read this story, I realize what it really takes for a family to be sanctified and saved. A family does not only pray together, it gives together. Pope John Paul II, the theologian of marriage, assures us as much.


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