May 23 – Homily – Fr Angelo: Dignity of Marriage
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Homily #080523 (
10min) Play - Fr Angelo, reflecting on the Gospel, highlights the permanency of marriage based on its lofty dignity established by God from the beginning. Listen as Father covers the basis for the high moral standard in marriage as asked for by Our Lady of America in 1956. Holy Mary pray for us.Ave Maria! Mass readings
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Father
Your point is well taken regarding the indissolubility of marriage if you are talking to Third Order Franciscans.
However, you FAIL to clarify for your listening audience that the Church’s teachings regarding such are pertinent to SACRAMENTAL marriages! Having just recently attended a conference on annulments with a cannon lawyer, it was clearly outlined and explained in great detail that the Church is far more concerned with God’s mercy in this matter than God’s Justice. I realize that your homily was directed at the permanency of marriage and I applaud you for addressing the subject but to an untrained ear, your homily does not take into the consideration the millions of souls who do not have solid principals of Catholic faith by which they are capable of living by in this complex world that exists today.
He also stated that because of the Church’s failure to impart CLEAR and concise catechesis to Her members over the last 40 years, those entering marriage in today’s day and age are NOT entering into marriage with the express and implied intention of permanency! Not because they consciously fail to do so, but rather, because they have not the formed consciounce that such a sacramental act requires of them. This brings into question, matter & form. Note that this grave fault lies upon the Church’s shoulders moreso than upon her sheep. To whom much is given, much will be required.
All the more reason for the laity to pray for Priests and beg God to send us new Holy and Upright priests who will be faithful spouses of the Church! The mass exodus of priests as spouses of the Church is significant in that it parallels to the massive numbers of divorce over the last 4 decades. The infidelity of the Priests is also indicitative of the crisis in marriage today.
Lord have Mercy, Christ have Mercy, Lord have Mercy!
“Woe To You Shepherds who have led My People astray!”
I shutter to think of how God’s hand of justice will fall upon those Shepherds. Jesus be merciful to those who knew You and like Judas, betrayed not only you, but your little ones whom You entrusted into their care. It is amazing we have any Church left at all if not for the intercession of Our Lady who I am sure weeps copious tears on behalf of all these men who have entered the service of the Church and Her Son.
Rachel,
The points you make are valid. I am not sure that I would agree, though, that the homily is only suitable for Third Order members. I preached on the Gospel, and that message, I think, is clear enough. You speak of the necessity of clear catechesis for those who are preparing for marriage. I agree. That is at least what I intended to do.
As you know annulments are granted where marriages are not validly contracted, i.e., where there is no marriage. An annulment is a judicial declaration of a fact already existing, not the dissolution of a marriage.
You place a great burden upon the shoulders of priests, or rather, you correctly identify the burden that every priest takes upon himself. I take that seriously, even though I may not always deliver as perfectly as I might–my homily a case in point.
I really don’t think marriage catechesis in essence is about the reasons why marriages are not validly contracted but about how to make sure that they are. That is the burden on priests, surely, but at the same time it is also the burden on those who wish to contract marriages and priests may not absolve them of it a priori.