50th Wedding of my parents
I am teaching my students about the vocation of marriage. It is a sacrament in the Catholic Church. The sacrament of marriage is the uniting of a man and a woman in the presence of God. It’s no longer two souls divided but two souls united with God until death do us part. My parents have been married for 51 years!
My students think I am crazy when I say that the word “divorce” is not in my vocabulary. But it’s not, of course bad things could befall us but I truly believe in counseling to get through the majority of the things that could happen. In extreme cases of safety issues there is always the possibility of separation until either spouse seeks the help they need to change their behavior. Then there is always the potential for reconciliation. When we said death due us part we said it to each other and God. We have been married for almost 20 years and have 4 children.
The vocation of marriage should not be entered by two people who are not fully committed to each other as well as the institution of marriage and all that it entails. It is a lifetime commitment of selfless love, unconditional acceptance, unbelievable patience, unending communication, and complete belief in God and each other. The Catholic Church mandates that all couples go through marriage preparation to gain a deeper understanding and discover one’s potential mate on a much deeper level; learning if they want children, how they handle arguments, who is good with money, and discussing living situations and life time goals. One of the most important priorities is that you marry someone who holds the same core values, morals, and faith as you. Spouses will change, grow, and become different people through the years and circumstances but the core of who that person is doesn’t change. Make sure you know the core and agree with who he/she is as a person before you commit for a lifetime.
Marriage is a beautiful, fruitful, faithful and life long vocation, a call by God to be with that person and help lead him/her to heaven. It was my calling and I pray that God aids me in living up to his call with my awesome husband. Take a moment to pray for all those who are married to bless their marriages.
