Let No Man Separate: 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time

The theme of marriage was clear in the readings for this Sunday. What God tells us about marriage is that it is sacred and made in his likeness. It can never be changed or redefined.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament." (1662). In other words, matrimony establishes a school of love that is joined together between a man and woman to lead one another to the ultimate altar, heaven.

So why aren’t there many marriages hitting the five-year milestones? The greatest destroyers of marriage today are no-fault divorce and the hook-up culture. Sadly, entertainment, through the influence of Satan, has constantly attacked marriage. Through the medium, people are getting a saturated version of what love is. It teaches us to use. Yet, Fulton Sheen reminds us to love people, not use them.

The culture will fall flat in teaching us what love is. God shows us how to love when he sacrifices himself for every person that comes into existence.

Love, in the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, is willing the good of the other. To have a long marriage, the couple must be willing to sacrifice for each other. Sacrifice is key to a long and fruitful marriage. Marriage also tells us to be open to having children.

Every so often, a father must abandon work or whatever he is doing to help his children and wife when they are ill. They also might have to work a little extra to keep up with the bills. There is no love without sacrifice, and that is how a marriage works. Children also help the couple experience joy when they bring them to Christ, not just through attending Mass but by raising them into the practice of the faith.

Married couples are called to emulate Christ by sacrificing for each other. There are three rings in marriage, engagement, wedding, and suffering. When it comes to suffering, the couple must be compatible.

To married couples, I am challenging you to recommit to each other. I encourage you to pray, spend time with others, and give your time generously to others.