Last Sunday’s readings teach about God’s Plan for marriage, which is the common vocation; for most people are called to the married state.

The first marriage took place in the Garden of Eden between Adam and Eve, our first parents.  God created two genders: ….Male and female He created them, and God blessed them and said:

“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth…” (Gen 1:27-28).

God created man and woman equal in dignity, but complementary in nature. In marriage a man and woman become “one flesh”. The fruit of this union is children, the supreme gift of marriage.

In the first reading Adam recognized Eve as flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone. There is something in Adam that completes Eve and something in Eve that completes Adam.

Jesus explains that Moses had permitted divorce because the people of that time were so hard of heart and unteachable, but this was never part of God’s plan. Jesus teaches that marriage is indissoluble, it is a life-long union of one man and one woman. Thus, He rules out divorce. At the Wedding Feast of Cana Jesus raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament. The grace of Holy Matrimony helps to perfect the couple’s love for each other. When a couple get married it is like going back to school again, each spouse needs to learn to love in a deeper way, in order to become one in marriage. This doesn’t happen overnight; it means loving each other and taking each other into consideration. Become one, means getting rid of all selfishness in marriage, because if there is selfishness there will be problems.

Couples also need to really love their children, that God has blessed them with.  Each couple brings with them into their marriage normal human weaknesses and they also discover weaknesses in the other spouse which they previously didn’t know. Marriage could be described as a school of forgiveness. Like all vocations, marriage is a way to achieve holiness. The bond of holy matrimony is an image of the bond between Christ and His bride, the Church.

The family is the primary and vital cell of society. It is a school of all the virtues where children should be formed as good citizens, taught how to work and how to forgive, how to pray and to be good sons and daughters of God.  When families are strong and united, society and the Church is strong and good vocations to Priesthood and Consecrated life flourish. But when families are weak and divided, society and the Church suffer. In 1975 Justice Lional Murphy succeeded in bringing in the Australian Family Law Act. This completely overhauled Australia’s law on divorce and other family law matters. It established the principle of “no-fault divorce”, in the face of opposition from the Catholic Church and many other individuals and organisations. Since that time other forces have undermined marriage. These include, artificial contraception, abortion, a counter gospel that comes through the media and now  gender ideology, that undermines God’s Plan in creating man and woman.

When I was a child society was very different. I remember that people felt safe to leave their motor vehicles and homes unlocked and to hear of couples living in de-facto relationships before marriage was  very rare. But since the breakdown of the family unit and constant attacks on God’s Plan for marriage and the family, the crime rate has skyrocketed. Many young people grow up wounded and angry. There is a crisis of Faith and a great lack of catechesis. In addition, many young people find it hard to make a life-long commitment either to marriage or to a calling to be a Priest or Religious. Despite this, there is a glimmer of hope and many young adults are seeking the truth. There is a preference for dignified, reverent and traditional liturgies. At least in my part of the Archdiocese, young families are larger and there is commitment to prayer, family life and Holy Mass.

This reminds me of the story of Tom and Mary who lived together has husband and wife for more than seventy years. Tom worked in the Post Office and Mary in the bank. Mary had planned on leaving her job when she had her first child. But God didn’t bless the couple with children, so she continued in her job until retirement age. They were a joyful and loving couple and became the neighbourhood baby sitters. Their home exuded happiness and joy. The always prayed the Rosary together and were involved in Eucharistic Adoration and were loved by all who knew them. One night Tom died in his sleep just before his ninety-first birthday, although he had seemed in good health. Mary seemed to cope with this, but then after three days she also died. This is not uncommon for those who have been completely devoted to each other during their lives. Death doesn’t separate them for long.

Down through the centuries the Church has strongly encouraged and supported families to be committed to Holy Mass and the Rosary as essential part of their family life. This draws down many blessed from Heaven upon the whole family. Prayer is the glue that keeps the family united. The great Rosary Priest, Fr Patrick Peyton coined the phrase: The family that prays together, stays together. A family at prayer is a family at peace. Families should also remember the power of children’s prayers, of the pure of heart. Jesus said:

Let the little children come to me…for it is such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 

Our Lady, Queen of the family, pray for us!