On Marriage and Divorce (my title)

Marriage and Virginity ---------------------- [3] And Pharisees came up to Him (Jesus) and tested Him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?" [4] He answered, "Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female, [5] and said, `For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one'? [6] So they are no longer two but one. What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder." [7] They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" [8] He said to them, "For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. [9] And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

[10] The disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry." [11] But He said to them, "Not all men can receive this precept, but only those to whom it is given. [12] For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it."

4-5. "Marriage and married love are by nature ordered to the procreation and education of children. Indeed children are the supreme gift of marriage and greatly contribute to the good of the parents themselves. God Himself said: `It is not good that man should be alone' (Genesis 2:18), and `from the beginning (He) made them male and female' (Matthew 19:4); wishing to associate them in a special way with his own creative work, God blessed man and woman with the words: `Be fruitful and multiply' (Genesis 1:28). Without intending to underestimate the other ends of marriage, it must be said that true married life and the whole structure of family life which results from it is directed to disposing the spouses to cooperate valiantly with the love of the Creator and Savior, who through them will increase and enrich His family from day to day" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 50).

9. Our Lord's teaching on the unity and indissolubility of marriage is the main theme of this passage, apropos of which St. John Chrysostom comments that marriage is a lifelong union of man and woman (cf. "Hom. on St. Matthew", 62). On the meaning of "except for unchastity", see the note on Matthew 5:31-32).

11. "Not all men can receive this precept": our Lord is fully aware that the demands involved in His teaching on marriage and His recommendation of celibacy practised out of love of God run counter to human selfishness. That is why He says that acceptance of this teaching is a gift from God.

12. Our Lord speaks figuratively here, referring to those who, out of love for Him, renounce marriage and offer their lives completely to Him. Virginity embraced for the love of God is one of the Church's most precious charisms (cf. 1 Corinthians 7); the lives of those who practise virginity evoke the state of the blessed in Heaven, who are like the angels (cf. Matthew 22:30). This is why the Church's Magisterium teaches that the state of virginity for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven is higher than the married state (cf. Council of Trent, "De Sacram. Matr.", can. 10; cf. also Pius XII, "Sacra Virginitas"). On virginity and celibacy the Second Vatican Council teaches: "The Church's holiness is also fostered in a special way by the manifold counsels which the Lord proposes to His disciples in the Gospel for them to observe. Towering among these counsels is that precious gift of divine grace given to some by the Father (cf. Matthew 19:11; 1 Corinthians 7:7) to devote themselves to God alone more easily in virginity or celibacy [...]. This perfect continence for love of the Kingdom of Heaven has always been held in high esteem by the Church as a sign and stimulus of love, and as a singular source of spiritual fertility in the world" ("Lumen Gentium", 42; cf. "Perfectae Caritatis", 12). And, on celibacy specifically, see Vatican II's "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 16 and "Optatam Totius", 10.

However, both virginity and marriage are necessary for the growth of the Church, and both imply a specific calling from God: "Celibacy is precisely a gift of the Spirit. A similar though different gift is contained in the vocation to true and faithful married love, directed towards procreation according to the flesh, in the very lofty context of the sacrament of Matrimony. It is obvious that this gift is fundamental for the building up of the great community of the Church, the people of God. But if this community wishes to respond fully to its vocation in Jesus Christ, there will also have to be realized in it, in the correct proportion, that other gift, the gift of celibacy `for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven'" (John Paul II, "Letter To All Priests", 1979).

*********************************************************************** Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher (see below).

"The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries" are currently limited to the New Testament and Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Old Testament) books only.

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Here is another reflection/commentary:

From The Word Among Us

Friday, August 16, 2002

Meditation
Matthew 19:312

What God has joined together, let no one separate. (Matthew 19:6)

Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman who commit themselves to loving and honoring each other in good times and bad for the rest of their lives. Given the intensity of this commitment, it’s no surprise that in the Western world, close to fifty percent of first-time marriages end in divorce.

It’s also interesting that in more traditional (“old-fashioned”) cultures, more married couples tend to stay together, and to stay together longer. Cynics may say these couples are just as unhappy, that they’re just not as free to divorce. There may be some truth to this view, but we should also remember that traditional cultures offer the support and wisdom of a vibrant community to help guide couples and to help relieve some of the normal, everyday pressures that threaten marriages.

Tragically, many people have lost the sense of God’s presence that is the most important dimension to any marriage. Our own day-to-day experience tells us that when that fundamental relationship with God is missing, all other relationships can fall prey to the destructive forces within and around us.

God never stops offering grace to help couples fulfill their marriage vows, but it is only an offer. How can anyone benefit from this grace if they try to live without God? The sacrament of marriage is a constant—not a one-time celebration that evaporates into a few fond memories and fading photos in a wedding album. Every day, there is grace upon grace for couples to overcome differences, love one another more deeply, and smooth out molehills before they become mountains. Every day, there is grace to remain faithful and to forgive even the worst of sins. The secret to reversing those divorce statistics is to consult the Author of marriage himself. He will go to great lengths to heal and restore everyone who seeks him.

“Father, make me a passionate lover of your grace. I want to delve deeply into the truths of your word and your promises. In laying down your life for your friends, you have shown that true love is self-sacrificing. Help all married people to lay down their lives for their spouse and family.”

From Sacramental Marriage

VATICAN DOCUMENTS on Marriage

THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH gives a beautiful description of the Sacrament of Matrimony and of Marriage in God's Plan and gives us the teaching of the church regarding marriage.

These details are found in:
Part Two - The celebration of the Christian mystery
Section Two - The seven sacraments of the church
Chapter Three - The sacraments at the service of communion
Article 7 - The sacrament of matrimony

THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH also gives us the teaching on human sexuality, the love of husband and wife and the regulation of procreation etc.. These are specifically found in Part Three - Life in Christ; Section Two - The ten commandments: Chapter Two "You shall love your neighbor as yourself"; Article 6 - The sixth commandment.

HUMANAE VITAE - ENCYCLICAL of POPE PAUL VI on the regulation of birth, July 25, 1968

FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO - APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION of POPE JOHN PAUL II to the Episcopate, the clergy and to the faithful of the whole catholic church on the role of the Christian family in the modern world.

Document by the PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE FAMILY entitled FAMILY, MARRIAGE AND "DE FACTO" UNIONS examines the underlying truths regarding family and marriage and reports on the implications of trends in society to treat all unions as similar or even equal.

ARTICLES BY CHURCH OFFICIALS on Marriage

Archdiocese of Santa Fe Most Reverend Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan, S.T.L., J.C.D
Pastoral Letter on Cohabitation and Marriage in the Church

Catholic Pages is a web site with many links to catholic articles on Marriage.

OTHER ARTICLES on Marriage and Cohabitation

The National Marriage Project Publication.

Should We Live Together?
What Young Adults Need to Know About Cohabitation Before Marriage.
By David Popenoe Ph.D. & Barbara Dafoe Whitehead Ph.D.

The National Marriage Project Publication.

The Top Ten Myths of DivorceDiscussion of the most common misinformation about divorce.By: David Popenoe Ph.D.

The National Marriage Project Publication.

The Top Ten Myths of MarriageBy: David Popenoe Ph.D.

The Public Benefits of Marriage: Not Just a "Selection" Effect

Marriage and Cohabitation: Not the Same Thing
By Harry Benson

All About COHABITING Before Marriage

"The goal of this web site is to help couples build strong quality relationships that will grow into marriages lasting a lifetime. Its purpose is to (1) detail the harmful effects of living together on the stability and satisfaction of relationships, in general, and marriage, specifically; and (2)suggest ways to help minimize these adverse effects in order to have a successful marriage."

The Responsive Community Quarterly in Volume 10, Issue 1, Winter 1999/2000

Features an article titled; The Negative Effects of Cohabitation by Linda J. Waite

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARRIAGE, COHABITATION, AND HEALTH

Study by the Sociology department State University of Ohio.

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