 Fr.
Tom's Tomes February 7, 2010
This past week we celebrated Catholic Schools Week at Bishop Hogan. Activities included our school’s annual Science Fair, a luncheon for area Realtors, meeting for our Dinner Auction on May 1, PTO meeting with pizza/beverage, and a geography bee on Friday. Each day the students dressed up according a different theme. The children really enjoyed the theme for each day developed by the 7th and 8th graders. Next weekend is Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s reminds us of couples and their love for each other. It is also an opportunity for us to think about the Sacrament of Marriage. Marriage is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Each person who is baptized as Catholic or is received into the Catholic Church is expected to follow the rules of marriage in the Catholic Church. In order for one who is to be Catholic to get married in the Catholic Church a person needs to be free to marry. This means that the person has never been married before or if they have been then the previous marriage has been annulled. Prior to getting married the couple needs to complete a marriage preparation process as outlined by the Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph. Marriage preparation includes taking a marriage preparation instrument called Prepare II, taking part in an Engaged Encounter Weekend, and taking part in a Saturday seminar called A Joy Filled Marriage. A Catholic marriage takes place in a Catholic Church with a priest and two witnesses present. In the Catholic Church the teaching on the Sacrament of Marriage states that a couple entering marriage and during their marriage should live out the four intentions of marriage. They are: 1. Openness to having children. These four intentions are very important for the couple to discuss with each other prior to and during the marriage together. It is important for couples to continue to share and explore their understanding of these four principals as they are married so they may grow in love for each other. Love is not only a feeling but a decision. Young couples seem, at times to believe that love is the emotion or feelings one feels for the other. In the Sacrament of Marriage though when challenges arrive in marriage couples must at times decide to love one another. Marriages progress easily when no challenges are present in a relationship. However when challenges come along or a couple become comfortable with each other there is a need to decide to love the other person. Challenges do not have to be dramatic events. Take for instance couples who have been married for several years. They have become comfortable with each other and begin to take each other for granted. The ordinary routine of living may cause a couple to begin to question whether their spouse still loves them. This may be a time to make a decision to love and to renew the commitment of marriage. Or how many times have you had to pick up after your spouse? What does that individual do to irritate you? Do they do it on purpose? OR is it because they are forgetful? No matter what an individual can become irritated and question what is going on. Now is the time for the individual to make a decision to love the other person. I would encourage all who are married to recommit yourself to your spouse during this coming week. Make and take time to spend with your spouse. Remember marriage is important not only to you but to the whole world. God bless you this week. |