DAILY HOMILIES #Marriage

Despite the partying, drinking, and dancing of the marriage ceremonies, Tobias was not carried away; he remembered to pray. When it was time to be intimate with Sarah, Tobias said: “Sister, get up and let us pray.” How many of us remember to pray when we are excited or in love? Growing up, we were taught how to pray before eating any meal. This lesson should apply to all kinds of meals.

Is it the case that this very flesh will be given to us again? Yes. Does it mean that at the resurrection, we would be able to recognize each other’s faces? Yes. So, our hands, our eyes, our tongue, etc. would be restored to us again? Yes. Does it then mean we shall be capable of falling in love, getting married, and so on? Jesus says: “Those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore

Since there are no perfect humans, and Jesus is saying that divorce is not an option, how are couples to find joy in marriage? The answer is forgiveness. Forgive quickly. St. Paul would say: “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27). If couples learn to forgive each other seventy times seven times, marriages would be blissful. Forgiveness sustains marriage.

Are you having trouble controlling your sexual appetite? Do you find yourself falling into the sin of adultery by thoughts, words, or actions? Are you struggling with fornication, masturbation, and unchastity in one form or another? Jesus has the solution for you: Start from the root - “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away.” (Matthew 5:29). In other words, start by uprooting your bad thoughts and unholy desires. Do not leave any room for lustful wishes. When you look at a person, let their beauty remind you of the beauty and perfection of God.

Your marriage will succeed, when you learn to judge yourself rather than judging your partner; when you learn to admit your faults and say: “I am sorry.”

Are you currently thinking of divorce? Has love vanished completely in your marriage? Maybe, it wasn’t even there in the first place. Maybe it is time to start loving again; time to start sacrificing rather than benefiting. Marriage begins the day you decide to love this person no matter what. Marriage is not for fun; it is a life of endless giving.

Take away faithfulness marriage/religious life becomes a caricature. An unfaithful spouse does great damage to his/her family just as an unfaithful celibate does great damage to their flock.

If we must pray when our eyes are red with tears, then let us never forget to pray when our eyes are red with alcohol, laughter and merriment because not all that glitters is gold.

The second account of creation attests to the fact that there is nothing in this world that can satisfy our heart as much as the love we feel for our fellow human beings. Just as Adam was unhappy until he met Eve, the Syrophoenician woman in our Gospel passage was restless so long as her daughter was under the possession of unclean spirits

Dear friends, let brotherly love continue. Do not be a Herod to someone just because he or she is telling you the truth. Do not be like the kinsfolk of Jesus who were almost throwing him down the cliff because He told them the truth.

Growing up as kids, we read a lot of story books which ended with the phrase: “And they lived happily ever after.” Most of us often make the mistake of assuming that after the wedding ceremony, everything suddenly falls into place by itself. This is not true. If your family is to be holy, then get ready to do the hard work; be prayerful, fear God, live a virtuous life, be faithful to your marital vows, love your spouse to the end. Remember, no one can give what he or she does not have.