Recently, I came across the ensuing thought-provoking quote: “The love of a family is life’s greatest blessing”. Just attend a wedding and you will notice that the bride and the bridegroom convey, in every possible way, their hope that their marriage will successfully last “till death do us part”.
Once, Jesus too revealed how one can emerge victorious over the powers of evil that assail every living person, let alone a marriage, with the intent of enslaving him/her under its dominion. “Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it” (Matt 7, 24-27). One of the words Jesus is constantly inviting us to urgently pay attention to and put into practice is certainly prayer. “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26, 41).
In this particular moment in our country, we are witnessing a whole gamut of arguments against the sanctity, permanence and stability of marriage. We are deceptively being invited by a number of people that, on the one hand, it is possible to embrace both the marital lifelong commitment to God in marriage, and, on the other hand, break it up and dissolve it, when problems starts rocking the marriage boat.
This blatant incongruity and irresponsibility of reasoning reminds me of the catastrophic effects that undoubtedly occur when Jesus’ words are purposely ignored. Without seriously applying his crucial call of praying for the family, especially in the few remaining days before the referendum, our vote would surely be cast foolishly and destructively. Thus, ultimately we end up harvesting the devastating ramifications of what the above-mentioned Gospel’s talks about: “That house … fell; and great was the fall of it” (Matt 7, 27).
Before leaving Ephesus, Saint Paul exhorted to the elders of the Church with these words: “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.” (Acts 20, 29-31). Saint Paul’s admonition is likewise applicable to us Maltese and Gozitans. Fierce wolves have been intruding on Christ’s flock, particularly in the past months. The want to annihilate the indissolubility of marriage.
Unfortunately, different people have risen, speaking perverse things against the family, and, heartbreakingly, are maliciously drawing away many Maltese and Gozitan Christians after them. Can one be idle when facing such a tragic situation?
Let me first recall what Jesus himself teaches us about marriage: “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, 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 flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh.
What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt 19, 4-6).
Since Jesus is personally brought into contact with world history through his Church, the latter never refrained from teaching and expounding his invaluable teaching about marriage and family life, especially through the ministry of his vicars, the Popes. For instance, when visiting a country ferociously devastated and torn to pieces due to the social and moral plague of divorce, Blessed John Paul II re-proposed Christ’s life-giving perspective on the family.
In his homily at the Mass he celebrated in the vicinity of the ancient Lutheran Church of Uppsala, Sweden, on Friday 9 June 1989, the Holy Father said: “In marriage, a man and a woman pledge themselves to each other in an unbreakable covenant of total mutual self-giving, and they promise to remain faithful to one another to the end, in spite of whatever difficulties may come. In this sacramental bond, a man and a woman form a union of love, a love that is not a passing emotion or infatuation, but a responsible and free decision to unite themselves completely ‘in good times and in bad’. It is a love to be proclaimed before the world – Good News to be shared. The marriage contract is an unconditional and enduring covenant. The love which is pledged before the altar and which is blessed in the Rite of Marriage has a stability which is not subject to change. Christian marriage is a sacrament established as such by Christ. It has the elements of the mystery of Christ’s love for his Church, the Bride of Christ (Cfr. Eph. 5, 32). The word ‘love’ has a sacred meaning and in the context of Christian marriage should be used with special reverence and respect.
Love of this kind and the commitment to lifelong fidelity call for careful preparation from early childhood to wedding day. And after the wedding day, after the exchange of vows, love continues to grow and deepen; it does not diminish with the passing years. True love lasts and will not be overturned by the storms of change. The grace of God helps sustain the sacramental bonds and strengthens the couple to meet the challenges of life” (§ 3).
Marital love is perpetuated by the creation and education of children in order that the latter love the way their parents love, unconditionally. Thus, Blessed John Paul continued: “Being a parent brings worries and difficulties, as well as joy and fulfilment. I would remind you who are parents: your children are your great treasure. They love you very much, even if they find it hard at times to express that love. It is a sad reality that due to the pressures of work and the quickening pace of life, many parents find it increasingly difficult to give enough time to their children.
“I urge you today: find opportunities for talking and sharing at a deep level with your children. Do not let them become strangers living under the same roof. The years spent in the home pass so quickly. They are precious years. Every moment spent with your children will enrich them, and you in turn will find your own lives immeasurably enriched.
“The future of the Church, the future of humanity itself, depends in great part on the quality of family life and the closeness of family ties nurtured in the home. The greatness of this nation, and any nation, can be measured by the greatness of its families (§ 4).”
On the verge of the referendum, I strongly urge all Maltese and Gozitan families to start reciting again the Rosary, and, with courage and fervent hope, intensify their spiritual support in favour of the cause of the family by daily saying this praying powerful prayer.
Pope Pius XI hammered on the importance of the Rosary being part of the daily family routine when he stated: “If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labours.”
In his apostolic letter on the Rosary, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Blessed John Paul II offered the Rosary as a powerful means to combat the harmful relativistic outlook on life’s enduring values and a reliable antidote for the healing of our families. “A similar need for commitment and prayer arises in relation to another critical contemporary issue: the family, the primary cell of society, increasingly menaced by forces of disintegration on both ideological and practical planes, so as to make us fear for the future of this fundamental and indispensable institution and, with it, for the future of society as a whole. The revival of the Rosary in Christian families, within the context of a broader pastoral ministry to the family, will be an effective aid to countering the devastating effects of this crisis typical of our age (§ 6).”
Let us resort to the Rosary, “the compendium of the entire Gospel”, as Pope Pius XII described it, so that united with Jesus and accompanied by Mary, his and our Mother, our homes continue enjoying that everlasting peace and concord of souls which divorce fails to give absolutely! With the Rosary beads in our hands let us vote NO to divorce, which essentially means a wholehearted YES to family life, so as to safeguard the true happiness for our families!
Mario Attard OFM Cap