The Power of The Marriage Crucifix!
The Source of Salvation Is the Cross of Christ! These people possess a wisdom that does not allow them to be duped over questions of life and death. That is why they indissolubly link marriage with the Cross of Christ. When a young couple is preparing for marriage, the priest tells them that they have found their Cross. And, it is a Cross to be loved, to be earned, a Cross not to be thrown away, but to be cherished. The Cross represents to them the greatest love and the Crucifix is the treasure of every home. When the bride and groom set off for the church, they bring with them a Crucifix. The priest blesses the Crucifix, which then takes a central role during their exchange of vows. The bride places her right hand on the Crucifix and the groom places his hand over hers. Thus, the two hands are bound together on the Cross. The priest covers their hands with his stole as they proclaim their vows to be faithful until death. The bride and groom do not then kiss each other, they rather kiss the Crucifix. They know they are kissing the source of their love. If the husband abandons his wife or the wife her husband, they let go of the Cross. If they abandon the Cross, they are left with nothing! They have lost everything for they have abandoned . After the wedding, the newlyweds bring the Crucifix to their home and give it a place of honor. It becomes the focal point of family prayer. When trouble arises or conflict breaks out, it is before the Cross they seek help. They do not go to a lawyer or consult a fortune teller or astrologer. No, they go straight to Jesus on the Cross, get on their knees and pour out tears and prayers and exchange their forgiveness of one another. They will teach their children to kiss the Cross every night and not to go off to sleep like pagans. When at night they kiss the Cross, they know that Jesus is holding them in His arms and there is nothing to be afraid of. Their fears and differences melt away, in their kiss of Jesus on the Cross. Marriage brings forth Human Life, but United Together On the Cross, it brings forth Divine Life! |
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The Great Challenge: To Be A Christian In A Pagan World!
Today, the soul of Christianity has been replaced by a new spirit. Every parent can serve as a leader in this battle. Every wife can be an influence to her husband, and husband to his wife, both can be an example to their children. Every Catholic parent must accept the teachings of Holy Mother the Church on marriage. The dignity of womanhood and the nobility of manhood rest upon that teaching. Marriage is a contract that implies a right to life-long companionship, mutual support in common interests, common sorrows, common joys; a contract that implies parent-hood, a contract, therefore, which excludes all thought of divorce, trial marriage, and contraceptive birth control. To a Christian, marriage is more than a natural contract. In the great charity of Christ, marriage has been elevated to the dignity of a Sacrament. This means that marriage has been taken out of the civil courts and placed in the Sanctuary. It means that Our Divine Savior has shed His Precious Blood that married love may be sanctified, your children will know the fear and love of God, and your union shall not fail. When husband and wife realize that Christ died that their union shall not fail, surely they cannot refuse to bear the trials of life, yes, to carry a cross and suffer a crucifixion in all patience rather than succumb to the tragedy of a broken home. What a mockery of the Cross is Divorce! What a betrayal of the Crucified!
Marriage is the most challenging vocation there is and, yet, we find no continuing education courses on it. Here, we give lines to live by, the Liturgy of married couples. Each will foster the successful flowering of the sacred covenant of Marriage. The family must be the one who shows the world that God is truly Our Father! Using these guidelines, often and well, will strengthen your family and bring you peace. Say daily, morning and night, if not more often, ‚I love you.‛ Say it, mean it and show it. Say often, Thank you. Be specific when you say this, thank you for a great meal, thank you for taking time to listen, for fixing something, repairing the door, thank you for caring, thank you for putting up with me. Finding things to be thankful for and voicing that thanks will cultivate in your married union gratitude to God and gratitude for each other. Being ungrateful is irrational. You may express your love and gratitude by a phone call, in a note, by a hug. You know, there are a thousand different ways. Find the good in everything you can, seek it out, talk about it, think about it. Say with sincerity, ‚I am sorry.‛ Say it, mean it and state it in a way that is honest. I am sorry for taking you for granted, for not tell you about that errand, for forgetting to call when I was going to be late, for failing to ask your advice, whatever it might have been that caused pain and frustration to your spouse. And then say, ‘Please forgive me.’ By saying this, you are taking responsibility for the injury done. The mercy of God is medicine. To God we owe everything, He owes us nothing. What do we give to God, next to nothing! What does He give to us, everything! No matter how we offend Him, He is willing to forgive us. He was nailed to a cross and died that we might have forgiveness. Who are we to withhold mercy to another? Who are we to withhold forgiveness? We have to be willing to apologize sincerely and ask forgiveness and be willing to forgive. Ask your spouse about her (his) day. It is important to you and your marriage. Catch up on the activities, challenges, joys and sorrows of the day before dinner if possible, or after. You must take time to be interested. Once you ask the question, give your undivided attention to what is shared. Ask often, ‘How can I help you?’ This will usually get an immediate response. Then you must say, ‚Ok, I’d be glad to!‛ Say it, learn to mean it and find joy in doing it. We entered marriage to be like Christ. We are called to love in a way that is life giving – through sacrifice. Ask once a month or when possible, ‚Will you go out with me on a date?‛ Make the plans before you ask the question as to the place, the flowers, the restaurant, the time. This is all about renewing the well-springs of love. Make memories now as you did when you were first married. You may not feel like it, but love is much more than a feeling. When feelings die, don’t conclude that love is dead. Feelings are like the weather, they come and go. While we cannot deny our emotions, for they are real and powerful, we must not let them rule our lives. Our covenant to God and each other is stronger than any feeling. That spouse of yours in the Hands of the Divine Sculptor is going to make you a saint. Let Him chip away at all your rough edges. We are pilgrims on this planet for as long as we are here. We are in exile on our way from earth to Heaven. God uses suffering to make us saints, and make sure we reach Home safely.
Modesty in your family is important: Modesty in dress, speech and action. Show respect for one another and for God. At least 15 minutes of spiritual reading should be done each day. In order to live our Faith, to defend our Faith and to teach our Faith, we must know it. We cannot love God if we do not know Him. To be a Catholic family takes discipline, courage, sacrifice and love. If you cannot do all of the things mentioned above, do one of them. Simply begin, have a desire to do them all, and your prayer will be answered. Our beloved country must return to Christ, and the surest and sweetest way to make our homes a veritable fortress of grace is through living a vibrant Catholic life. “Youth is made Not for Pleasure, But for Heroism!” |
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