The last time I wrote I focused on the basics of marriage: order of priority God-spouse-children; marriage is a partnership of mutual submission and responsibility; availing of the sacraments of the Church for a stronger marriage; seeking the good of the other. In my 30th year of marriage, having raised five children with my husband and now enjoying life as grandparents, I look back and am seeing the hand of God working amidst joy and pain, abundance and scarcity, health and sickness—all of which give strength to the marriage. Struggles are a beautiful part of marriage. Each struggle provides an opportunity for the couple to deposit into the bank of relationship greater patience and forgiveness of each other. The ability of the couple to cope with marital challenges is sharpened. Joy is readily experienced. Easter joy is not possible without welcoming struggles and going through them. With God present in marriage there is no struggle bigger than God that God cannot provide an abundance of grace for. Struggles lead to an Easter experience where God becomes a presence of constant providence and a solid source of strength. Copyright © 2016 Easter Almuena All rights reserved.
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The beauty of the teaching of the Church on marriage can be seen in the image of a married man and woman walking side by side and hand in hand. They walk in the same direction towards Christ. In that image, we see friendship and love. In that image, we see partnership and a mutual self-giving of each to the other. In that image, we see a nurturing of the two as one, watered by grace through the sacraments of the Church. This image is not far from what the Church teaches us. “Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). The scriptures “Wives be submissive to their husbands as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22) and “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her” (Ephesians 5:25) create a balance of “mutual submission.” In the partnership of a married man and woman (Canon Law 1055 §1, 1057 §2), friendship blossoms as each spouse learns to move in a unique complementary way of giving and receiving, keeping in mind the good of the other (CCC #2333). As in a tango, marriage becomes a set of beautiful movements. Copyright © 2016 Easter Almuena All rights reserved. The sacraments of the Church give strength to the mind, body and soul. Known as grace, it helps us to function with the life of God, enabling us to run our lives with greater zeal and unconditional love. For those of us who are married, the sacraments far outweigh the honeymoon and challenges of daily marriage life. It is the sacraments that stimulate the inner us to move in a fashion that seek God first and seek the good of the spouse. Partaking of the sacraments of the Church, we are recreated in Christ Jesus, he, in whom we are continually restored to life. The sacrament of Baptism continuously ignites the couple to love and serve God and others as much as they love themselves; Confirmation makes into reality love and service; Holy Eucharist transforms so that the two become more and more like Jesus. In marriage filled with sacramental grace, the man learns to love his spouse the way Christ loves his bride the Church: dying and rising for her. With love patterned after Christ’s love, the woman receives the love of her spouse, enabling her to respond the same way, also even unto death. Love becomes mutual. Copyright © 2016 Easter Almuena All rights reserved.
To be fruitful and have order in life, it is necessary to observe moral guidelines and God’s natural order for us. In marriage and family, it is essential to put one’s relationship with God first, relationship with the spouse second, and children next. God-spouse-children. God first. Why we have to make God first in life lies in our being God’s children created and adopted by him through Jesus Christ. We owe it to God to know, love, and serve him. We are bound to connect with him through prayer, reading his word, and acting upon his word with love. Spouse second. The sacrament of Matrimony binds the man and woman to love each other for better or worse, for richer or poorer, and in sickness or health until death do them part. The divine presence of God provides grace to tackle marital challenges and to love each other based on commitment and not on feelings. Children next. Grace sustains the parents to work as a team, raising the children in the love of God, preparing them for their future, so they too may be equipped to know, love and serve God. In that cycle, strong marriages and families are formed. Copyright © 2016 Easter Almuena All rights reserved. It's a sunny day today! Photo by Easter Okalani. All rights reserved. Hawaii experienced Hurricanes Madeline and Lester. The weather radar shows colorful |
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November 2016
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