Good morning. Today is the Octave Day of Christmas, the Circumcision of Jesus, and Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. Well, it’s another New Year. So, amidst the dieting, financial, smoking and healthier living resolutions, why not resolve to truly commit yourself to your marriage? In the coming year why not make every effort to intentionally commit yourself to doing something to boost your marriage for the next 365 days? Instead of just doing the “same old, same old”, why not strive to be intentional in our marriage? “It isn’t that easy” you say, well it really can be, if we just take it one day at a time. To get up daily and ask yourself, “What can I do for my marriage today?” A really excellent resource to help with this commitment to your marriage is the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) marriage website For Your Marriage.
The first place to begin in our intentional commitment to marriage is in placing God first in our lives. Many couples tend to allow their friends, neighbors, Oprah, and prime time media be more about how they think and feel about their marriage, than the third major party to their marriage. Others’ opinions seem to be more a part of how people deal with their marriage than God. As you may recall, God was one of the three parties involved in the vows you exchanged with your spouse; it was God and your spouse you made your promise with.
“It isn’t that easy” you say. Okay, yes, it can be a struggle in a culture that bombards us with messages that run counter to a virtuous lifestyle. We live in a culture that is clearly at odds with marriage and family, and unfortunately, for the most part, out of fear of being seen as odd, folks tend to avoid being seen as involved in their faith. In today’s culture, God is not seen as being cool. Folks don’t hesitate to discuss the most recent episode of Desperate Housewives, which the best I can tell is soft-porn, yet they wouldn’t be caught dead (Probably just as well.) discussing God apart from any church function. God just isn’t politically correct, however, the twisted exegesis of the “church of Oprah” is. In fact, the fastest emerging faith group in our politically correct culture, according to CARA 1964, are the “Nones.”
As we begin this New Year please join me in beginning 2011 in making an intentional commitment for your marriage. On this date of 1-1-11, let’s make God number One and put Him first in our marriage. Happy New Year! Make a great day.
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