World Marriage Day

This weekend during all Masses we celebrated World Marriage Day to honor the husband and the wife as head of the family - the basic unit of society; and to salute the beauty of their faithfulness.

The annual observance of the marriage day takes on new meaning these days as the sacrament and institution and meaning of marriage are facing crucial new challenges from within and without.

More than ever, couples are experiencing problems arising from a widespread mistaken understanding of what marriage truly is; and unity and indissolubility are being replaced by personal fulfillment.

The family is the domestic Church, and the first place in which the faith is transmitted. Then, the marriage must be a unique life-long union of a man and a woman.

In these circumstances when the true nature of marriage is being obscured, let's support marriage and family life by all means. Let's support too, those who are widowed, separated and divorced and all who need to feel the Church's maternal care in the circumstances in which they find themselves.

Not only on World Marriage Sunday but every day, let's pray for every family in our parish, especially for those families whose lives are made difficult by the problems and cares which they encounter.

Finally, let's pray for our elected leaders, invoking the Holy Spirit on them, that they may be moved to safeguard marriage as it has always been understood, for the good of our Country and of our Society.

May God bless all our families!