News Item: : The Best Homily on Marriage that We Have Ever Heard!
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
Posted by admin
Monday 25 April 2016 - 20:10:45

Positive Developments Abroad...

You have probably heard by now about two courageous reflections which have emerged over the weekend in relation to Amoris Laetitia.

The first is a thoughtful article by the respected American canonist Fr. Gerald Murray at The Catholic Thing.

The other is of course the splendid 6,000-word statement given by Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary-Bishop of Astana in Kazakhstan, to Corrispondenza Romana; and translated into English today by Veri Catholici.

Both of these truly Catholic responses are well worth your time to read and reflect upon. Indeed, the release of His Lordship's statement makes him the first bishop in the whole wide world to speak out publicly regarding some of the problematic components of Amoris Laetitia. May God bless him for that.

... And Closer to Home

We also had a very happy experience in relation to the Church's teachings on marriage over the weekend.

As we have noted here before, in over 23 years, we have only ever heard about 6 homilies relating to the Church's authentic teachings on chastity, contraception and marriage. Of these: 2 took place during pro-life retreats; 1 was heard in Steubenville; and 1 was during a Latin Mass Society celebration. This means that we have only ever heard 2 homilies on the matter in ordinary parish situations during that very lengthy period of time. That equates to approximately 1 such parish homily every decade!

We are happy to say that last evening we heard our 7th sermon - and easily the very best to date - on this vital issue.

We had travelled over for the 6pm Low Mass at the developing FSSP Shrine of St. Mary's in the town centre of Warrington.

During this Holy Mass, Fr. de Malleray FSSP preached a marvellous homily about the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. I cannot recall it word for word, but I do remember the key points expressed below.

Fr. de Malleray spoke about the fact that God the Father eternally begets the Son. In turn the Son eternally gives Himself to the Father in love. The eternal love between them is the Holy Spirit.

Turning to the created order, Father recalled that animals can bring forth new life. However, their offspring are limited and do not have immortal souls with the powers of memory, intellect and will.

On the other hand, whilst Angels are immortal beings, and although they have memory, intellect and will, they do not bring forth new life, as far as we are aware.

God has bestowed on us uniquely as human creatures the power to bring forth new lives that have immortal souls with these powers of memory, intellect and will. Through the gift of procreation and education of our children, we are called to populate Heaven with such immortal persons.

This gift is, in a certain sense, wrapped in the mystery of sexual pleasure.

Sad to relate, and especially in our present cultural situation, this gift has too often been discarded and only that outer wrapping of sexual pleasure retained. It has thus been removed from its proper context.

Whereas doctors used to ask if a person was still breathing, and priests used to ask if a person still prayed, society is now only really interested in sexual activity. This represents a very real reduction of persons.

Here we arrive at the issue of contraception.

Contraception represents a rejection of God's plan for the populating of Heaven with immortal souls. This is because contraception discards the great gift and retains only the wrapping which God gave as an outer cover to the gift in the first place.

It is through openness to God and procreation that married couples can enter into the deepest possible union with one another.

A Great Encouragement

As the Torch of The Faith catechetical presentations, which we used to give to engaged couples, students and RCIA groups in parishes around England and Wales, frequently included this very theme, it was a great encouragement for us to hear this homily during Holy Mass last night. 

The authentic teachings of the Catholic Church on chastity and holy matrimony are beautiful. They are just not often heard! It was therefore very encouraging for us to hear this very articulate explanation being given at St. Mary's last night.

Not only that: this was the very best homily that we have ever heard on this subject. Period.

From the parish newsletter, it looks as though there are many other good things happening at St. Mary's shrine with daily Confessions, Traditional Latin Mass and Rosary; weekly Eucharistic Adoration and lectures on the Sacred Liturgy; an upcoming public Corpus Christi procession; a family picnic; and a new group for young adults springing up.

The FSSP is attracting a growing number of young English men to train for the priesthood in the seminaries of their confraternity. Looking at the quality of their formation and apostolic mission, it is not surprising. Long may they flourish!

Santa Maria - Ora pro nobis!

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This news item is from Torch of The Faith
( http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.1297 )