Want a Happy Family? Love Your Spouse!

The breakdown of the family is creating chaos in our society. As I consider the likely divorce of another member of my extended family, I can't help thinking how much easier life would be if we all just loved our spouses and our children enough to be faithful to our promises.

Loving families make happy children!

Sin seems pleasant at the time, but I know many folks who did what they wanted claiming "I have a right to be happy" and ended up even more miserable than they thought they were originally. Sin never makes anyone happy in the long run.

I'm re-reading St. John Paul II's 1994 Letter to Families. Here's a good paragraph for meditation and prayer today:

Experience shows what an important role is played by a family living in accordance with the moral norm, so that the individual born and raised in it will be able to set out without hesitation on the road of the good, which is always written in his heart. [Emphasis in original.] Unfortunately various programs backed by very powerful resources nowadays seem to aim at the breakdown of the family. At times it appears that concerted efforts are being made to present as "normal" and attractive, and even to glamorize, situations which are in fact "irregular." Indeed, they contradict "the truth and love" which should inspire and guide relationships between men and women, thus causing tensions and divisions in families, with grave consequences particularly for children. The moral conscience becomes darkened; what is true, good and beautiful is deformed; and freedom is replaced by what is actually enslavement. In view of all this, how relevant and thought-provoking are the words of the Apostle Paul about the freedom for which Christ has set us free, and the slavery which is caused by sin (cf. Gal 5:1)!

The synod on the family coming up next month has the potential to do great good, but could also be another flash point for spreading dissent and confusion like the release of Humane Vitae in 1968. No doubt the forces of evil are set to exploit and distort the outcome for their purposes.

The Vatican released a working document for the Synod in June. Read it here and please pray that the synod becomes a source of strengthening families that are so under assault today rather than one more opportunity for sowing confusion..