By Fr. Jacob Arimpur VC –
There is a beautiful Word of God from the Holy Scripture revealing to us the dignity of marriage. In the wake of so many people getting divorced and increasing youngsters preferring live-in relationships it seems fitting to think about the relevance of this covenant. Some people get married in order to get over their loneliness. Some think that with Marriage they get a companion who will be a support to them always. A very few even take to Marriage when they find their urges overpowering them. Looking at marriage as a means of getting things done is the most pathetic viewpoint.
When a man and a woman decides to get married, this is what God is speaking to them through His Spirit – “I am sending an angel to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared” (Ex. 23:20). That means more than a husband or more than a wife, one receives in marriage, the very angel itself. That angel is not only going to guard you but will take you to the place which the Lord has prepared for you. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God says ‘His plans are for our betterment and for our bright future.’ (Jer. 29:11). Lets not mistake bright future as something having lot of wealth or a huge mansion or a hassle free life. In 1 Cor 15:19, we read, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” God’s plan is not to inundate our life with the things of this world. Then what is the great design of our Almighty? We read in 1 Jn 2:25, “This is what He has promised us, eternal life.”
There is only one purpose behind everything which God does in our life. That is to give us eternal life. In other words, when God unites a man and a woman through the sacrament of marriage, what He really intends from their communion is to bring them closer to eternity. Those who are called to this life-style should be able to see their better-half as the promised angel who would take the other to the place which the Lord has prepared for them.
At the same time, let us not forget what Jesus spoke in Mt. 7:14, “For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to (eternal) life, and there are few who find it.” It implies that since marriage is a means of appropriating salvation, its always going to be a difficult calling. In short, everyone who plans to get married is actually taking a bold step in order to get closer to eternal life.
All those who want to raise up a family through this sacrament ,must know that FAMILY is ‘Forget About Me, I Love You.’ To have a blessed married life, one must take up lot of sacrifices on a regular basis. ‘To love’ is actually the most burdensome job in the world because to love means to give oneself up completely as a sacrifice. For this a person will have to forget everything – one’s own desires, wishes, ambitions, opinions, dreams. To become nothing for the sake of the other is indeed the toughest thing to do.
All those who are married and going through a rough patch of life, must dispel from their minds the thoughts of separation. Remember there is no salvation in separation, but in union, because it is God’s work. Do not lose hold of your angel even though it is difficult to go along. Stick to your partner because she/he is the way which God has destined for your eternity.
(Thanks to Divine Voice Magazine for allowing us to use this article from their December 2017 issue. Used with permission)