Marriage

Marriage between a man and a woman is a sacrament in the Catholic Church. Marriage is the joining of two who become one flesh, a man who leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife. There are many issues that surround marriage as well as the preparation for marriage. If you are planning a life long commitment to another person, what are some of the things you would need to discuss? There are issues such as finances, where you are going to live, the kinds of careers or jobs that you will undertake, the decision to have children and how many. If you are a person of faith, the role of your faith will also play an important role in your planning for the ceremony, what church you will have the wedding ceremony, the kind of music and the priest or minister who will receive your vows. There are rules and guidelines in all faith traditions and our Catholic faith is no exception. We will be discussing some of these issues in our upcoming shows. If you have any questions or comments about Catholic marriages or mixed marriages ( a marriage between a Catholic and a non-Catholic, whether they be baptized Christian or non-baptized person) please feel free to leave some comments or email us at feedmylambs@ymail.com

St John Vianney

Today we celebrate the feast of St John Vianney, the Cure of Ars and the patron saint of all priests. Through his intercession, may all priests continue to administer the sacraments with love and fidelity.

We have been talking about reverence in our Catholic faith, most especially reverence in speech, actions and clothing while at Mass. There has been a survey that shows that 74 percent of the Catholic faithful believe the biggest problem in their parishes is the lack of reverence. This entails the lack of reverence in clothing as well as the lack of reverence before and after Mass. The noise within church makes it difficult for people to pray before Mass or to make an act of thanksgiving after Mass.

What is it you are looking for when you go to Mass? What are the things that help to make it a prayerful time for you and your family? And what do you feel to be appropriate clothing for a Sunday Mass? There are many considerations, and only you know if you are truly wearing your best clothes for Mass. There are no directives in Canon Law or the Catechism, but some parishes and some dioceses have mandated a dress code. For example, in Rome, you are not able to go into a church if you are wearing shorts or sleeveless shirts/dresses. And in Manila, the priests are encouraging you to dress in a respectful manner. Ask the Blessed Mother in prayer what you should wear for Mass. She'll let you know.