One Flesh by John Edwards, Just a Guy in the Pew
The two shall become one flesh. What a beautiful way to explain the sacrament of marriage. In fact, it reveals the secret of marriage. Two must become one. Not just figuratively, but literally. This isn’t just a suggestion by the Father. It is a critical requirement that must be met in order for the sacrament to come into the fullness of its design. One needs only to look around today to see the truth of that statement. In a time where the divorce rate is higher than ever, this is glaringly evident. You see, our culture has established marriage as a disposable commodity. People have adopted an “I’ll give it a whirl” mentality. “I do” has turned into “we’ll see”. Two cannot become one on a we’ll see. It is like two hands moving towards each other in an attempt to come together. The outstretched fingers of one hand cannot fully interlock with the hand closed in a fist. This is the problem today. Marriage is supposed to mirror the love of the Father and the Son. Marriage is supposed to reflect the relationship of Christ the Groom and His bride the Church. It requires sacrifice. It requires a self-denial and a willingness to die to our own selfish desires. It means doing whatever it takes to will the good of the other and making sure that good comes to fruition. It means giving your life for another just as our Lord did.
My friends, Satan has been launching a full fledged attack on the family for years. His starting point in that attack is marriage. After all, without marriage their can be no family. Without the coming together of the two there cannot be a third. God chose marriage as the means of showing His love to the world. The Father and the Son loved one another so much that it bore another in the Holy Spirit. That is why marriage is in the crosshairs of the devil. If he is successful in destroying the family than he will be successful in taking our culture further down the drain. My brothers and sisters we cannot let that happen. We must not separate what God has put together. We must learn to be a gift. The good of the other must be the priority of our marriages. Then the graces of the sacrament will flow. Then we can model to others what marriage should be. Then we can truly exemplify what it looks like to become one flesh.
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