On love and marriage (Part 2)

I often hear non-Catholics say that the Mass and other Christian worship services are the same. While we all worship God with Scripture readings and reflections, hymns, and praises, there is only one Eucharistic celebration where we receive our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - body, blood, soul and divinity - at Holy Communion and that is at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Catholic Church. While other Christian denominations sees the bread and wine as symbols of Jesus' Body and Blood, when Catholics say "Amen" before receiving the Host and the Precious Blood, we are affirming our belief that the bread and wine are truly the Body of Christ and the Blood of Christ (Gospel of John, chapter 6). The Real Presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Eucharist cannot be taken lightly, nor is attending Mass because it is truly the Banquet Feast of the Lamb - heaven on earth. We attend Mass not for the music nor for the homily/sermon, but to worship God and give Him praise and thanks and be nourished by True Food - the Eucharist. If we truly understand this and embrace it, then we would never miss Mass, not even daily Mass.

Now, what struck me in the At Home Marriage Retreat 2023, "Day 2 - Understanding God's Design", is this: We often see 'emotional starvation' in relationships when one or both spouses grow apathetic and stop meeting each other's needs. We see this same type of apathy in individuals who take their faith for granted and who give little effort in growing their relationship with Christ. We often hear from spouses whose marriage is hanging on by a thread that "he checked out a long time ago" or "she does not care about our marriage any more for some time now" or "I already had one foot out the door without realizing it." Couples grow apathetic toward each other without realizing it until it is too late and they want out because they are not fulfilled in the marriage. Here is the link to the "5 Love Languages" quiz: https://5lovelanguages.com/. Know each other's love language(s) and help keep our spouse's love tank filled at all times.

Moreover, one of the ways to prevent this from happening is to accept these three challenges that I give all couples who go through CALLED TO BE ONE Marriage Class. First, attend Mass together but be intentional about it. Prepare for Mass and then make it a date after Mass or a meal with your children and families and friends. Second, pray for each other and pray together. It is hard to stay angry and apathetic with each other when we know that our spouse is pray for us or, better still, we hear our spouse pray for us. Prayers are words from faith, hope, and love that flows from the depths of our hearts. We can never go wrong with prayers when we pray from a place of faith, hope, and love, for God and for each other. Third, practice chaste living in marriage. Your heart should be for your spouse and your spouse only. Love your spouse wholeheartedly, with all your being, and commit yourself to doing this each and every day of your marriage.

Here are links to my previous blogs "On love and marriage":

- Part 1: https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/02/on-love-and-marriage-part-1.html

UPDATED: Here is the link to the At Home Marriage Retreat and other resources from the USCCB: https://www.usccb.org/resources/national-marriage-week-2024-home-marriage-retreat