Have Relationships Become Disposable?

Obviously the answer is yes, they're the same as all other goods in society today. For an ethics paper, I'm on the hunt for opinions of Catholics as to why it is necessary that marriage be a lifelong commitment. What do you find are the main social benefits? Spiritual benefits? Do the benefits matter or is it based solely on something more?

In addition to your own opinions which I'd love to hear, I also was curious if any of the married-folk (or others) might know any good writings of the saints or other sound Catholic authors I could peruse.

Thank you in advance. I look forward to reading what you have to say!

This book had some good info to say about the permanence of marriage. This is the only quote I saved off, but the entire book is on Project Gutenberg.

Marriage and parenthood, the Catholic ideal (Thomas John, 1871-1916 Gerrard)
- Highlight Loc. 310-14  | Added on Sunday, September 25, 2011, 02:17 PM

Further, the Church, although she insists that the marriage bond lasts only till death, although she allows remarriage after the death of one of the partners, yet she looks upon such remarriage as something less perfect. Her ideal is that a marriage should be so distinctly one and perpetual as to exclude any other marriage even after the first has been dissolved by death. A marriage is not merely a union of two In one flesh, but also of two In one spirit. The more perfect thing, therefore, would be to consider the bond of love lasting right through death.

Have Relationships Become Disposable?

Obviously the answer is yes, they're the same as all other goods in society today. For an ethics paper, I'm on the hunt for opinions of Catholics as to why it is necessary that marriage be a lifelong commitment. What do you find are the main social benefits? Spiritual benefits? Do the benefits matter or is it based solely on something more?

In addition to your own opinions which I'd love to hear, I also was curious if any of the married-folk (or others) might know any good writings of the saints or other sound Catholic authors I could peruse.

Thank you in advance. I look forward to reading what you have to say!

 I try to look at it from the will of God and not from the modern worlds' "civil unions". If you want the world to be good then fill it with good people. That is the will of God, his master plan for us, to make as many people as he can Saints. I find this my mission in life(vocation) to leave a legacy of the Glory of God through my family. Hopefully in the process God will make a Saint of me.

 I don't look for any social benefit, but yes there are some. The men/woman at the chapel I go to are like brother/sisters to me. Anything I need that they can do for me, they will. Likewise I am there for them. An example of this is like when one of the mothers get sick, a woman in the parish will cook dinner for them to ease the stress. When I had to add on to my house, I had a full crew to help me get it done. I find these type of Sacrifices we do for each other increase our love for each other.

 I do look for the spiritual benefits. I need them to complete my vocation and hopefully become a Saint. The increase in Graces effects everything from virtue to the power of your prayers. When we pray as a family we have the same intention, which means in my family (10 of us total currently), it's like saying 150 mysteries by saying just one complete rosary. This is very powerful as you can imagine. To run my family as a Catholic man I need virtue. From receiving the Sacraments, praying and holding fast to my vocation with God, I am able to grow the Virtue and I need.

There is many more examples I could lay out but these were some of the most important to me personally.



P.S. I will have to get back to you on the books, I need to look through my library for the complete info.

 

Pairing for life for the benefit of children is completely natural for human beings.

What about pairing for life without any consideration or desire for children? Do you think that when people or a society has removed the rendering of children as the purpose of marriage, the sacrificial nature becomes increasingly harder to bear? Is it to such an extent that a desire for children becomes almost necessary for commitment or it's sill natural to pair for life without it? (Obviously celibate marriages to preserve holy virginity are excluded here.)

It is especially true when no serious value is placed on chastity by the vast majority of society, men and women.  Forming a durable bond and commitment is much more difficult because of the lack of innocence.

Interesting! I hadn't really considered the vital role chastity would play in maintaining the marriage, though the more I think about it the more I can see its relationship to the formation of an inseparable bond. Thank you!

MaterDominici,

Thank you for the book recommendation! I was looking through it and saw this:

The end for which marriage was instituted was a most difficult end to attain. Indeed, it were an impossible task without the special divine helps provided.

What role do you all think the grace conferred in the Sacrament plays in a marriage's fruitfulness and success?

Quote from: ManofGosh

I try to look at it from the will of God and not from the modern worlds' "civil unions". If you want the world to be good then fill it with good people. That is the will of God, his master plan for us, to make as many people as he can Saints. I find this my mission in life(vocation) to leave a legacy of the Glory of God through my family. Hopefully in the process God will make a Saint of me.

ManofGosh, thank you so much for sharing these stories with us! They're quite beautiful and I'm always edified by the examples of fellow Catholics. In addition to which, I'm pleased you brought up the will of God. What I quoted above is great advice. In my opinion, divorce like every error of man, is usually just people neglecting His Holy Will to do whatever it is that pleases them at the moment. I think a marriage founded on His will and lived everyday according to His wishes couldn't fail.

I'm so happy God has blessed you with a family of 10! I will pray that He continues to shower you and yours with graces. I certainly wish I had all those little pure souls to pray Mary's Holy Rosary with me. :)

 Thank you for the kind words. One last thing on Virtue. Virtue is so important for you to be a good parent. Without it your kids will certainly walk all over you, causing you grief the rest of your life, and never fulfilling their purpose. You see this a lot in the world now. God will grow your Virtue by receiving the Sacraments and prayer. God will use trials that you can handle to also grow your Virtue. For example if you pray for Patience, he may give you a very energetic child to help you obtain that Virtue.

What do you find are the main social benefits? Spiritual benefits? Do the benefits matter or is it based solely on something more?

Trying not to overthink it: disposable relationships base themselves on and encourage selfish desire and chaos, whereas lifelong marriages do the same for selfless love and order. I would collapse the distinction between social and spiritual benefits, since they're both fruits of spiritual growth. Order and Chaos first exist personally, in the being, and radiate from thence into the structure of society. The final question doesn't apply here because selfless love and order are both beneficial in effect and good in themselves.

As for enumerating benefits more specifically, I'm certain that there is no other basis that will preserve tradition and the stability of family, economy, politics, and individual psychologies.

But is there something more? The Christian ideal of marriage reflects truth and therefore produces the likeness of God in those who live in it. There is one God, and one creation, his love for which is unconditional and everlasting; Jesus himself promised to abide with his Church until the end of time. Divinity is absolute. The Christian seeking salvation must learn to mirror the Yes and No of the divine will in his own.

Graham, thank you for putting the thought into it that you did! You gave me a lot to ponder. The Order versus Chaos analogy was genius. I hadn't thought about it, but it's so typical of His creations.

In some Medieval versions, after St. George conquers the Dragon he makes the lady his wife. In the contemporary version the dragon eats them both.