For what the Sacrament of Marriage – Part II
What happened in Paradise is symbolically spoken by the gospel of Cana in Galilee. Everyone came with the hope that these young people will succeed, that it would be wonderful. At the threshold of their journey together, several hours have passed and a problem has arisen. This is a great symbol; John's gospel is full of them. John wants to say that this marriage has only just begun, and the problem is revealed. It is an exact reflection of what was in paradise: it has hardly begun, sin has appeared, no matter what. This sin, in addition to destroying the relationship between them and God, also destroyed the relationship between them, their mutual bond. God comes and asks what happen, "It's not me, it's her," and she, "It's not me, it's the snake." Overall, it turns out that the tree is to blame because it was standing there. The important thing is that devil took all the harmony that was between them. The first thing they do is hide because they cannot stand their nakedness anymore. They started to fear each other. There was harmony, and now is lust. Violence appears, "he will rule over you" - Some want to show that this is how God created marriage that a man rules over a woman. But this is a sinful situation. The harmony that originally existed between them is unity, equality, identity, body with body. Here you can see how the Bible is real, vital.
In the narrative about Cana in Galilee, the problem is presented in the symbol: everything has just begun, and there is already a problem. Now comes the answer to the problem that God gives in Jesus. He comes to this wedding, they invited him. Not much time has passed - this is the most beautiful moment - and He from the invitee becomes the inviting person. Here is the continuation of this amazing sign that Jesus gives. There were six stone jars that could hold two or three measures each. A measure is 40 liters, three measures are 120 liters, six water jars are 720 liters. Now He is the One who sets this table. When he sets the table, he does not give you a glass of wine. There are 720 liters! For whom? There were no more than 30 families in Cana, and they had already drunk some. This is a complete lack of moderation. This is the sign of the abundance of Christ's grace. The question is about marriage, which is a sacrament. You invite Jesus into your love. And now He becomes the inviter, and He sets a table for you in your marriage.
He gives you this wine that you cannot drink it. No matter how you try, you will not drink 720 liters, no chance. You will not drink; you will not drink all the grace you receive from Jesus. Christ is the answer to our sin, he is an answer that is without measure, without moderation.
To ask if you need the sacrament of marriage is to ask if you need Jesus in your life. Not for him to bless you before every meal, but for him to be there where the most important things happen for you. All young people in the world, when asked what is most important to them, they answer that family and marriage. In this desire of the young there is what was instilled by God in creation, but this desire - let us be realistic - is threatened by human sin.
It is really true that there is a return to Paradise in Christ. In Christ there is a return to how God intended man to be. A sacramental marriage is not a legal contract. It is not that you have to write down that they got married, that they had two witnesses, that the priest wrote down the date of marriage in the parish book. It is not about the law. If we say "sacrament" we say "an effective visible sign of invisible grace." Man and Women entering into marriage with full conviction but based on the experience of Jesus Christ's love and His redemption.
If you are sure that you do not need Him, you do not need the sacrament of marriage. We know from the Gospel and we are so sure that he wants to be in the middle of marriage and that he comes as the one who can solve problems. He gives us plenty of graces. He gives us so much love, so much grace and strength that it is beyond us.
John wrote that this was the beginning of the signs that Jesus performed. Beginning of signs. The intriguing question is what was expressed by the miracle performed at the wedding at Cana Galilee. This miracle shows Jesus as the bridegroom and the Church as the bride. This is another dimension. When we maintain that marriage is a sacrament, that believers try to imitate in their marriage the relationship between Christ and the Church: He is the bridegroom, the Church is the bride. This is not some idealism. This is concrete. There is no Christ without the Church because he decided so. That is why we are sometimes so disappointed when someone says: Christ yes, the Church no. Then show me this Christ without the Church, show me where He is without the Church. Or show me the Church without Christ. What is the point? People who marry are like Christ and the Church: one without the other makes no sense. This relationship is eternal and unbreakable.
Look at the fifth chapter of the Letter to Ephesians: " Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her (…) that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish" (cf. Eph. 5:25-27). This is amazing text because it says that when Christ seems to be getting married to the Church, the Church has spot, wrinkles and everything else. The Church is not an ideal candidate for a wife. If we doubt, let us look in the mirror. We are not the perfect candidate to be a wife for Jesus Christ. We are the Church that is sinful, has spots, and often has such wrinkles that it is scary to look at. And Jesus seems to give himself up for this Church, to sanctify it and present to himself the church in splendor.
This is the purpose of this relation. And that does not happen in the beginning. This is the end point. This is the logic inherent in the sacrament of marriage: imitation of the relationship that exists between Jesus and the Church. You bind each other in order to grow, so that blemishes, wrinkles and everything similar are gone, so that at the end you can say that you are discovering each other's holiness. This is the presence of Christ among people in marriage, that they will grow, that this love will mature between them. In fact, Christian marriage is a participation in the relationship between Christ and the Church.
It is never the case that Jesus is just a model for us. He always invites us to communion, to community. We are grafted on to Him. Our love is instilled in His love for the Church. These are not theories. More than once people, both younger and older, come to me, in a marital crisis. I have found that when there is a severe crisis, the last thing they think about where the source of their strength is. The many times that such people come to me; I say to them: go to confession. Go to confession, renew the grace of the sacrament of marriage in you, relay on Jesus, not on yourself. Find out again that He loves you and He loves her and discover that He loves you with her love and he loves her through you with your love. Discover that you are in Him together.
Everything that I dream about in my life, what I do, what I want - I know it happens to me based on Him. If it were not for him, I do not even know if I would be a believer, I really do. Faith in sacramental marriage is faith in Jesus Christ. Who came in love with me until his own death, he came to rebuild my possible happiness, which I spoil again and again with my own sin. And He constantly and consistently opens for me the possibility of rebuilding myself, my love for people, my relationship with God. It is still open to me, but only on the basis of unity with Him. This is the sacrament. This is not a law, nor celebration, but a sign of grace. And really, as long as you do not have such a conviction that this is a source of grace, then do not go to marriage, because for what. But you must discover that the love between you comes from God, that it is His amazing, beautiful gift. But at the same time, you experience your weakness, your ability to sin, and unfortunately often of serious sin. So, hold on to Christ so that this happiness between you may last forever, because you will not build it on yourselves. And that's not bad news. This is very good news.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george