<div dir="ltr">
<p style="margin:0px;font-family:roboto,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;line-height:27px;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><font size="2">Friends, <b><span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)">in
our Gospel</span></b>, <b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">Jesus defines the fundamental sacredness of marriage. </span></b>I’m
convinced that <b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">the deep sacramental and religious meaning of
marriage</span></b>—<b><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">even within </span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">the Church</span></b>—<b><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">has been, in recent years, dramatically
compromised. </span></b>We say that <b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">marriage is a vocation</span></b>, but do we mean it?</font></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-family:roboto,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;line-height:27px;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><font size="2"></font></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-family:roboto,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;line-height:27px;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><font size="2"><b><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">We
can look at human sexual relationships at a number of different levels.
Two people can <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">come together purely for physical pleasure</span>, for economic
reasons, or for psychological companionship. And we might witness two
people coming together out of <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">authentic love</span>.</span></b></font></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-family:roboto,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;line-height:27px;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><font size="2"></font></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-family:roboto,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;line-height:27px;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><font size="2"><b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">But
</span><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">none of these levels is </span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">what</span></b> <b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)">the Bible means by marriage</span></span></b>. When I was
doing parish work, I would invariably ask young couples,<b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"> “Why do you
want to get married in church?” </span><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">Most would say something like, “We love
each other.” </span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">But </span></b>I said, <b><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">“Well</span></b>,<b><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"> that’s <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">no </span>reason </span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">to get married in
church</span></b>.” Usually, they looked stunned. But I meant it.</font></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-family:roboto,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;line-height:27px;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><font size="2"></font></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-family:roboto,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;line-height:27px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:18px"><font size="2"><u><b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">You
</span>come to church to be married before God and his <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">people</span> when <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">you </span>are
convinced that your marriage is not</span></b></u>, finally, <b><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">about you;</span></b> <b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><u>that it is
about God and about serving God’s purposes</u></span></b>; that it is, <span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">as much as the
priesthood of a priest, a vocation, a <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">sad </span>calling.</span></font></p><p style="margin:0px;font-family:roboto,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;line-height:27px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:18px">
<i><font size="2"><span><b><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">Mi <u>Atyánk</u>,
aki a mennyekben vagy, szenteltessék meg a Te neved, jöjjön el a Te
országod, legyen meg a Te akaratod, amint a mennyben, úgy a földön is.
Mindennapi kenyerünket add meg nekünk ma és bocsásd meg a mi vétkeinket,
miképpen mi is megbocsátunk az ellenünk vétkezőknek, és ne vígy minket a
kísértésbe, de szabadíts meg a gonosztól. Mert Tiéd az ország, a hatalom és a dicsőség most és mindörökké. Ámen. </span></b></span></font></i>
</p><p style="margin:0px;font-family:roboto,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;line-height:27px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:18px"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><br></span></font></p><p style="margin:0px;font-family:roboto,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;line-height:27px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:18px"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><br></span></font></p>
</div>