Comments on: “Married in a Single Society”: Amber Lapp

By: Ray Ingles

Ray Ingles — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 13:01:40 +0000

This idea isn't entirely new, nor limited to marriage, though. Smoking or non-smoking, obesity or healthy weight habits, are also 'contagious'.

By: Michael PS

Michael PS — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 16:30:20 +0000

I once happened on a manual by an early 20th century canonist. He discussed what would constitute a “grave reason” for granting a dispensation from such impediments as mixed marriage or the prohibited degrees, such as cousins. One of them was that the lady was “supraadulta” or “on the shelf.” The age he fixed on for this deplorable condition was 24, although he acknowledged that other grave writers had thought 23 sufficed.

By: Ron

Ron — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:21:12 +0000

I got married at 23 and my wife was 21. She came from a strong middle class christian 2 parent family. I came from a poor single parent nonchristian home. I became a christian in my teens. On top of this, I am black and she is white. We are now at 19 years and 4 children. There are 3 things that helped tremendously:

1. Shared faith in God
2. Her parents have been great role models
3. A broad faith community that still supports us.

#3 is key. In a culture of divorce, like the writer said, its good to be around people who value and practice marriage as a commitment and culture.

By: Joe DeVet

Joe DeVet — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:46:24 +0000

A nice, short article which flies in the face to today’s “received wisdom.”

A common-sense window into the Catholic recognition of marriage as sacramental–ie, the married couple is a sign that others read and are affected by, for better or worse. A hint of the radical notion expressed by Bl John Paul II in his theology of the body–matrimony is the primordial sacrament, a sacrament established in Eden “from the beginning”, and a form for the whole sacramental system.

A reminder that we, who tend to think of our marriages as our own private matter, are involved in a very public witness. We contribute mightily to the Common Good when we, as JP II exhorted, “become what we are”–an authentic symbol of the free, total, faithful and fruitful love of God.