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Show CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE. Our age and country i" material prosperity, wealth and greatness "stand at that sublime heights in which Paganism stood when it ruled the world. But in its- great material progress it sanctions two evils which are undermining society and will ultimately sap the very foundation on which our government rests. These are disregard for the sanctity and indissolubility of marriage and total indifference to religion. In Paradise the union of Adam and Eve was sanctioned by God. who willed the propo-gation propo-gation of the human race till the end of time so that his name might be praised on earth. ''Increase ''In-crease and multiply and fill the earth." The same was not only sanctioned but sanctified by his divine son who raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament. sacra-ment. St. Paul in his letter to the Corentheans wrote, "He that giveth his virgin in marriage doth well. This is a great sacrament, but I speak in Christ." The Catholic church, following the teaching teach-ing of her divine founder, condemned the ilani-cheans ilani-cheans who forbade marriage as an unholy state. St. Chrysostom in defending Catholic teaching, wrote: "We consider marriage lawful; we also admire those who forego it." St. Thomas confirms this teaching: ''The birth of children, fidelity and the sacraments not only palliate marriage, but render ren-der it holy." The presence of Christ at the marriage mar-riage in Cana of Galilee sanctions and sanctifies it as a holy state. A union so holy and ordained by God should be entered into with pure intentions and a clear conscience. con-science. The former was exemplified in-the case of young Tobias who after his marriage said: "And now Lord, thou knowest, that not for fleshy lust do I take my sister for wife, but only for the love of posterity, in which thy name may be blessed for ever and ever. Ihe reason assigned Dy est. i nomas for the holiness of the marriage state is "the birth of children." This being the primary end of the marriage life and the effect of which is to bring down the blessings of God on the true Christian home, what could be said in condemnation of that terrible prevalent and fashionable crime that is opposed op-posed to this, viz., race suicide? A clear conscience means that those entering the marriage state should be free from mortal sin. Marriage being a sacrament to enter that holy alliance, al-liance, when the soul is deprived of God's grace, is a sacrielege, i. e., a profonation of something sacred. If entered into with pure intentions and a clear conscience its effects, according to Catholic teaching, are threefold. (1) It sanctifies the love of husband and wife. (2) It gives them grace to bear with each other's weakness. (3) It enables them to bring up their children, in the fear and love of God. The first effect, the sanctification of the mutual love of husband and wife is the highest type of earthly love. St. Paul compares it to the love of Christ for his church. "Husbands love your wives as Christ also loved the church. He I that loveth his wife loveth himself." Its intensity and the sacrifices that must be made to perpetuate perpetu-ate it he inculcates by quoting tho original command com-mand given by God. "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother; and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh." But this ideal mutual love and confidence is rarely perpetuated per-petuated in modern marriages as reference to our divorce courts, and a study of domestic, quurn'u and wrangles amply demonstrate. How injurim to society, of which the family forms the eer;i.,. j stone, is not this ? f The second effect is to give grace to the m.,,-. ried couple to bear with each other's weakne-, which will be realized if husband and wife sire t" i , i t ful in the performance of their spiritual dutn-.. j' , attain this happy offect both should pmfr-, r... true faith. A union of a Catholic with' u::! !:,A. ers seldom fails to lead to broils ami domesti,.,. . happiness. Solomon, with all his wisdom, w:f, . . : duced by his idolatrous wives to become an ii !. r : himself. St. Paul would allow marriage ".in, the Lord." Again. "Bear not the yoke t , with unbelievers." The third effect is to enable the married -.; ;.; to bring up their children in the fear and b w . f God. But if it he fashionable or in accr.li-:... with the notions of modern civilization l ii only a very limited number or none, how ! r; ; them up in the fear and love of God This er ; hidden and unnatural crime which the law reach is stealthily and villianously undenninin-ciety undenninin-ciety by tearing away its 'foundation, viz.. the ;';i : -ily, which consists of the husband, wife and .-hi;.;. The end of Christian marriage is the pmpati - and perpetuation of the family, but this is not only ignored but opposed. Hence the pagan attirui,-of attirui,-of modern society which is rapidly approaelii;--the ideals of the Gentile world after its separati.,;i from the synagogue. Hence, too, the decay of and indifference to religion which cannot eompn.nii-e with those evile that are opposed to God's lav , and the perpetuation of the family. |