Can Catholics preserve marriage?

Can Catholics preserve marriage? Can we lead by example? Can we show society what holy matrimony is? Or have we already failed?

You probably know people who are divorced. Most of us do. Sometimes it’s beyond our control to stay married to someone who clearly does not want to stay married.

But over the years I have seen even Catholics regard marriage with a shrug and a wink and say, “If it doesn’t work out, we’ll just get divorced.” (A friend of mine actually heard this at the wedding reception!)

Like our faith, we have to take the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony seriously. We have to set an example to young people that entering into a marriage is sacred and should be prepared and prayed over. It’s not a big party to show off the status quo, as I’ve seen increasingly over the years. Tens of thousands of dollars spent and the marriage is over within two years. I often wonder if the couple had spent that much time planning their marriage, the outcome would have been different.

Is the passing of gay marriage the end of the world? No, but we are on a slippery slope. We need to pray for our young people who are entering this Sacrament. We must pray for all married people to be God's light, Jesus' love and the Holy Spirit's power.