The Human Heart

"For I hate divorce, says the LORD, the God of Israel..."

Malachi 2:16

The human heart is a mystery. God formed the core of the body to be the heart. The blood of the entire body only circulates in concordance with the heartbeat. If the heartbeat stops, if the heart fails, the body no longer can function. Likewise, if we choose to no longer love our spouse, the spousal union dies. This is precisely why divorce has run rampant in society for centuries. Man has chosen to cease loving, and this void has plunged society into darkness.

"Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery."

Luke 16:18

Our Blessed Lord's words are clear. He will repeat these words again, reaffirming His desire for marriage. The matrimonial bond is indissoluble. It is indissoluble because the unity of the Holy Trinity is indissoluble. The Lord raised marriage to be a sacrament, because it is through the spouse that God loves the bride and vice versa. Any division in this most intimate union is grave and the Lord will not condone divorce. The church can grant an annulment, but it's not so much as simply to allow people to re-marry, but it is rather a recognition that the marriage was never truly valid. People who get a divorce but are unable to receive an annulment, although are not permitted to get re-married, can find in their situation an opportunity for growth in holiness and virtue. St. Josemaria Escriva had beautifully stated in regard to this, "While understanding their suffering, I would tell them that they can also see in their situation God’s Will, which is never cruel, for God is a loving Father. The situation may be especially difficult for some time, but if they go to our Lord and His blessed Mother, they will receive the help of grace."

"The indissolubility of marriage is not a caprice of the Church nor is it merely a positive ecclesiastical law. It is a precept of natural law, of divine law, and responds perfectly to our nature and to the supernatural order of grace."

St. Josemaria Escriva

The human heart was made for commitment. Every soul desires a permanent union with another that is founded on love. The innate desire that is implanted within our hearts is to be understood, cared for and deeply appreciated. The climax of this aspiration is found only in Jesus Christ, Who is the Bridegroom. Married couples are to mirror this love that is truly life-giving. The husband and wife, with all of their brokenness and weakness, are called to mirror the Holy Trinity. God supplies every grace and, in our weakness, His power is made perfect. If the marriage is to be fruitful and fulfilling, it must adhere to the teachings of the Holy Gospel. As St. John Paul the Great had said, "Only truth has grace."

"If a marriage is to preserve its initial charm and beauty, both husband and wife should try to renew their love day after day, and that is done through sacrifice, with smiles and also with ingenuity."

St. Josemaria Escriva

Men and women who live together before marriage, like a "trial marriage", fail to fulfill their deepest longings. There is no real commitment in this pursuit and most people who do this immoral action do not have long relationships. Studies even show that most people who live together before marriage end in divorce. Only by seeking to know and follow God's ways, will there be any lasting peace and joy.

"No one benefits from false mercy."*

False compassion benefits no one, and watering down and manipulating the Gospel to satisfy people and their situations would only lead to their downfall. God's Will is Love and Mercy Itself, and He has our best interests at Heart in everything. What God ordains and commands is for our own happiness. Failure to believe this and trust in His ways is failure to understand the human heart and its deepest longings.

May we trust in the Good Lord Who made us and Who knows most intimately the desires of our hearts. Only in Him do our hearts find joy. May we trust in His Holy Name.

St. Josemaria Escriva, pray for us.

Notes:

Beloved: Finding Happiness in Marriage