Every summer the Diocese celebrates the marriages of those who have held to the idea of trust for 50 years. When we think about a couple who has been married for 50 years or more we are astonished at the longevity of their union. In our modern day, we are not used to things or relationships that withstand the test of time. We are so used to the latest update on our smartphones or the newest model car that we may have indifference or perhaps even a sense of hostility toward things that have some age to them. In fact, because of the throwaway culture we are a part of, there is a general lack of appreciation for things that last.
As Catholics, we hold that marriage is a covenant established by a man and woman as a partnership for the whole of life. This is God’s plan for marriage. It is meant to bond a husband and a wife together until death parts them. Their partnership is ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring. When this covenant is established between persons it is raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament. (CCC 1601)
What is it that keeps couples together for a lifetime? One key element is trust. Lasting marriages are built on trust. It is the keystone of a marriage because it is where one promises to love and serve the other. A marriage without trust often becomes empty and unsatisfying; almost destined for divorce.
We know that the couples celebrating 50 years of marriage today came from a time when ‘your word’ meant something. When you said you were going to do something, you stood by that decision “come hell or high water” to abide by it. Back in the day a sense of trust mutually pledged and given between two entities ensured a stable and lasting future.
Take some time to imagine being married to your spouse for fifty years, and try to think of the challenges you may have and how you will get through things together. When you have these things in mind, consider how trust will affect these years together and how, in turn, distrust could make the marriage fragile.
Please pray for those couples in and around our diocese and pray that their commitment to trust each other will rub off on those around them.
By Matthew Canter