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02/18/01
Celebrating St. Valentines Day
My own take on St. Valentines Day is influenced by the fact that
its the anniversary of my baptism. Baptism is the beginning of
a love affair with God that issues into eternal life. It is also
the sacrament that makes participation in all the other sacraments,
including marriage, possible.
There was a song some years ago about love and marriage going
together like a horse and carriage. Today there are also songs
that tell of love without marriage and of sex without love. The
celebration of Valentines Day has become a celebration of romantic
love, with or without marriage. Romantic love is a beautiful experience,
but love is more than romance.
There are many biological analyses of sexual impulses and attraction.
There are many psychological analyses of human loving and of how
a man and a woman can have a marriage which brings happiness to
both them and their children. The Churchs contribution to reflection
on sex and love and marriage comes from her contemplation of her
Lord. Recently, Pope John Paul II, after comparing the Church
to a bride and a mother, spoke of the Church as a sign raised
up among the nations to witness to the intensity of divine love
revealed in Christ, especially in giving his own life.
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Because marriage, public and social in nature, is the context
in which we truly understand our sexual natures, sexual activity
is never purely private. When we try to make sex a private matter,
we trivialize sex and lose the sense of who we really are.
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Sacramental marriage in Catholic theology is a covenant between
a baptized man and a baptized woman united in Christ. It therefore
takes on the characteristics of the relationship between an infinitely
loving God and the people He wills to love for all eternity. Because
God is the author of marriage, the bond of matrimony unites, makes
fruitful and lasts until the death of one of the partners.
Again, because God is the author of marriage, the covenant between
husband and wife is born in their free consent to marry one another.
This consent is publicly witnessed by the Church, which, with
each marriage, rejoices in a new source of grace for her children.
Marriage is not a private affair. It changes not only the relationship
between a man and a woman but also between their families and
all those who know them. Marriage in the Church changes all of
us who are believers. This is why marriage, along with the sacrament
of Holy Orders, is called a social sacrament. It changes everyones
life, not just the lives of those who enter into a particular
marriage covenant. Everyone therefore has a stake in the success
of a marriage.
Because marriage, public and social in nature, is the context
in which we truly understand our sexual natures, sexual activity
is never purely private. When we try to make sex a private matter,
we trivialize sex and lose the sense of who we really are. We
can even begin to think that we are merely animals, for whom sex
is basically instinctual, and look to the study of primates for
clues to understanding what it means to be truly human. Instead
of being a source of contentment and joy which brings hope to
an entire life, private sex ends in frustration and tears and,
often, bitter estrangement. Not only a divine commandment but
human experience itself tells us fornication and adultery are
sins.
The best preparation for faithful marriage is a chaste life. Our
youth groups and young adult programs should help young men and
women understand this truth and live it. Our teaching in catechetics
and homilies should also help people understand why celibacy for
the sake of Gods kingdom is integral to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and is possible because of the strength of Gods grace. Celibacy,
too, is social in nature. It builds up the Church and makes her
more fruitful. This is a strange truth, although no stranger than
the proclamation that Jesus is truly risen from the dead in his
own crucified body. Today, however, since sex has more or less
become the national religion, those who purposely refrain from
practicing it become suspect. If Catholic priests and consecrated
women and men did not publicly promise to live chastely as celibates,
there would be a lot less curiosity and speculation about their
lives.
The Second Vatican Council called the family a domestic church
(Lumen gentium 11). In the family, the connection between sex
and love and marriage becomes clear. In the home, children who
are the fruit of the love between husband and wife first learn
of Gods love and begin their journey of faith. This journey begins
with great security when a child comes to understand that his
mother and father love him because they love one another and God.
Celebrating St. Valentines day can literally bring that lesson
home. Its a beautiful day.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Francis Cardinal George, OMI
Archbishop of Chicago
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Week of
Feb. 18th |
Sunday, Feb. 18:
11 a.m., Speak to Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults members
at Holy Name Cathedral. 2 p.m., Confirmation Mass at Infant Jesus
of Prague, Flossmoor, IL. 7 p.m., Choral Liturgy, Holy Name Cathedral.
Monday, Feb. 19:
10 a.m., Meeting for pastors in Hispanic ministry, Providence
of God Church.
Monday, Feb. 19-Thursday, Feb. 22:
Rome: Ordinary Public Consistory of the Creation of the new Cardinals,
Vatican City.
Friday, Feb. 23 :
3:30 p.m., Meet with Catholic college and university presidents
and theology faculties, Loyola Water Tower Campus.
Saturday, Feb. 24:
2:45 p.m., Present workshop on What is Inculturation? at Parish
Leadership Day, St. Rita High School, 7740 S. Western Ave., Chicago.
4 p.m., Mass for Parish Leadership Day participants, St. Rita
High School, 7740 S. Western Ave., Chicago.

Feb. 2, 2001
His Eminence, Francis Cardinal George, announces the following
appointments:
Pastor
Rev. Gerald Grupczynski, S.Ch., from Sterling Heights, Mich., to be the pastor of Five
Holy Martyrs Parish, West Pope John Paul II Drive, effective Feb.
24.
Associate Pastor
Rev. Alejandro Adame, CSV, to be associate pastor of St. Viator Parish, West Addison,
effective March 1.
Rev. Krzysztof Oska, S.Ch., from Silver Spring, Md., to be associate pastor of Five
Holy Martyrs Parish, effective Feb. 24.
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