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A wise man will realize the nature of his existence on this earth - a mystery set within the framework of a little space and a little time. Set against the two thousand years of Christianity, our lives are indeed very short. How much shorter they will seem set against the age of the created universe. Yet true wisdom will not drive us to despair at such thoughts. True wisdom will urge us to value life to the full and to live each moment in the love of God and in joyful gratitude for the mystery. The high value which Solomon placed on wisdom can be a model of the high value which we should wisely place on the gift of life. The Psalmist looks from another perspective: a knowledge of the shortness of life which generates "wisdom of heart". Wisdom is more than mere knowledge. We may conceptually know that our life is short but that knowledge may have no effect in our lives. Reflection on the shortness of life, the Psalmist suggests, will give us the wisdom needed to respond to the mystery that we are the works of God's hand. Lord, grant us Your gift of wisdom that we may rejoice in Your love and give You glory all the days of our life. |
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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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That young married couples may be sustained by the example and assistance of their parents and other families
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The testimony and help that parents and other families must offer to sustain young married couples finds its place in the ambit of post-matrimonial pastoral care. Parents and other families are the most suited to offer this assistance to young spouses because clearly they have lived personally the values which they must transmit. These parents show faithfulness through living in the best possible way the commitments assumed during their marriage. One could ask, but why is it necessary for young couples to be sustained by the testimony of their parents and other families? The answer is, because today there are many negative attitudes which scandalise and discourage young people. Being new to the condition of matrimonial life they need advice, encouragement, moral support, correction and prayer. They cannot be left alone or abandoned in this phase of their lives. Couples need to take advantage of the wealth of the experience and wisdom of their parents. "The pastoral action of the Church must be progressive, also in the sense that it must accompany the family, following it step by step in the various stages of its formation and development," (Familiaris Consortio n65, 69). | |
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