Happy Anniversary, Marilyn!

Father Joe always starts off his homilies with, “I have a joke.” Lately everybody starts to give off that nervous laugh that says, “Uh-oh, here comes another silly joke that we’ve probably all heard a million times,”—because we have.

Today, I got two homilies. I took Mom to the 8:30 Mass because I had my hospital rounds to make. We decided we should go to breakfast after Mass because I haven’t visited her in a couple of weeks and we needed to catch up. Since I didn’t want to carry Our Lord around with me while I went to breakfast, I went back to St. Anne’s to get the Hosts during the 10:30 Mass. That’s when I got my joke from Father Joe.

One guy is talking to another and says, “I didn’t know what true happiness was until I got married—and then it was too late!”

Obviously not true (but funny), and probably written by someone who has never known what a blessing marriage is. I’ve been thinking all week long about Marilyn and myself and our marriage, which is 35 years on Monday!

I don’t know if it’s Providence or just coincidence, but one of the prayers of the faithful today was for long marriages. I can tell you all that in our case, that prayer has been answered.

Marilyn and I had a conversation today that really got me thinking that we’d go broke if our lives were on one of those reality shows that are so popular today. She was standing on the ladder cleaning out the gutters—I know, I know—that’s supposed to be my job, but I have to “pace” myself (ha ha).
It went something like this:

S: “OK, I’m leaving. I’ll see you towards the end of the week when I get back. Happy Anniversary!”

M: (Ha ha)”Yeah, you too! Be careful driving down there. Bye.”

What a “whoop-de-do!” In our defense, we did go to dinner last night, just the two of us—and Alicia and Lily. But you know what? Marriage and family just seem to go together, you know?

If anyone were to ask me (and based on our above conversation they might) if I’m happily married, I would have to say, “By the grace of God, YES, YES, YES—a thousand times YES!”

I don't know if it's proof that I love her, but when I'm out of town on business, whether it's a couple of days or an entire week, I really miss her. When I get home, hers is the first greeting I seek. I love my children and my grandchild, but there's just nothing like the smile that Marilyn gives me that makes me feel like I'm where God wants me to be.

Makes me remember the prayer that Tobiah and Sarah (Tobit 8:7-8) offered to God on their wedding night:

You said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone;
let us make him a partner like himself.'
Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age."
They said together, "Amen, amen,"

Now, onto my regular blog meditations.

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Monday, October 12, 2009
The Joyful Mysteries
Romans 1:1-7
Psalm 98:1bcde, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
Luke 11:29-32

To borrow a line from Father Joe; “I have a joke.” Is it just me, or does the story of Jonah sound fishy to you?” Sorry. I had to say it.

Jonah went to the Ninevites, and the King of the land ordered all the people to demonstrate their repentance. Repentance is a good practice. Not sackcloth and ashes, not wailing and weeping, but a deep, ongoing reevaluation of how we encounter and respond to God each day. St. Ignatius of Loyola and a great many other saints recommended the daily practice of the examen of conscience -- but in reality this is daily repentance, daily course correction.

As we go through our daily rounds, it’s wise for us to consider this ongoing repentance, this ongoing course correction. We don't need to wait for a time or a season. We can just look and see if we're treating others as we would like to be treated, to see if we're living as though God is the most important thing in our lives.

In today's Gospel Jesus says to the people of His time that they are living in an evil age that seeks a sign. He goes on to tell them that just as Jonah was a sign for the Ninevites, He will be the sign for the present age. It is clear that unless our hearts are open to the teachings of Jesus we and the world in this evil age will fail to read the signs of our times, fail to do what the Almighty wants and will see accomplished. For our part, may we use the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as the road map for our salvation and share it with others that they too may gain everlasting life.

And simply put, what is the message of Jesus' incarnation, passion and glorious Resurrection? It is none other than this: we are to love God with our whole heart -- and our neighbor as ourselves - an age old message, an age old sign.

This will show in our actions toward others ("they will know we are Christians by our love") as the popular song goes. It also shows through the eternal, immutable joy we will feel in all circumstances. If God matters and is present in all the passages of our lives, we will have joy in this present darkness.