With harvest comes the impatience with lack of sleep... short tempers and frustrations are compounded. To admit our faults and weakenesses, and apologize one to the other, can take the steam out of the anger. Puts water on the fire!
A little over a week ago... my parents sent this out to the kids... most of us 11 are married, and they felt that these words from Benedict were good for us to take and meditate on...
"Man and woman belong to each other. They both have their gifts, which they have to develope so as to realize and to bring to fruition the whole breadth of what it means to be human.
"That this diversity in unity includes tensions and can lead to attempts to break apart is something we well know. That is the case of every friendship. The closer you are, the easier it is to get in each other's hair.
"
Love makes a demand that cannot leave me untouched. In love I cannot simply remain myself, but I always have to lose myself by having my rough edges taken off, by being hurt. (I have thought of marriage as sandpaper...rubbing off my rough edges. And it is painful when I see the disappointment in Pat's face - the one I love more than anyone else- seeing my faults and weaknesses! That is painful!)
"And it is just this - that it hurts me so as to bring out more of my potential - it seems to me, that constitutes the greatness of love, that is part of its healing power.
"To that extent we should not think of love just as romantic love, so that, so to speak, heaven comes down to earth for the two lovers when they find each other, and they then live happily ever after. We must think of love as suffering. Only if we are ready to endure it as suffering and thus ever again to accept each other and once again to take the other to ourselves, only then can a life-long partnership develope.
"
If, on the contrary, we say when we get to the critical point, I want to avoid that, and we seperate, then what we are renouncing is the true opportunity that is to be found in man and woman being turned toward each other and in the reality of love." Pope Benedict XVI
If, on the contrary, we say when we get to the critical point, I want to avoid that, and we seperate, then what we are renouncing is the true opportunity that is to be found in man and woman being turned toward each other and in the reality of love." Pope Benedict XVI
Lord Jesus, marriage is a sacrament that is designed to bring us to eternal life... how? By allowing us the opportunity to put our spouse first, and to see the imperfections in ourselves, and willingly work on them! Seeing my selfishess through Pat's eyes hurts like heck! It makes me want to run and hide in the opposite direction, but I need to see that this is a call to do better! Jesus, help me to not rise up in anger to protect my hurt feelings, but rather say; "I am sorry." and go forward trying to do better! Jesus, I trust in you! Amen and Halleluia!
Bless-bless, BarbI have heard this story about ST Teresa of Avila... she had a dream... the Lord showed her many crosses of different sizes and shapes... He asked her to choose one. Being the saint that she is, she chose the largest! "No, that one is for those that are called to marriage." The Lord told her.
The largest cross, but as a result the largest blessings and graces!
Mary poked her finger and it hurt... thinking about hurt today in all its shapes and forms...
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