Article 26 – Marriage! The Solemn Magisterium is Infallible

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First Published in The Catholic Voice – December 2014 Confusion about what the Church Teaches I like to talk to people about these articles and to discuss what is contained within them as it gives me greater insight into the state of both the world and the Church and it also gives me fuel for future articles. Recently I met with a young woman who had just returned from Rome where she is studying about marriage and family. I put … Read More

Article 25 – Catholic Marriage! Why write about it?

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Wedding Anniversary in France. I have recently returned from a very enjoyable trip to France where I went for a week with my wife Naomi and our three youngest children to celebrate the twenty sixth anniversary of our marriage which was on November 12th. The day of the anniversary found us in Paray-le-Monial at the visitation chapel, where St Margaret Mary Alacoque was asked to spread devotion to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, giving thanks to God for our … Read More

Article 24 – Marriage & Virginity Council of Trent

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Jovinian, Doctors, Council of Trent In our last article we met up with Jovinian, the heretic from the late fourth century, who dared to equate marriage and holy virginity. We saw how three of the doctors of the Church who were alive at that time came to the defence of holy virginity and we saw how the pope of the time St Siricius excommunicated Jovinian. Another doctor of the Church St Jerome, who came after Jovinian had died, further clarified … Read More

Article 23 – Marriage! Virginity a higher calling

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God provides the Grace. The 2014 Synod on the Family was a very exciting event which has an important bearing on marriage as seen through the eyes of the Church’s magisterium. Several people whom I was in contact with during the synod were very worried about the possible outcomes of the synod, given that, certain seemingly heretical positions were in the ascendency and seemed to have the backing of a large number of bishops and even cardinals. My general response … Read More

Article 22 – Marriage! Nothing new under the Sun

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There is nothing new under the Sun. “A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there … Read More

Article 21 – Marriage! The Discarding of Beauty

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Beauty Discarded. Imagine, if you will, that you are walking by your nearest town hall. You notice a skip outside the town hall and a wooden frame protruding from the skip. On closer inspection, you find that a masterpiece painted by the artist Rembrandt, which used to hang in the main reception area of the town hall, has been thrown out. In disbelief you enter the town hall to find that the masterpiece has been replaced by a modern art … Read More

Article 20 – Marriage and Holiness

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True Devotions. This series of articles began with a look at the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage and its basis in Sacred Scripture. For the past month or so, in conjunction with a new Apostolate called ‘True Devotions’, we have been looking at the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and also at the life of St Thérèse and of her family. I would like to talk a little more about family life and prayer before returning to Catholic … Read More

Article 19 – Marriage! The Martin Family

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The Martin Family. In the last article I introduced my newly found devotion to St Thérèse of Lisieux, and one comment I received was that whilst it was a good article, it did not say much about family life and prayer. I responded that, patience is a virtue, and that the article was going to be written in two parts the second of which would look at the family life of the Martins. Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin had nine … Read More

Article – 18 Marriage! – St Thérèse

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Falling in Love with St Thérèse. Today I have a confession to make. In July I made my annual five day silent Ignatian retreat with the monks of St Joseph’s Abbey from Flavigny in France. The retreat was held in the Ards Friary retreat centre in north Donegal and, as I told my wife on my return, I met a beautiful woman there and I fell in love with her. No it wasn’t Our Lady! It was St Thérèse of … Read More

Article 17 – Sacred Heart Promises cont’d

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Family Prayer and Devotion – The Sacred Heart Eight Promise – “Fervent Souls shall speedily rise to great perfection” In St Matthew we are told “Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) We know that of ourselves we can do nothing, let alone become perfect, and yet Christ desires this perfection of us so that we can enter into Heaven where nothing imperfect may enter. Christ saves sinners first by bringing them to repentance … Read More

Article 16 – Sacred Heart Promises cont’d..

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Family Prayer and Devotion – The Sacred Heart Peace for Families In the previous article we covered the first two of the twelve promises normally associated with the Sacred Heart Devotion as given to St Margaret Mary Alacoque. I also recommended this devotion to families, particularly on account of the second promise which promises peace to the families of those who practice this devotion. In our own family we have found that the practice of a particular devotion provides a … Read More

Article 15 – Sacred Heart Promises

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Family Prayer and Devotion – The Sacred Heart Ancient Devotion Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is best known to us today as it was revealed to St Margaret Mary Alacoque in the Convent of the Visitation Sisters at Paray-le-Monial in France, from 1671 until her death in 1690. As we have seen in previous articles, this was not a new devotion as it had been practised by St Gertrude and St Mechtilde in the late thirteenth century. I … Read More

Article 14 – Marriage! The Sacred Heart

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Family Prayer and Devotion – The Sacred Heart. It’s not easy to be Catholic. It has never been easy to live life as a Catholic and this is still true today, especially in Ireland, where hostility to the Catholic Faith seems to have reached an all time high amongst the Irish and the faith is regularly derided by those who do not believe and is often poorly presented or distorted by those who do believe in order not to cause … Read More

Article 13 – Marriage! Sacred Heart

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Marriage a gift from God – Family Prayer and Devotion. The Essential Nature of Marriage. Through Sacred Scripture we discovered the essential nature of marriage. Children are the primary end of marriage therefore; marriage must always remain open to life; marriage can only be between one man and one woman; marriage is for life; marriage is indissoluble; those who wish to marry must be free to marry and the consent given to marry must be given freely. We discovered Christ’s … Read More

Article 12 – Marriage! St Paul again

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Husbands, Love your Wives. We now return to St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians where he addresses husbands and wives. This time we will look first to what St Paul says to the husbands. “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it: That he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life: That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot … Read More

Article 11 – Marriage! A Clarification and some musings

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A Clarification regarding Separation. Before continuing with St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians I would like to make a little clarification based on some recent feedback I received on one of these articles. Indeed I welcome any and all feedback that readers may have and I have included an e-mail address (john@truedevotions.ie) where I may be contacted, or if you you would prefer to send a letter to me my address is, 21 Glenbrook, Knock Claremorris, Co Mayo F12 NW20. … Read More

Article 10 – Marriage! According to St Paul

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St Paul on Marriage St Paul has a lot to say to husbands and wives throughout his writings. Much of what St Paul says in this regard is seen as being contentious in our day. St Paul speaks plainly and very bluntly. He doesn’t beat around the bush but is very direct is what he has to say. St Paul is often accused of being misogynistic on account of what he says concerning women. “Let women keep silence in the … Read More

Updating Blog, Shop and Site

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Here in Ireland, I write a column on marriage for a Catholic fortnightly paper called ‘The Catholic Voice’.  I am hoping to make all of these articles available on the website and I managed to post another three today.  You can download those posted so far in .pdf format from the ‘marriage articles’ link at the top of the page. I have also managed to put a few more sacred art pictures up for sale.  These are available as photographic … Read More

Article 9 – Marriage! The Salvation of Souls

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The Call to be Faithful The two previous articles in this series explored two extraordinary wives, Blessed Elisabeth Canori Mora and the Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur, who loved their husbands despite all the odds, and who, through their heroic sacrifices, obtained the conversion of these men both of whom ended their lives as priests of the Holy Catholic Church. Just imagine for a moment how the lives of these four spouses would have turned out if these two wives … Read More

Article 8 – Another Difficult Marriage

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Elisabeth Leseur Another more recent example of a wife obtaining the great fruits promised by St Peter is the story of the servant of God, Elisabeth Leseur, who was born into a well to do family in Paris in 1866. She was fervent in the practice of her faith as a child and was very well educated. She married Felix Leseur on July 31st 1889. Felix was brought up a good Catholic and qualified in medicine in Paris. However his … Read More

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