The bishops of New Jersey have asked all Catholics to participate in a marriage initiative from August 22^nd through October 15^th.  In the announcement read at Masses on August 22-23, you heard:

The purpose of this collaborative effort among the Dioceses of New Jersey, the NJ Catholic Conference and the Knights of Columbus, is to uphold marriage as a sacred institution and to reject attempts by our legislature to re-define marriage in our state. The initiative includes our constant prayer for marriage and family, as well as educating ourselves on the fundamental meaning of marriage and current issues surrounding marriage.

Notice how prominent the Knights of Columbus are in protecting marriage in New Jersey.  In the upcoming weeks, I expect that we will ask members of KC 1082 to help with the petition drive.  All petitions will be delivered to our government representatives by October 15^th.

           
In all of my homilies during this marriage initiative, I plan to address different aspects of marriage, relating them to the ultimate marriage of Christ and the Church.  Different theologians have emphasized different aspects.  St. Augustine talked about the goods of marriage while St. Thomas Aquinas emphasized the ends of marriage.  Pope Pius XI in Casti Connubii, illustrated the blessings of marriage.  In Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI called for an integral vision of man, and he connected the meanings of marriage to the other aspects.  Pope John Paul II fulfilled Pope Paul VI’s challenge with The Theology of the Body.

Teenagers in the 1950’s (as far as I know) learned about three ends or purposes of marriage:  the procreation and education of children, the mutual help of spouses, and a remedy for concupiscence.  The primary end, purpose, or goal of marriage is the procreation and education of children.  This is a very objective truth about marriage.  With Popes Pius XI, Paul VI, and John Paul II, we hear more about the subjective experience and meaning of marriage.  So, here’s an image that hopefully helps with a subjective understanding of the objective truth that the primary end of marriage is the procreation and education of children.  When a man and woman marry, they enter into a one flesh union.  They gaze into each other’s eyes.  Whenever they engage in the marital embrace, they experience this one flesh union in a profound way.  But there’s more to marriage.  Throughout married life (including the marital embrace), the couple both figuratively and often literally stand side by side.  They hold hands, walk together, and look forward in life.  They especially look together to the fruitfulness of their marital embrace:  children.  And while walking side by side throughout life, they enjoy and sacrifice for many kinds of fruitfulness.  Their love for each other is not isolated to themselves – it is shared with God, children, and society.

Please pray and work for a deeper understanding, appreciation, and gratitude for marriage for ourselves and all residents of New Jersey