http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano Thoughts about Time and Eternity en aristorano aristorano Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:19:03 +0200 daily 1   Death..... and then ? ..."like a thief at night" There was just a brief announcement in the news at noon: "A Boeing 727 has crashed, over 120 fatalities.  The  cause  for  the accident is still unknown".  This accident  was  not  planned.  The passengers were taken by surprise. Death came  "like a thief  at  night". Where people live, there is always the possibility  of losing  life.  Closing  our  eyes to this does not make sense. Transplantation of organs, deep-freeze operations, supplies of fresh cells, etc., help to prolong life but are unable to eliminate death. Anointing of the sick Someone has said  that dying begins  with birth. This was supposed to mean that right from the beginning,  life  is  in danger of death. Pain, especially, the burden of growing old and falling sick marks the  first steps toward death. Man is ripped away from his usual work rhythm by  illness... Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:19:03 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Dying-begins-with-birth/5017/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Dying-begins-with-birth/5017/   Love and Marriage Denominationally disparate marriage A "mixed marriage"  can bring  particular  difficulties which should be discussed with the  concerned  parties  prior  to  the  wedding.  Children's  education or  the common  life  of  faith  could  give  rise  to  disagreement.   But  these  marriages are  not  identical to  another.  There could be a chance for common action in faith;  but  the  problems  resulting  from  the  split  in  Christianity  could  also  be intensified.  In  an  extreme  case, the success of the marriage could  be  endangered  and  the  faith  of  spouses  and children be influenced negatively. When  both  partners  take  their  faith  seriously, a marriage which is denominationally different has the best chances of success.  But in this case, the difference in faith is often  especially  painful  for  the couple, and the conflicts... Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:42:22 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/A-mixed-marriage/5016/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/A-mixed-marriage/5016/   Love and Marriage View of the Church Man has to find out for himself how he can best correspond to the commonly valid norms in his concrete situation. After a conscious consideration of the decrees of the Church and verification of all circumstances, even a Catholic Christian can come to a responsible decision which differs from the view of the Church. Responsibility of parents It is natural  that marriage and family have to do with new life and with children. The Church retains the principle that having a child can be justified only in marriage and that it should not be the result of a coincidental sexual encounter.  Only in the  continuous  love of  parents  can a child find the security needed to grow into a mature human being. Moreover, for Christians the close connection between love and procreation corresponds to the creative will of God. Married couples themselves have to make Christian and humanely responsible... Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:01:15 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Responsibility-of-parents/5015/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Responsibility-of-parents/5015/ Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:14:24 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/life-and-faces-smile-cartoon-are/5014/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/life-and-faces-smile-cartoon-are/5014/   Love and Marriage Proof of invalidity Usually,  such a process takes a long time,  since a  marriage is always assumed to be valid and it is up to the married couple to unquestionably prove invalidity. A validly concluded and consummated marriage cannot be  declared invalid by the Church unless there are reasons for invalidity such as  fraudulent  marriage  intentions,  force,  deception, or when  partners are too closely related. With  reference   to  the  Gospels,  the  Church  is  certainly  right  in  maintaining that a marriage is insoluble.  But the question is: what can the Church do when a marriage does not succeed, perhaps without any personal fault?  Is  it not beyond the strength of many people to have to go through life alone, perhaps after having been married for just a few years?  Are there not clauses for exceptions in the writings of Paul and Matthew (see Cor 7, 12-15; Mt 5,32)? However, on the... Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:06:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Matrimonial-exceptions-Sexual-morals/5013/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Matrimonial-exceptions-Sexual-morals/5013/   Love and Marriage Marriage and faith Many young couples hesitate to proceed with this final commitment, knowing that marriage is exposed to unforeseen developments. But we cannot plan, secure and  test  everything  to  the last detail. Sometimes, we have to make a decision, because we cannot leave things forever revocable. Having been together for some time, many couples decide to get married, especially with the prospect of raising a family, in order to put their relationship into a firm and legally protected framework.  The  celebration in the church reinforces the consciousness of finally and forever belonging together. Should a crisis emerge, the fact of a church wedding can give an important support. Many older and experienced married couples confirm this. It is true that marital difficulties cannot simply be resolved by faith and prayer. But faith in the God of love and reconciliation gives us confidence in the possibility of... Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:44:38 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Marriage-and-faith-Divorce/5012/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Marriage-and-faith-Divorce/5012/   Love and Marriage Marriage is a Sacrament Christian  marriage  shall  reflect  the  love and  trust of Christ for His Church. He loves His Church despite all her faults and imperfections, and He does not leave her. The prototype of  this link between Christ and His Church is  already  shown in  the  love  of  God  for  His people, Israel, in  the  Old Testament.  He  faithfully accompanied  them  through  all  times. This "covenant of God with  His  people" is mentioned repeatedly in the Bible in terms of the image of a marriage. (Isaiah 50,1; Jeremiah 2,2; 5,7). The unconditional faithfulness of God and Jesus Christ to humanity and the Church should be mirrored in the love of the spouses.  This love can correspond so closely  to  Christ's  relationship  with  the Church that it is not only an image of His love,  but  that  His love itself is becoming present through the love of the married couple.  For... Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:05:08 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Matrimony-a-profound-mystery/5011/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Matrimony-a-profound-mystery/5011/   Love and Marriage Matrimony is not an invention of Christianity and the churches, but since love and  the  desire to have a permanent relationship are an essential part of  human existence, it is not surprising  that they also have  an important place in the Bible, Christianity, and the Church. What does the Bible say?   The biblical image of the human being and of the relationship between man and woman is shown in the very first chapters of the Bible (Genesis 1-3). "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.' According to the story of creation the encounter with  woman liberates man from his loneliness. In their conjugal love, the partners "know" each other and become "one body".  The  basic equality of man... Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:22:49 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/What-does-the-Bible-say/5010/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/What-does-the-Bible-say/5010/ Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:53:46 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/life-and-faces-cartoon-puzzle-mse/5009/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/life-and-faces-cartoon-puzzle-mse/5009/   Love and marriage   Sexuality The changing image of  marriage and family has also given new significance to human sexuality. "Fertile sexuality" was the  generally recognized principle in the past; today, sexuality may  be fruitful,  but does not have to be so. An increasing  number of people  even believe that it should not be fruitful. This is true  not  only for  nations  which  are  over populated,   but  also  married  couples   wondering whether or not an additional child can be justified. Today,  even couples who are fond of  children  view  their  sexual life primarily as a means of expressing their personal relationship. They see their sexual encounter as a  sign  of  love,  a high point of  their  mutual experience, and sexual  harmony  gives  a  great deal of joy to their lives.  Especially at the moment of sexual fulfillment they experience each other as... Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:50:04 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Sexuality/5008/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Sexuality/5008/   Love and Marriage The  reason  for  failure   of so  many marriages,  in spite of honest efforts and promises: although most people think that love is important, many believe that there is nothing much to be learned about love. Essential  to love is being kind and benevolent to each other, allowing both personalities and their relationship to mature and grow, being open to discussion, being tender and fond, but also able to face conflicts. A successful partnership also requires a positive attitude toward one's own and the partner's body, expressed in sexual fantasy, and paying attention to the sexual relationship. At first glance,  these sound like very  stringent  requirements, but they can be met  with  faithfulness  to  oneself  and  to the partner.  Undoubtedly,  lifelong fidelity  does not simply  fall from heaven.   It is up to the spouses  to put effort into maintaining trust and fidelity in their... Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:09:44 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Successful-partnership/5007/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Successful-partnership/5007/   Love and Marriage Love: a goal in life Marriage  and family have to do with love: "It is good that you exist and I love you the way you are.  Your love gives me  joy and hope. Because you live, I also like to live."  The person who loves is concerned about the loved person,  not about attributes,  traits or  properties  of  the loved person. In spite  of faults and weaknesses, the loved person does not need to prove him/herself anew everyday; he can plan his life and hope that, together with his partner, it will succeed. G. Marcel says: "Love is saying: you shall not perish!" The love of one person is source of life for the other partner. For many, it is of primary importance to be loved and they do not consider  their own need and  ability to love . They are always demanding instead of giving love and,  therefore,  are  not loved in the long run.  They do not find what they seek in  love:  overcoming ... Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:14:52 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Love-a-goal-in-life/5006/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/aristorano/Love-a-goal-in-life/5006/