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| December 11 |
ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE |
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[Jesus
said:] "What God has joined together, no human being must separate." In
the house the disciples again questioned him about this. He said to
them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery
against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she
commits adultery."
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| The Media |
"Away
From Her" |
final session |
One
of the "joys" of early Alzheimer's disease is that sometimes the
patient remembers some things. In the movie "Away From Her," after a
long period of time when Fiona Anderson had no idea who Grant was, she
finally remembers for a little while that Grant was her husband,
telling him, "You could have just driven away and forsaken me." Grant
replies with a truth that he has lived throughout her illness: "Not a
chance." Grant had come every day to her institution, watching her help
another male patient, seemingly in love with that patient. "You tried
so hard," Fiona tells Grant, "I'm a lucky woman." She was indeed. The
dedication of someone who loves will be so strong that even in the most
disheartening moments, the loving person will be present, always
loving, always caring.
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For
millions of married couples, when they say to each other, "I will love
you and honor you all the days of my life," in their marriage ceremony,
it means exactly that. They believe with all of their hearts the
teaching of Jesus in Mark's Gospel, namely that God has joined them
together and no one can separate them. Such was the setting for Grant's
dedication to Fiona in her illness. He had said "forever," and he had
meant it.
One of the wonderful things about quality films is that people aspiring
to marriage will view them. Couples who will marry should see the movie
"Away From Her," should study it, should take it to heart. Grant's
desire to give completely to his wife extended beyond the years when
both of them were knowledgeable and happy. It included the rough times,
the times when love was no longer present because of circumstances. In
the movie, the dedication is rewarded with a momentary glimpse of
reality in Fiona's mind. Sometimes even that does not happen. But the
dedication must still be present.
Whether we are speaking of married couples, or dedication to a way of
life that someone has promised, commitment must have meaning. If we say
that we will do something, we should mean it. Commitment, whether
marriage or otherwise, always has the quality of "all the days of one's
life." When we say it, we must mean it.
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THOUGHT
Why is our divorce rate
so high at the present time?
PRAYER
Good
and gracious God, your Son gave your teaching on marriage, a teaching
which is very difficult given the circumstances of our daily lives.
Give us the grace to understand commitment so that we will mean
"forever" when we say it. Be with us, we pray.
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