GABRIEL'S CLARION (apr22gab.htm)
Sunday
April 22, 2007
vol 18, no. 112
Gone with the Whim!

Divorce and Abortion: Abominations that Rupture Lives and Souls

    In the Epistle for next week's Third Sunday after Easter we read what Saint Peter says in 1 Peter 2: 11, 'I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, to refrain yourselves from carnal desires that war against the soul.' It is the surrender to carnal desires that have caused the breaking of hearts today, particularly the Most Sacred and Immaculate Hearts Who weep for those hearts that have been so hardened by divorce from God's Laws and their own spouses. Having been unfaithful in the less serious things, should we be surprised that they have proven to be unfaithful in more serious things even to embracing and promoting the very sins that cry out to Heaven for vengeance? No, we should not be surprised for war is hell and that is what those who discard God's will have made for themselves by holding His sacraments and precepts so lightly. Frankly, Scarlet, they don't give a damn and that's what makes it even more tragic for souls - precious souls - are gone with the whim! War indeed!

      "Likewise, the Almighty created marriage as a sacramental bond between a man and a woman which He alone can sever through His power of life. It makes perfect sense that the only way to truly sever the marital bond created by God would be via His authority over life and death. 'Till Death Do Us Part' is not merely a phrase, it is an acknowledgement of the only escape clause in marriage validated by God Almighty!"


    Too many are under the dilusion that men are the majority who ask for a divorce, with "experts" presuming the man wants to set aside his wife to marry a younger, more attractive woman. Sadly, this is the stereotype image that has been perpetuated on society thanks to the notorious anti-Catholic barbarian Henry VIII of England who had no respect for Christ or His Church. History has documented that! That struck me the other day when I was reading something about how in today's society most divorces are initiated by women. That article, combined with another on the reasons most women ask for a divorce, suddenly hit me like a slap in the face.

    Divorce is a rupture, an amputation, if you will, of a sacrament and abortion is the negation of love and God's Will for creating life, a sin that cries to Heaven for vengeance. The sad fact is that most often both divorce and abortion are initiated by women - selfish women - who, in many cases, want to rip their husbands out of their lives much as a woman might want to tear her unborn child out of her life. Just as Henry wanted to do away with his wives, so also today divorce, which for so many centuries was verbotten not only in the eyes of the Church but society as well, has now become a mandate of whim. In other words, Convenience for a while, and then, when one or the other are tired of the commitment, they'll cast whoever is in their way to the winds. After all, we live in a world today of instant gratification.

    That is why with the Protestant Reformation and the subsequent French Revolution the idea that man could do anything he wanted came to the fore. Forget the severity of the Ten Commandments, forget what Jesus preached. Live and let live and if someone gets hurt, well, too bad. That me-first attitude has led to a totally selfish abandonment of all that God holds sacred and that every one of His creatures should as well. Thanks to this total consumption with self, it was a small step for any woman who was not rooted in the faith and possessed with the Fear of the Lord to obey God's laws, to not only discard a husband but go a step further and murder her own flesh and blood in her womb.

    I am truly amazed at all those pontificating over the Virginia Tech Massacre this past week. It is not guns, it is not having enough protection by police or shutting down the campus, it is all about the death of souls who long ago abandoned the principles and necessity to obey the Commandments. From actions derive consequences. I am truly amazed when Americans are puffed up as the great moral authority when, in truth, our politicians and those who use those platforms for abortion and discard vows as nuisances, murder far more each and every day through abortion with no thought of realizing what they sow, so also they shall reap!

Respect for God's Word

    In light of this, let's go back to basics. God Almighty has told us that He is the Creator of the Universe and of life and He alone can determine when life ends. Creation and destruction of life are the sole jurisdiction and discretion of The Almighty, and anyone or anything that pretends otherwise is in serious error and sin - MORTAL SIN - seriously threatening certain eternal damnation.

    Likewise, the Almighty created marriage as a sacramental bond between a man and a woman which He alone can sever through His power of life. It makes perfect sense that the only way to truly sever the marital bond created by God would be via His authority over life and death. "Till Death Do Us Part" is not merely a phrase, it is an acknowledgement of the only escape clause in marriage validated by God Almighty!

    In fact, the entire well-known, traditional vows often replaced by modernist types is a powerful affirmation of just what marriage should be all about. The replacements used by these modernists pretend to speak of more romantic, more poetic or more profound ideas and sentiments, yet the reality is that they are merely superficial, plastic decorations compared to the transcendental message of the traditional vows.

    The powerful message of these traditional vows is best understood as a sort of sacramental equation that logically, rationally and spiritually "connects the sacramental dots" to an understanding of what true marriage should be all about.

Basis in Love and Affection..."Love, Comfort, Keep"

    Obviously, marriage should be based on a deep love, respect and affection from its outset. That love is the glue that holds the union together through thick and thin, and is one of the greatest deterrents to aborting a child formed from the union of man and woman as one. Just as God's love for us forms the basis of everything He has done for us and is symbolized and represented in all of the Sacraments, so too true marriage should be a vivid representation of a deep love, affection, respect and concern between a man and a woman.

    Another way of looking at this is to say that, in a functional and vibrant marriage, one should grow closer to God the closer one gets to the loved one. Where a person actually grows more distant from God as that person approaches the loved one, that marriage may well be dysfunctional from its original, intended purpose and nature.

    One thing is certain that if the couple keep God first in their lives, then the devil will have a devil of a time getting in. Oh, he'll try, but he will not be successful for Christ has promised His protection and sent His most powerful general, Saint Michael the Archangel to protect us "against the wickedness and snares of the devil."

Faithfulness..."Forsaking All Others"

    Obviously, where one truly loves another, one will greatly desire to be faithful and loyal to that person and that love. Rather than being a burden, such loyalty is a pleasure and privilege to the one who loves. It is a unique and powerful gift rendered out of purity and sincerity.

    Just as God is faithful and true to us, so too we must be faithful and true to Him and to each other in our respective roles, duties and stations in life. In fact, unfaithfulness and mistrust are serious and key symptoms of a relationship gone wrong. Left unattended, such feelings will eventually destroy the relationship altogether.

    Sin is our infidelity toward God and, likewise, left unconfessed, it can destroy our relationship with Him altogether. If one forsakes God, does anyone expect that one to not forsake a fellow man? It's common sense that "by their fruits you shall know them" and when courting a potential spouse, it is important to know this and to arrive at a strong spiritual bond - the traditional Catholic faith where faith and family are first and foremost. If that bond is strong, then God will bless the marriage. If one balks or procrastinates in working toward that bond, then beware before you get into something you might regret. Total honesty with God and your spouse are vital for the success of marriage and for the welfare of children in our mission to populate Heaven.

Unconditionality..."For Better or For Worse, For Richer or For Poorer, In Sickness and In Health"

    If there is love, then there is loyalty, and if there is loyalty, there is commitment and unconditionality. One does not marry out of convenience, whim or fancy. One marries with the firm intention to remain married to that person barring some serious eventuality such as abuse, infidelity or danger.

    One does not marry "as long as it is comfortable" or "as long as things go as planned or hoped" Life brings many twists and turns, yet true marriage should be about consistency and durability through those winding roads. It should be one of the constants in one's life and certainly not its greatest variable.

    Research shows that one of the prime reasons for divorce is money. Most likely, people spread themselves too thin in buying comforts and seeking pleasures without regard to how this affects their marriage. Better to live happily ever after in a small apartment than in marital misery in a luxury home. All should pray that they will appreciate what they have and never seek after that which they will not appreciate for it is "things" which lure so many away from their commitment to stay together.

    Marriage was never intended to compete with material goods and possessions. Where the heart and mind are in the right place, there should be no competition, but unity of purpose with God and for God in all things.

Permanence..."As Long as We Both Shall Live" - "Until Death Do Us Part"

    Modern society views marriage as if it was buying a used car. You take it for a test drive and, if you do not like the trip, you return it. Well, true marriage is not a soda can you use and recycle. One cannot say marriage is special until someone decides that is annoying, uncomfortable or worn out.

    Again, God is the Authority over life and, therefore, over when marriage truly ends. Likewise He should be the Authority over when a marriage is to begin. Today, thanks to the relaxing of Catholic doctrines by those wolves in sheep's clothing who have no desire to save souls, and thanks to the revolution of the sixties, the mores and morals have sunk to an all-time low. Few are alarmed when couples move in together to play house, if you will. But then, they have already most probably committed many sins against both the sixth and ninth commandments. So what's a few more sins? The more one lives in sin, the harder their hearts become and lukewarmness creeps through their veins to cripple so many into going along to get along as long as its convenient. Sacrifice is a word they don't want to hear and that's the first warning fired above one's blind bow to realize love truly is blind if one doesn't understand that if they are not faithful in the little things, they will not be faithful in the larger things - namely marriage and respect for life.

Link to Abortion

    Because of that disrepect, and based on research, most marriages end because a woman decides that she does not want to have a certain person in her life anymore. There are occasions when the man pressures her or even mishandles her in order to discard the responsibility through violence to the child. But most abortions end because a woman decides that she does not want to carry a certain person anymore. In most cases, the one seeking divorce does not want a future with the person being "removed". Can you see then the link between abortion and divorce? For the very same selfish motives prompt the person to forsake what God created as sacred and lasting.

    Most abortions result from selfish, arrogant thinking so self-directed as to completely ignore whatever love or bonds may exist or later exist. Is this not what happens in divorce as evidenced by the many cases where good fathers suffer time away from the kids they love because their wife no longer feels "fulfilled"? The plethora of instant gratification for things and trying to measure up to what the media and society have so falsely labeled as what we should have and be motivate too many couples to call it quits too easily.

    There are many documented studies that point to radical feminism and women losing a sense of their role as mothers and partners to their husbands as leading to both more abortions and more divorce. Simply put, like abortion, divorce is the tearing apart of a living entity, in this case the family. It is ripping out a parent out of whim, taste or convenience. Anything for the now; forget the hereafter. That can wait. But those absorbed with self cannot, so get out of their way. They'll have their way come hell or highwater. Evidence of this is in the spiraling number of divorces, broken families, free love and, did I mention, a shocking number like 4000 killed in the womb daily?!

    Both abortion and divorce are acts of profound selfishness. Both harm innocents the most. Both destroy the true fabric of the family. Both come from hell.

    Now I am not speaking about non-intentional abortions or abusive, dangerous marriages. Those are exceptions to this dicussion, rare, very rare exceptions evident by the strict standards the Church always went by before Vatican II kicked down the barn door and enabled 'Catholic Divorce' through a liberal annulment procedure that if one could afford it, it was not only possible, but most probable as we see with several so-called 'catholic' politicians who have dabbled in divorce and pose as 'good' catholics. Can you say Guiliani? Can you say Kennedy? Can you say Kerry? Need I go further. It is then no coincidence that all three and so many others who have accepted divorce as "no big deal" except in the pocketbook, are pro-abortion.

Conclusion

    If profound good comes from God, as it always does, then profound evil always comes from the devil and therefore has a common source or link to him. Both abortion and divorce are such evils and therefore come from the evil one.

    Often, in both cases, one of the parties may not wish to take this evil, but is forced to do so by the other. Perhaps, others times both parties want and seek the evil. Either way, divorce and abortion are simply two of the devil's favorite tools to distance people from God Amighty in this increasingly evil society.

    Twisted women express relief after abortions and non-abusive marriage divorces. Such relief is not holy relief, but relief from responsibility, duty and respect for life and love. Both abortion and divorce are fruits of radical feminism every bit as much as the first fruit sought by the first feminist.

    This could easily be called a time of despair considering all the evils that have visited this generation. But, in the Gospel for the Third Sunday after Easter coming up the end of this week, Our Lord entreats us to persevere, to have hope for He says

    "Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy."
"A woman, when she is in labor, hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So also you now indeed have sorrow: but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice: and your joy no man shall take from you."

    We can see Christ was speaking of a woman who was not selfish, but cherished her role as wife and mother and it is this kind of woman who men of faith should seek out and cherish. Whatever your state in life, cling to God and do not despair for He trully shall turn our sorrow into joy if we stay the course. May God Almighty help us to stem the tide of both evils of divorce and abortion before they consume what is left of our society's moral fabric.

Gabriel Garnica



    EDITOR'S NOTE: Heaven is once again under attack by those who would seek to ignore and overthrow God's majesty and authority. Gabriel Garnica, educator and attorney, submits regular insights and commentaries to remind and help guide readers toward a deeper and more assertive faith. Touching on topics and issues ranging from personal faith, doctrine, education, scripture, the media, family life, morality, and values, Gabriel's notes are music to traditional ears but unpleasant tones to those who have bought into the misguided notions so prevalent and spreading in today's Catholic world.


    Gabriel's Clarion
    Sunday
    April 22, 2007
    Volume 18, no. 112