Chelsea Clinton, daughter of ex-President Bill, and Secretary of State, Hilary, married Marc Mezvinsky on July 31, 2010.

A sort of “mixed” marriage — a protestant marrying a Jew.

Otherwise it was a fairly traditional, sensation-free wedding — awful for those media columnists who survive by exposing sensational scandals about “celebrities”.

One commented, “Despite growing up in the White House, Ms. Clinton appears to have emerged ‘relatively normal’. People can’t quite believe it.”

* * *

Another “celebrity”, Julia Gillard, caretaker-Prime Minister of Australia, is famously un-married — living with a de facto male housemate or whatever.

Much more newsworthy.

Much better media.

* * *

Many Australians might shrug, saying mixed marriage isn’t a problem. Living together unmarried isn’t a problem. The only real problem is if somebody stands in front of the TV when I’m trying to watch it.

Yet, deep down, does something tell us that marriage is MORE than a photo-opportunity and/or ego-trip . . . that marriage has something to do with God?

Might God, indeed, have something to say about believers marrying non-believers etc?

* * *

Has confusion about marriage crept even into today’s Church?

The up-dated 1997 “Catechism of the Catholic Church” says:

“A case of marriage . . . between a Catholic and a non-baptised person . . . does not constitute an insurmountable obstacle for marriage, when they succeed in placing in common what they have received from their respective communities . . . But the difficulties of mixed marriages must not be underestimated . . . .”

Two bob each way?

* * *

Before the 1960s, “modernisation” of the Church, the position was clearer:

“From the very beginning of its existence the Church of Christ has been opposed to such unions. As Christ raised wedlock to the dignity of a Sacrament, a marriage between a Catholic and a non-Catholic was rightly looked upon as degrading the holy character of matrimony . . . .”

In practice, however, such marriages happened even then – with the Church trying to insist that the children be brought up Catholic . . . .

Was that already the thin edge of the wedge?

Last Sunday, 29 US Marines were baptised by Navy Chaplain William Hlavin in the ocean near Camp Pendleton.

All were volunteers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment, heading for duty in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand province.

Their Battalion Commander commented, “The spiritual and religious foundation we’re able to develop here allows us to perform our job the way we need to in a very challenging environment.”

One Marine said, “I believe and trust that God will take me and my fellow Marines back home safely.” (Forty-six 3^rd Battalion Marines were killed in Iraq)

So what is baptism? Why involve these supposedly tough men in it?

* * *

What does today’s Gospel reading in traditional Catholic churches say?

Mark’s gospel, chapter 7:

Leaving the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. They brought him a deaf and dumb man, begging him to lay hands upon him.

Taking him away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into his ears, and spitting, touched his tongue. Looking up to heaven, he groaned, and said: ‘Ephpheta,’ which means, ‘Be opened.’

Immediately his ears were opened, his tongue loosened, and he spoke clearly . . . .

* * *

We are all deaf and dumb spiritually. The noisy, sin-filled world has deafened us.

We need Jesus himself, in the person of his priest, to welcome us and to say, ‘Ephpheta’ — so our ears may be opened to Faith and our tongues loosened to praise God.

Baptism is a Sacrament.  In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost — one God – baptism washes away all sin from the soul and confers supernatural life on the person baptised.

* * *

Those marines may misguidedly see baptism purely as a good luck charm helping them survive.

And they mightn’t have been validly baptised, i.e. not in accordance with Catholic Church practice.

However, if a person is sorry for his sins, loves God whole-heartedly, and desires to obey God in everything – yet hasn’t been sufficiently instructed to understand baptism fully and so receives a ceremony objectively flawed — God, in such a case, accepts the will for the deed.

In a speech yesterday at the Australian Institute of Family Studies annual conference, Professor Alan Hayes spoke of a “revolution” in Australian families.

The mothers of 34 percent of babies born in 2008 were unmarried, compared with 8 percent in 1970.

Now 78 percent of couples live together before marrying, compared with 23 percent pre-revolution.

The Professor said, “For many children it has been a good revolution, but it depends on the extent to which they are in safe and stable homes.”

Also that, “It is more important to focus on how a family functions than on its form”.

Was he was trying to say that marriage is irrelevant? 

If so, he is incorrect.

* * *

A 1998 government Inquiry by the Australian Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, entitled “To Have and to Hold”, concluded that:

“Marriage benefits the health and well-being of individuals, and, conversely, separation and divorce bring with them elevated risks for both former husbands and wives and their children.

The Committee concludes that marriage and relationship breakdown costs the Australian nation at least $3 billion each year. When all the indirect costs are included, the figure is possibly double. When the personal and emotional trauma involved is added to these figures, the cost to the nation is enormous.

“In comparison, the Committee notes that the Commonwealth Government spends just $3.5 million per annum on preventive marriage and relationship education programs, and $2.05 million on parenting skills training. This is a 1000-fold difference. The imbalance is manifest and the Committee believes it requires correction.”  (www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/laca/Inquiryinfam.htm)

* * *

Remember, the Family was invented by God who created us. Marriage was invented by God. Marriage is a Sacrament of God’s Church.

Through Catholic Marriage, as with all Catholic Sacraments, God offers grace.

Grace is a practical thing. The Sacramental grace conferred by Christian Marriage provides married couples with extra power, available by no other means, for dealing with life’s day-to-day problems.

Ask your neighbourhood policeman who regularly attends domestic fights. Do those shacked up unmarried behave more or less violently and irresponsibly than those who are married?

The gospel reading for traditional Catholic Mass, today, the sixth Sunday after Pentecost, is from Mark’s Gospel, chapter 8:

At that time there was a great crowd, and they had nothing to eat. Calling his disciples together, Jesus said to them: ‘I have compassion on these people. They have been with me now for three days, and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; for some of them came from a great distance.’ His disciples answered him: ‘Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?’ He asked them: ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said: ‘Seven.’

He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to hand out, and they distributed them to the crowd. And they had a few little fishes; and he blessed them, and commanded them to be distributed also. And they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the scraps that remained — seven baskets-full. The number of people who had eaten was about four thousand.

Then he sent them away.

* * *

We are more fortunate that that crowd. Jesus offers to us — any who are willing – to enter into us sacramentally, and reside within us lifelong, if we receive him regularly in the Eucharist.

Jesus wants that. He wants what is best for us.

Do we think we know better than he what is best for us?

* * *

We look around the world and see so much that needs to be changed: greed, laziness, political back-stabbings, unfaithfulness to vows etc.

No  need to look far. Look in the mirror next time you brush your hair.

There’s a case needing changes, urgently.

* * *

Do you have any besetting and re-occurring sins in your life that you’ve given up on trying to quit?

God is almighty. He can change us. The only thing stopping him is that we are frauds.

We don’t feel like paying the price of saying No to our passions and instincts.

But if we really love God we can succeed.

The Christian religion is all about justice.

Many other ideologies and religions would make the same claim.

But Jesus said his revelation about justice was unique — distinct from other notions of justice.

In the Gospel reading in Traditional Catholic churches today (Fifth Sunday after Pentecost), he says:

I tell you that unless your justice surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven.

You have heard that it was said to past generations: ‘Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘. . . you fool’, shall be in danger of hell fire.

If therefore you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you; leave there your offering before the altar, and go first and be reconciled with your brother: and then coming back you shall offer your gift. (St Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 5)

* * *

What was different about Christ’s justice from that of ordinary Jewish teachers of his day?

He was saying that if there is an unresolved injustice between you and another human being – your relationship with God is DEAD.

No good participating in the Eucharistic sacrifice and presenting oneself at the altar – God will not even see you there if you haven’t sorted that matter out.

* * *

Jesus mentions hell. Yes, this is a serious matter. It determines our eternal destiny.

I would fear to die in a state of enmity or hate or hostility towards God.

Well, I must not risk dying in such a relationship with any human person.

It’s a matter of urgency. I must do my utmost to sort it out today. I may not have a tomorrow.

In the Bible, Saint Paul teaches, “Speak the truth, every man of you, with his neighbour; for we are members one of another. Let not the sun go down upon your anger.” (Epistle to the Ephesians, chapter 4)

The website of the Josephite Order founded by Blessed Mary of the Cross (Mary MacKillop) describes their “Mary MacKillop Place Museum” in Sydney:

“Since opening in 1995 the museum has been engaging visitors with the story of Australia’s first Saint, Mary MacKillop, and the co-founder of the Sisters of St Joseph. Follow Mary’s life story (1842 – 1909) and celebrate the legacy of this pioneering women (sic) today.

“A visit to the musuem (sic) includes an historical overview of key events in the history of the order and the current progress towards the Canonisation of Mary MacKillop in the Catholic Church.”

* * *

I am told that visitors are shown a short movie climaxing with an actor representing Bishop Sheil excommunicating Sister Mary (as she then was) shouting to everyone to get out or he will call the police.

Another room has dummies depicting Sister Mary’s excommunication.

In yet another area the visitor him/herself is surrounded by people dressed as priests, a judge and male officials, accusing him/her of drunkenness, blasphemy etc., ending with a loud verdict of “Guilty!”

* * *

The museum is modernistically set out. Unfortunately its creators were fanatical about the “excommunication” plus a desire to denigrate Bishop Sheil, Catholic priests, and men in general.

Nobody explains that the excommunication was improperly carried out and was never valid.

Or that Bishop Sheil himself reversed the “excommunication”, realising that he had been misled.

* * *

Blessed Mary of the Cross would be angry about this museum.

She would disown it — having a few unforgettable words to say to whoever devised it.

No matter how unjustly some priests judged her work, Blessed Mary told her Sisters always to think about priests the way she did:  “I would rather a dagger were thrust into my heart than hear a word said amongst us against priests – the anointed of God.”

* * *

Priests make mistakes. Priests commit sins. Priests need our prayers.

But we all need the Sacraments to give us forgiveness (Confession) and to give us God (the Eucharist).

No priests, no Sacraments. We would be spiritually so much the poorer.

Let us never belittle the priesthood.

May God forgive those who do.