During a recent all-day workshop, I had repeated often my view that if one had to go through a divorce, it was a blessing to be Catholic. My point was that our Catholic faith offers so much hope and healing, particularly through the Sacraments, that to have to go through a divorce without them makes the experience so much more difficult. To my surprise, at the end of the workshop, a woman raised her hand and commented that her view of being divorced and Catholic had radically changed by hearing my viewpoint. She stated that before the workshop she felt it was a curse to be divorced and Catholic, given her understanding of the Church’s strict stance on divorce. Her relief and excitement now at being Catholic was obvious.
Our Catholic faith has very clear beliefs that have remained unchanged for 2,000 years. While this provides a bedrock of Truth to build our lives on, it is easy to focus on the dogma of our faith and lose sight of its purpose: to impart the boundless love and mercy of Jesus Christ. He created the Catholic Church, and its Sacraments, to be the channel to this love and mercy for all eternity. Sadly, many Catholics, divorced or not, don’t avail themselves of the Church’s precious, life-changing, gifts nearly enough. Jesus never intended you to go through life’s hardships, especially something as difficult as a divorce, alone. He is always there for you in the Catholic Church. Seek Him there and you will surely find His hope and healing.
“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18
Originally posted 2014-09-16 06:00:33.
how to i move
I love my ex husband so much
We have been together for 10 years and he reaches out to me even though he got married not in the church unlike us/ our marriage isn’t even annulled ! I am confused I still loved him and I feel like we are still married due to the fact our marriage has never been annulled
what do I do?
Pam,
Thanks for sharing. I can appreciate how difficult your situation is. I suggest you think about moving forward with your annulment. If granted, this will free your former spouse to get his current marriage convalidated, if he so chooses. If your former spouse is reaching out wanting to reconcile, I suggest you work with a counselor to determine the best ways to respond. Keep praying to Our Lord the Great Healer to heal you from the wounds of your divorce.
Live Abundantly,
Vince
Amen! The Church is what got me through my divorce. Frequent Communion and Confession healed me. The Lord took me under his wing from there. As I look back the last four years of my life, I thank God for all that he has done for me.
Thank you for this message. It gives me so much hope as a newly divorced Catholic!