Thursday, July 09, 2009

When the "Attraction Bug" Bites ...

Today at Faith and Family Connect I posted about a situation I encountered today, in which an acquaintence is enduring a messy divorce because her husband fell in love with their daughter's teacher.

And no one at the table saw anything wrong with it -- because both individuals were separated (though not divorced) when "the attraction bug" bit.

Have you ever encountered this? What do you say to a friend or family member who decides to strike up a new relationship ... prematurely?

Of course, for Catholics it gets even more complicated when we consider the issue of a sacramental union, which doesn't dissolve through a civil divorce. Even more unthinkable ... outrageous.

But if you're dealing with two people who aren't Catholic -- or even Christian -- how do you approach the subject? Especially when children are involved, the stakes are so high -- and the pain runs so deep.

In his most recent encyclical, Pope Benedict calls us to remember the intrinsic connection between truth and authentic love, where social justice issues are concerned. How do you speak truth into a situation where the "adults" are behaving more like self-centered children?

It's a quandry...

3 comments:

Baron Korf said...

Even secular people use "till death do us part", or so I've seen. But I guess those are just words to them. You'd think they would expect them to keep their word or something.

Bunch of wimps.

Julygirl said...

We are all flawed, and when it comes to decicions regarding romantic love we are doubly flawed.

WI Catholic said...

You speak Truth whether they are Catholic or not. While they may not 'hear' you, He will.

People are not animals that have no control over their actions, behavior, feelings, etc. Love, Forgiveness...both are action words, not 'feelings'. Vows are more than mere words.

God has shared with us HIS thoughts on Divorce (Malachi 2:16). He HATES it. Paul tells us the Lord's command in 1Cor 7:10-11, which is one most today do not want to hear! Jesus was not speaking to the wind or to hear himself talk. He meant what He said about divorce and remarriage, because it is repeated four or five separate times/places in the New Testament, and includes every scenario, and each person involved in those scenarios!

God does not change.

He is the Same, yesterday, today, and forever.