Talk 13: Marriage: Agony or Blessedness?
Marriage is extremely difficult. Few people nowadays prepare themselves for the challenges of marriage–and the result is frequently disastrous. A successful marriage requires not only spiritual preparation (as many in the Church believe) but also the acquiring of practical life skills such as the ability to perform domestic duties, to deal with financial responsibilities, to form lasting and healthy relationships, to communicate effectively, to be good parents, etc. Both of these forms of preparation need to be acquired over a long period of time in the single life. Unfortunately, many try to acquire them just before marriage or even in the marriage. The single life is very valuable for the proper preparation for marriage. Unfortunately, many consider the single life as a time for fun and freedom, and the married life as restrictive or even repressive.
Some of the topics included in this talk are: looking for love through drugs; looking for divine signs; worldly beauty versus spiritual beauty; emotional and mental problems before marriage; Saint John Chrysostom on the murdering of children’s souls; the irresponsible single life; the obsession of finding a spouse; dating and courtship; is it sexist to say that the man is the head of the woman? pagan Christians; looking at others as sex objects; intimacy before marriage; should others be involved in choosing a spouse? the importance of good communication in marriage; cold feet before the wedding; the importance of the single life; whether to remain single or get married; “rent-a-hubby”; sexual passions in the single and married life; many children are becoming shipwrecks of life; music, television and the spiritual life; sometimes it is better to stay single rather than get married; women, family and work; God wants different forms of inequality in the world.
Talk Duration: 160 minutes
2 CD set