St. John the Baptist: Martyr for the Sanctity of Marriage

Gospel 🔗🔗

Mt 14:1-12

Reflection

Simply put, St. John the Baptist died because he told Herod Antipas that his “marriage” to Herodias was invalid and sinful.

SJB Martyr for the Sanctity of Marriage ,🔗🔗

Herod Antipas had divorced his first wife, Phasaelis, so as to be able to marry Herodias, who had been married to his half-brother Herod II (also known as Herod Philip I). The situation is described in Scripture:

For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, whom Herod had married. For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man (Mark 6:17-20).

A covenant or contract , the difference listen to Fr. Michael SCHMITZ

IT A COVENANT🔗🔗

The Catholic Church teaches that marriages are unbreakable unions, and thus remarrying after a divorce (without an annulment) is a sin. The marriage is invalid.Thus preventing a baptized Catholic from receiving the sacrament of Holy EUCHARIST. Any Catholic in a state of grevious sin is unable to receive Holy Eucharist But an annulment – a declaration from the church that a marriage was never valid – makes it possible for divorced Catholics to enter a new marriage and still be eligible to receive Communion. (And people are not upfront that the other has remarried)

This is not news, the lifelong marriage commitment has been ever since the concept of marriage. It is taught in religious education classes, RCIA programs, and precana instruction. Never is it taught that valid Catholic marriages may be ended.

The spouse who did not ask for divorce, and practices the Catholic faith. Is left :