Becoming A Saint Through Marriage: Ask For The Grace That Is Yours!

Today our priest gave a homily on the Sacrament of Marriage.  He emphasized the fact that marriage is a Sacrament.  Big S.  That’s a huge deal because Sacraments confer grace.  Yet, I’m not sure many of us consider this grace beyond our wedding day.  So let's walk through this a bit so that we can all become holier and have more joy-filled homes. 

The grace of Marriage is available every day, all day.  We just need to ask.  This grace gives us the ability to fulfill our vocations with joy, raising and educating our children and sacrificing for the good of the other.  

Additionally, any suffering, any trial experienced by one of the family (spouse or children), if handled with grace, in a state of grace, will confer grace on the other members.  That’s a lot of grace!  

Let’s pause in case you are where I once was and answer the question What is Grace?  

Grace is God’s life in us.  It means that God truly dwells in our souls, helping us to become divine so that we can one day be in Heaven with him.  A great book about our divine nature (obtained by adoption though the Sacrament of Baptism) is Broken Gods by Dr Greg Popcak. It’s an easy book that gives a primer over why we yearn for the heights of Heaven and yet fail.

Okay, getting back to suffering, we can see how one of our duties in our vocation of marriage is to accept all crosses, trials, tribulations, annoyances with a very surrendered soul, maintaining our peace, if not for our own sanctification, for the sanctification for our children and spouse!  

Lastly, our prayer life benefits all members of our family.  So, if your husband is not practicing or a child has fallen away, never lose hope!  Your prayers are not lost.  You are conferring grace through your own growth towards and relationship with Almighty God, Mother Mary, and the Saints! 

After hearing the above mentioned, I started to contemplate how I spend my time, who I spend it with, where I put my energy.  Because the truth is, nowhere outside the four walls of my family (besides the other Sacraments) do I receive this kind of grace!  Not from friends.  Not from another ministry. Not from writing. I may receive actual grace through God’s mercy and His providence but it’s not Sacrament, and we know that the surest way to receive grace is through a Sacrament.  We can say we know we received that divine light.  Otherwise, it’s a guess.  

So as we venture out into this next week, with an eye towards Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmastide, let us all look within the four walls of our home first before extending beyond.  Where are you succeeding in your vocation?  And where could you do better? What areas are a struggle or don’t feel smooth and easy?  Pick one and level it up this week, first through praying for the grace that is yours to ask for!  

Thank you God for lifting marriage to a Sacrament.  Please grant us the grace to live out our vocations well, to be selfless and to find the joy of Christ each day in the tasks set before us.  May be bear trials with patience and love each other as You love Holy Mother Church.  Amen. 

Pax Christi,

Laura