Letters

Marital fidelity

Br Con Moloney

Contents - May 2007 - Buy a copy now Editorial: AD2000: accentuating the positive - Michael Gilchrist Documents: Benedict XVI's new document on the Eucharist - Sacramentum Caritatis - Michael Gilchrist Education: How to fix Australia's Catholic schools and colleges - Br Barry Coldrey News: The Church Around the World Catechesis: Sydney RCIA conference in June on forming new adult Catholics - Joanne Zwaans Cinema: New movie offers an authentic representation of monastic life - Rosina Gordon (reviewer) Vocations: New religious communities flourishing in the United States - Fr James Lloyd Culture survey shows moral divisions in the US The importance of 'holy things' for one's Christian faith - Andrew Kania Letters: Teachers' conference - Ron Munro Letters: Marital fidelity - Br Con Moloney Letters: Conscience - Msgr F. Hickey PE Letters: Priest shortage - Dr Frank Mobbs Letters: Ecumenical councils - Peter D. Howard Letters: Debating euthanasia with facts - Rebecca Soares Letters: Scourge of euthanasia - Brian Harris Letters: Thank you from India - Fr. A. Joseph Letters: Capital Punishment - with Apology - John Gallagher Books: The Catholic Church and the Counter-Faith, by Philip Trower - John Morrissey (reviewer) Books: The Heresy Of Formlessness: The Roman Liturgy and Its Enemy, by Martin Mosebach - Tim Cannon (reviewer) Books: Liturgy, Life of the Church; The Modern Rite; Pope and Council on Sacred Liturgy - Michael Daniel (reviewer) DOES YOUR PARISH STOCK AD2000? Books: AD2000 Books Reflection: Teaching children about the Eucharist - Audrey English

Recently I was engaged in an incident that won my admiration for the lady concerned. I share it with the readers of AD2000 in the hope that it may do the same for them.

For quite a few years, I have been making a weekly visit to an old people's home (SVDP) at Labrador on the Queensland Gold Coast. At each of these visits, I come across a man from Croatia who, in some respects, is not much more than a vegetable. He is confined to bed and unable to speak or hear people who may try to communicate with him.

Every day his wife, also a Croatian, drives to this rest home and feeds him as one would do for a baby. After watching her loving care of her husband, I made the following remark: 'It is very clear to me that you have a great love for your very sick husband.'

The good lady made this reply which really touched me. 'Brother Con, 56 years ago I made this pledge, 'I take you as my lawful husband, for better or for worse, in health and in sickness, till death do us part.' I have been faithful to this pledge since the day we were first united by the bonds of marriage and I intend to be faithful to it as long as we both live.'

What a wonderful example of fidelity in these days when many treat marriage vows so lightly!

BR CON MOLONEY
St Joseph's Nudgee College
Virginia, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 20 No 4 (May 2007), p. 14