Reflection October 3, 1984

https://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/jp2tb121.htm

I am amazed at the thinking that so many people have that life should be easy. I admit that there are many times I wish life would be a bit easier, but I also realize that my life is nowhere as difficult or challenging as it could have been. There is still the idea that we should get whatever we want, when we want it, no matter the cost to others, because that would make our life easier. Not only does it not work that way, but I would say that many times getting what we want does not give us the result we anticipated. But life is not supposed to be easy. It is supposed to be challenging. That is what we need to grow, to develop, to build ourselves up.

What I took from this talk is what the Catholic teaching on marriage and on its belief in regards to the conjugal act means to a marriage. Far beyond the understanding that contraception is evil, far beyond the understanding of connection with God and the meaning of being human, the Catholic teaching on “natural” conjugal union gives a couple the greatest opportunities to face the challenges of the world. There is no promise that if you follow Catholic teaching life will be easy. In fact there is a guarantee of the opposite. But following this teaching gives strength and power to the union that is not there when the conjugal union is divided by barriers. I think this is also true when the NFP method is being abused. There is still that sense of not fully giving themselves to each other. When that gift is fully given, fully received, the couple is in the best position to face the world together, to be the best models for their children, to be the best prophets of God’s love to the world. By living this out, graces are received and graces are expressed through them, from God to the world.