John the Baptist was a man that easily stood out from the crowd. He was a powerful preacher that spoke of a coming Messiah that would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He lived in the desert and survived on locusts and wild honey. Today’s Gospel recalls that, despite his blunt attacks against the religious authorities of his day, he was killed not because of a dispute about ritual cleanliness. Nor about his faith in this coming Messiah. Rather, it was the defense of marriage that landed him in prison and eventually put his head on the chopping block.
A Forgotten Cause
Despite the fact that marriage is the fundamental building block of society, it is constantly under attack. Contraception, universally opposed by all Christians only one hundred years ago, is commonplace and asserted as a right. Marriage is seen as a construction of the State, which has the power to make it or break it through divorce. Even the so-called “redefinition of marriage,” finds either active support or little opposition in both of America’s major political parties. Those that desire to continue to see marriage move along the course it has been following over the last one hundred years argue that marriage is something private between individuals. Therefore, what happens in it should be left to their discretion.
St. John’s Response
In stark contrast to this is the example from the reading today. St. John is not afraid to clearly define what is and is not licit with regards to marriage and sticks to his principles in the concrete. That is not to say that we should go out and seek to bring public attention to those that are not living according to marriage as God designed. Yet, we must be willing to stand firm in the defense of marriage in both public and private life. Since marriage is the primary unit of society, it is without doubt a public matter. That is why even civil marriages require witnesses. Marriage is something that the public has a vested interest in.
Holy Matrimony
We also must examine if we are living out marriage as God intended. Jesus Christ elevated the natural institution of marriage to a sacrament. This means that it is something supernatural and salvific. Do you look at your marriage that way? Do you try to see Jesus revealing Himself to you through your spouse? Do you try to image Christ to him/her? Do you see your marriage as a means of obtaining grace or a social arrangement that helps with the balancing of domestic responsibilities? The transformation of marriage in our society starts with the transformation of your marriage into one radiating holiness and grace.
