The Changing Face of Marriage

My life, especially my younger childhood, has essentially been the "domestic church." My parents, particularly my mother, are very strict in regards to both behavior and religion. Since my toddler years, I have not once missed a single Sabbath Mass--regardless of where we go on vacation, my mother will find a church. One summer, my mother even took my brother and I to 8 a.m. Mass every weekday. As a child I used to collect holy cards and saint statues, and I cannot even count how many obscure shrines I have visited. Advent and Lent mean evening rosary sessions, and I have prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy on almost Good Friday. My family fasts before Mass, genuflects with both knees before the Blessed Sacrament, and even recites the Fatima Prayer following the "Glory Be." Although I appreciate my parents' efforts to spread the Gospel and instill in me the Catholic faith, I know that I will parent very differently. I will establish a domestic church in my home, however I believe that faith should have spiritual meaning, not just empty institutional practices. 

In regards to the changing face and structure of marriage, I think that, although marriage is the ultimate goal, there can be extremely happy and stable couples who simply cohabitate. While official married status certainly does serve as a deterrent to divorce, the rate of separation and divorce is still relatively high. What really matters is the level of commitment between the two people involved. Communication is critical to a successful relationship and I do believe that many couples can enjoy a very gratifying relationship if there is a healthy degree of vulnerability and communication between them. Interestingly, college educated individuals are also proven to experience fewer divorces, suggesting that emotional maturity, critical thinking, and developed communication skills have more bearing on the success of a relationship than the actual act of marriage.