June 13, 2008

The Question of Marriage

River Dawn, The Mississippi at Vadalia MS

Please describe your relationship with your Mother?

Please describe your relationship with your father?

What was it like to actually grow up in your family,in relation to the following....
...do you think your experience was different than the other children?

Where did the respondent live growing up?

Can you tell us about the relationship between the respondents parents, friends..

Please tell us about any abuse physical or sexual that you suffered while growing up...that the respondant suffered...

Question 34. pushed a button...If you or the respondant were engaged married or involved in any serious relationship before meeting the plaintif/respondent, please decribe this relationship and why it ended?

at the end what do you think you learned from answering this 20 page questionaire?

Many people have asked me about my journey towards the Catholic Church and where that stands now. Back in February I posted this peice regarding the... really a train wreck for me with reagrds to my spiritual life. I had a lot going on at that time so I wasnt able to write as much as I would have liked to.

While in Californina and afterwards I gave this whole situation a lot of thought and prayer. The church has assigned both Woody and I an "Advocate" a "legal assistant" in Cannon or Church law. Both Woody and I will need annulments of our first marriages in order to free us for a church blessing of our marriage if we want and to free me to receive the Sacrament freely.

The Sacramental life is the main drive for my quest into the Church. If not for the sacraments, I doubt that I would go through this. I have come to believe that while other forms of the Christian faith provide a shadow of the substance of the Sacraments, only those in conformation to the Church Apostolic can truly be instruments of sacramental grace. Now that closes the door and opens the door to a lot of things. I believe that politics alone separate Anglicanism and its daughter Methodism from the Church of Rome. The Magesterium teaches that I may not take Communion from my Methodist Pastor, however it is a fact that his ordination is tracable via the Church of England to Rome and that if one gets beyond politics (has anyone watched the Tudors on Showtime...?)that situation was what separated the two, the Church of England and The Church of Rome... The question of marriage and who is married to whom... In my heart I belive that it would be fine for me to receive in faith what this dear friend offers me once a month as a symbol of love and community without incurring eternal damnation.

My former Catechist was concerned that I was confused between Catholic trasubstantiation of the communion elements and Methodism "Real Presence by act of Faith" as laid out in this document I am not confused at all, but rather a good Protestant reared in the Lutherian twist of Augustine's "I belive, therefor I know.." rather " I know what I have believed..." Lots of lively discussion on this one. I refrained from taking communion out of obedience to the will of my Chtechist and his wife my Sponsor. As it turned out, obdience was a difficulty for them too, and they left the parish. I fully understand their position and love them just the same and miss out intense discussions...

But other obedience was to be required of me, and Woody as well. As the fallout swirlled about when Ed and Jennifer left, the powers that be decreede that Cannon law states that not only do I have to have an anullment from the Engineer, but Woody too must have his pervious marriage annulled or I cannot be received into the church. This is something that he has to do on his own without any coersion on my part. He seems willing to do this but so far has not followed up on any part of his research to find his ex wife or information on her two previous marriages prior to marrying him. Its a mess...so as long as this situation persists I cannot follow the faith of my choice. Its absurd. I cannot control him, so why am I stuck in this I am waiting for my cannon lawyer to let me know how things are doing

I am willing to wait, but not forever. Once I return to Arkansas I will pursue whatever remedies I can to clear the way for my entrance into the Church in 2009. It will be interesting to see how things come about. I am not going to allow my flawed current marriage to keep me form the the Marriage in the World to come. Perhaps it is time settle that question as well

Labels: Catholic, Faith, Marriage, Woody