Month of February 2019 - Holy Family and Marriage

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* 1. The following Scriptural references indicate that Jesus had other siblings from the marriage of Joseph and Mary:
  • the “brothers” of Jesus
  • Joseph and Mary had no physical relations “until Jesus was born”
  • Jesus being Mary’s “first born”

1)  The Scriptural references indicate that Jesus had other siblings from the marriage of Joseph and Mary.

The answer is False

From 8/23/2013 article from the Cartaremi blog by Tony Rubio, “Jesus was the Virgin Mary’s Only Child” https://cartaremi.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/jesus-was-the-virgin-marys-only-child/

1) ‘Brothers  and  Sisters’  and  No  Word  For  ‘Cousin’:  “Aramaic and the other Middle Eastern languages do not have a word for “cousin.”  Without this word, relatives were described as combinations of brother or sister, such as a son or daughter of father’s sister, etc… The Greek “adelphos” (brother) is often used in non-blood relationships.”  

2) ‘The Word ‘Until’  Has  Different  Implications:  “Scripture says that Mary and Joseph did not have physical relations until Jesus was born (Matthew 1:25)… The Greek ‘until’ used in the Bible only brackets the time frame being described.  It neither says nor implies anything about later.  For example, when Jesus told us that He will be with us ‘until the end of the age,’ are we to conclude after the end of the world He won’t be with us anymore?”  

3) Even an Only Child is a ‘First Born’:  “Two points here.  The term ‘first born’ was a legal term referring to the child who first ‘opens the womb’ [see Exodus 13:2]...  In addition, circumcision and consecration to the Lord must occur within a short, specified time after birth.  Therefore, it would be illogical that other children must follow in order to make the first child a “first-born” so that these practices could be fulfilled as required in Luke 2:21-24.”

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* 2. An annulment is a “Catholic divorce.”

An annulment is a “Catholic divorce.”

The answer is B.  False

From a CatholicBridge.com article:   “Marriage, Divorce and Annulments in the Catholic Church”
http://catholicbridge.com/catholic/marriage-divorce-annulments.php

“In a divorce, there is an assertion that the marriage was valid when it occurred but now it is broken. An annulment determines whether the marriage actually took place in the sacramental realm.  The whole question of annulment has to do with the sacramental nature of the marriage. In the natural realm, of course a marriage took place. The couple stood together, and a minister said: "I now pronounce you man and wife." There was a marriage contract that went to the city hall. An annulment doesn't deny that. In fact, the civil marriage has to be ended with divorce by the civil authorities before the Church will even begin considering if the sacramental nature of the marriage is null.  An annulment means that the conditions required by God for it to be a true sacrament were not present when the wedding was performed, and therefore it was not a Christian marriage.”

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* 3. What could be grounds for an annulment?  [Select all that apply]

3) Private revelations received by individuals after the time of the Apostles may, in some cases, change the teachings of the Church.

The answers are  A pre-nuptial agreement  and Re-emergence of a substance abuse problem not disclosed before the wedding
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/marriage/annulment/index.cfm

"'Annulment’ is an unfortunate word that is sometimes used to refer to a Catholic ‘declaration of nullity.’ Actually, nothing is made null through the process. Rather, a Church tribunal (a Catholic Church court) declares that a marriage thought to be valid according to Church law actually fell short of at least one of the essential elements required for a binding union.  For a Catholic marriage to be valid, it is required that: (1) the spouses are free to marry; (2) they are capable of giving their consent to marry; (3) they freely exchange their consent; (4) in consenting to marry, they have the intention to marry for life, to be faithful to one another and be open to children; (5) they intend the good of each other; and (6) their consent is given in the presence of two witnesses and before a properly authorized Church minister. Exceptions to the last requirement must be approved by Church authority.  [. . . .]  The tribunal process seeks to determine if something essential was missing at the moment of consent, that is, the time of the wedding. If so, the Church can declare that a valid marriage was never actually brought about on the wedding day.”   [emphasis added]

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* 4. How many St. Valentines actually lived?

4)  How many St. Valentines actually lived?

The answer is  3

Taken from a Catholic Education Resource Center (CERC) article: “History of St. Valentine” by William Saunders and from a History.com article:  “St. Valentine beheaded”

https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/history-of-st-valentine.html
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/st-valentine-beheaded

“In the early martyrologies, three different St. Valentines are mentioned, all sharing Feb. 14 for a feast day.”  The first St. Valentine was a priest and physician in Rome, who was arrested, condemned to death, beaten with clubs, and finally beheaded on Feb. 14, AD 270 because he defied the ban imposed on all marriages and engagements by the emperor of Rome, Claudius the Cruel, who believed that Roman men were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families.  “The second St. Valentine was the Bishop of Interamna (now Terni, located about 60 miles from Rome). Under the orders of Prefect Placidus, he too was arrested, scourged, and decapitated, again suffering persecution during the time of Emperor Claudius II.  The third St. Valentine suffered martyrdom in Africa with several companions. However, nothing further is known about this saint. In all, these men, each named St. Valentine, showed heroic love for the Lord and His Church.” 

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* 5. Sacramental marriage is a call to holiness and is a vocation.

5)   Sacramental marriage is a call to holiness and is a vocation.

The answer is  True

“Catholic teaching holds that sacraments bring grace to those who receive them with the proper disposition. Grace is a way of describing how God shares the divine life with us and gives us the help we need to live as followers of Christ. In marriage, the grace of this sacrament brings to the spouses the … help they need to be faithful and to be good parents. It also helps a couple to serve others beyond their immediate family and to show the community that a loving and lasting marriage is both desirable and possible.  Pope Paul VI wrote: ‘By it [the Sacrament of Matrimony] husband and wife are strengthened and…consecrated for the faithful accomplishment of their proper duties, for the carrying out of their proper vocation even to perfection, and the Christian witness which is proper to them before the whole world’” (Humanae Vitae, #25). From http://www.foryourmarriage.org/marriage-as-sacrament/

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