Marriage

This image from the Shrine is that of Mary and Joseph as a newly married couple.   In Matthew 8:24, the Scripture verse quoted on this window,  we read "When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home."  I am not 100% sure if this stained glass window is meant to represent his betrothal to Mary, which in Our Lord's time was considered the first part of the marriage, the beginning of a time in which they would be married, but did not live together yet,  or if this represents the second part of the marriage ceremony so-to-speak,  in which the wife would finally move into the husband's home.  (In Jesus' time, there was several months gap in between the betrothal and the moving in together. )   I am guessing this image is referring to the later due to the relevant Scripture verse being placed under it.
The angel had been speaking to Joseph because after the betrothal Mary became pregnant without having relations to Joseph, and Joseph, fearing she had done something awful, wanted to quietly divorce her to avoid her being shamed and possibly stoned to death for adultery.  However, the angel told him of other plans God had for the two of them, and they, led by Joseph, went ahead with their marriage.

Because of this, I am sure Joseph and Mary both had feelings of anxiety as they began their married life together. They were not sure what this all meant, yet they showed trust in God, even right from the beginning of their marriage.  Anxiety might very well describe the feeling that many married couples today have as they begin their marriage.  In a sense, one cannot blame them for this.  Nearly half of all marriages end in divorce.   (I, unfortunately, know this first hand.)   The idea of a permanent commitment to one person for the duration of one's life is scary.  That is why we see prenuptial agreements, living together before marriage to "test" it out, sex before marriage to try to get a good feeling on the other person, kind of like a security blanket, for lack of a better word.   Finally, of course, we see marriage being redefined to include relationships where it is physically impossible to give or donate one's body to another because neither body is capable of receiving the other.   The "total commitment" of body and soul, so intrinsic to the nature of marriage, just makes the average person shutter at the realities and responsibilities that go with that, and so, we take "precautions", which are often sinful.

All of these reflect a certain, I think, anxiety about marriage.   Our Lord tells us, though, "Be not afraid" more than once in the Gospels.  He was speaking more generally than just on marriage, but His words can certainly apply to that ever so important Sacrament.  I am grateful that my parents provided a good example for me of faithfulness and love in marriage, they have been married almost 47 years now.  However, others may not have grown up in a family with a strong marital relationship.  They may see their friends struggling in marriage.  They may have failed at marriage themselves.  It is easy to lose hope in marriage, and as I said, be anxious about it.
Marriage is not easy.  As you know, and we will explore more in this blog, the lives of Joseph and Mary were not easy.  They endured many trials and tribulations.  Yet, they were both obedient to the Lord, and in the end, their marriage helped save the world, and continues to have positive effects to this day.  We can look to them if we are discouraged about our own marriage, or face anxiety or have lost hope in the reality of marriage for ourselves.

Joseph, husband of Mary, pray for us