The month of June is believed to be an auspicious time for marriage. An exciting season particularly for ladies who yearn for a new life in union with the man of her dreams. Many do not know that the month was from an old superstitious belief to be blessed from the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. How unfortunate we all might have been unknowing a tradition to receive happiness from a false god.
As a Catholic, we were raised to understand that graces generously come from the sacraments Christ instituted, this includes the sacrament of matrimony. A sacrament to start an new life by union of a baptized man and a woman in the Catholic church. “Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)
From old testament to the new one on the Gospel of Mark: “But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother; and shall cleave to his wife. And they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Mark 10:6-9 Duoay-Rheims Bible)
In marriage, we are bound to build a family, “And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28). To bear children and grandchildren that will worship and give thanksgiving to God and His kingdom.
Even early Christians teach serious counsel and writings about marriage and it can be traced back from holy biblical personalities like from the letter of Ignatius of Antioch’s letter to St. Polycarp (A.D. 107)
“Tell my sisters to love the Lord and to be altogether contented with their husbands. Similarly urge my brothers in the name of Jesus Christ “to love their wives as the Lord loves the Church.” If anyone can live in chastity for the honor of the Lord’s flesh, let him do so without ever boasting. If he boasts of it, he is lost; and if he is more highly honored than the bishop, his chastity is as good as forfeited. It is right for men and women who marry to be united with the bishop’s approval. In that way their marriage will follow God’s will and not the promptings of lust. Let everything be done so as to advance God’s honor.” (From The Catholic Catechism book of John A. Hardon, S.J. p.533)
If only we dig deep into the beauty of the sacrament of matrimony in the Catholic church, our early fathers and saints have already defined very significant symbols in the union’s rites. We do not need a Juno we never knew to be auspicious as if we place our fate by luck.
What we need are the likes of Mary and Joseph who were blessed from the start by the God. Every bride and groom need not to find the perfect patron in union of marriage. Mary, full of grace and humility can be every bride’s example as a wife and mother. Also, every groom can aspire to follow Joseph’s example of simplicity and being hardworking father to Jesus and protective husband to Mary. He endured tough times for Jesus and Mary when he had to lead their escape and stand for them.
Every bride and groom in the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony must ask Mary and Joseph to be their guide in the coming days and years, to truly withstand the trying times and find joy in God’s blessing. No Juno or any other god can match what Christ’s instituted. For any day and any month is the day of the Lord.
