I remember when I was considering marrying the woman of my dreams. My parents questioned the wisdom of marrying so young (even though they were younger when they got married). I insisted that we have deeply known and grown to love each other over a period of four years and wanted to get married.
We did not want to become “ready” and then get married; we wanted to go through the growing process together. We got married as planned with humble beginning and hope for a bright future. Thirty years down the line, we are thankful for making that decision.
My parent’s concerns in 1986 have become the current trend now. Parents encourage young adults to explore their identity, work, and love by delaying marriage and parenthood until their mid 30s. They claim that early marriages deprive them of better career opportunities, and poorer choices of partners.
Today the belief is that marriage takes more than it gives and brings a good chance of ending in divorce. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the median age for one’s first marriage has shifted from the early 20s in 1980 (my decision was the norm at that time) to 30 for men and 25 for women.
Despite the belief that age is synonymous with maturity, stability, and better decisions, which would result in long-lasting marriages, there are a number of risks brought about by late marriages and question the wisdom of this social trend to delay marriage. The impact of age on how long a marriage would last makes little difference for those who marry between 25 and 30.
There may actually be increased risks associated with delayed marriage to the mid 30s. Waiting to get married usually lead to more premarital sex, premarital cohabitation, and births out of wedlock which all increase the rate of failed marriages. In addition, there are fewer quality suitable spouses as you reach your early 30s.
Many couples today live together before marriage. Yet there is no evidence that living together before marriage improves the quality of your marriage or lower your odds of divorce. What happens in relationships today will surely affect any future marriage.
Either good or bad, “As you lay your bed, so shall you lie on it.” Individuals deciding to enter into relationships must do so in ways that will honour their future spouses and institution of marriage. The current relationship attitude among young adults is the belief that there are no future consequences for their actions during long courtships. These sexually active relationships often leave them lonely and disillusioned.
Romantic relationships before marriage should be enjoyed-but this can be done in ways that benefit a future marriage. There is hope, promised in scripture for our young adults. It takes concerted effort, discipline and commitment developed and nurtured before the wedding day.
I have been thinking a great deal about my experience at Reconciliation this past Saturday. I felt an intense and unexplainable urge to go and confess my sins when I woke up that morning. I try to go every six weeks or so, but this was no routine visit to the priest for me. I needed to unburden myself of the numerous venial sins I had committed since I last participated in this Sacrament.
Purest Gold: God's Refining Fire in our Lives »
After salvation, many young Christians wonder if there's anything more to their newfound faith than just the security blanket of "being a Christian." Time and time again, God shows himself as a "refiner," and our lives are as gold. God started leading me in this study to understand what He was doing in my life, as well as in the lives of others.
Picking up my pen to write this column, I couldn’t imagine how time flies. Since the last publication of this column I have gone through a lot, especially the loss of my dear mother to whom I dedicate this article. Not only her, but seems I lost a whole generation of my close family.
How to Achieve Business Excellence »
“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before Kings; He will not stand before unknown men.” Proverbs 22:29
Spiritual Development for our Youth »
Most of us youth in today's fast moving world are easily thrown off by difficulties and worries.
The theme of conversion is a thread that runs all through Lent, but conversion takes on different aspects throughout the phases of Lent. The first two and a half weeks focused on the interior turning of hearts; the liturgy urges the faithful to reflect and examine consciences thoroughly.
Saint Josephine Bakhita »
Feast Day: February 8
Patron Saint Of: Sudan
Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering.
Catholics Must Fast More Intensely This Lent»
The Norbertine Canons of St. Michael's Abbey have created this digital Lenten retreat so that you can journey through this holy season alongside them. If you want to have one of your best Lenten seasons yet, join us in our Lenten Program "The Great Fast" - https://theabbotscircle.com/the-great-fast-join
When Your Faith Is Put to the Test - Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon»
Friends, we come now to the Second Sunday of Lent, and we’re on both dangerous and very holy ground with the first reading from the twenty-second chapter of Genesis. The ancient Israelites referred to it as the “Akedah,” which means the “binding”: Abraham binds and is ready to sacrifice Isaac at God’s command.
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