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49. The Blessings of Marriage

1. The disorder brought into human life by original sin has madethe generative act so intensely emotional as to remove it from theready control of reason. Hence, to justify this act in fallen man,some compensating goods or blessings must attach to marriage.

2. Such goods are listed by Peter the Lombard (iv Sent.D. 31) as: fidelity, offspring, sacrament. Fidelity keeps theman and wife true to one another exclusively in the performing oftheir marital act. Offspring is the good fruit of the marital act,and belongs to it in intention even if the marriage provesunfruitful. Sacrament is the holiness of the state and duties ofspouses.

3. Of the three marriage goods or blessings, sacrament isthe most excellent. For that which makes marriage a divinelyinstituted and supernatural state is its most notable and essentialblessing.

4. Since the three marriage goods or blessings-sacrament,fidelity, offspring-are the things that make the marriage actdifferent from the lawless use of sex, it follows that these threeblessings justify and sanctify the marriage act, and remove itentirely from the category of sin.

5. Therefore, without the marriage blessings or goods, themarriage act could not be justified as a good act.

6. Yet a spouse, seeking only pleasure in the maritalaction, would not be guilty of serious sin unless his quest weresuch as to involve a will and intention to illicit indulgence werelawful means unavailable to him.

"Happy is the youth, because he has time before him to do good. "
St Philip Neri

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"Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise. "
Thomas á Kempis

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"Let persons in the world sanctify themselves in their own houses, for neither the court, professions, or labour, are any hindrance to the service of God."
St Philip Neri

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