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JMJ
"The love of husband and wife is the force that welds society together. . . Because when harmony prevails the children are raised well, the household is kept in order, and neighbors, friends, and relatives praise the result. Great benefits, both for families and states are thus produced. When it is otherwise, however, everything is thrown into confusion and turned upside-down."
(St. John Chrysostom)Ironically, when society pushes the notion of egalitarian marriages- where all aspects of family life are shared, irregardless of the particular gifts God has accorded to each sex- chaos ensues amidst a power struggle. Often, one spouse eventually dominates because a soft tyranny is preferable to the disorder that resulted from the previous state of affairs. Marriage is not a division of labor, but a unification of heart (wife) and head (husband). To deny the feminine genius* of the wife and to ignore the natural headship of the husband is akin to a builder tossing aside the blueprints of the architect, and deciding on his own design.
Men and women do not follow this blueprint blindly; rather, when a spouse humbly recognizes his own deficiency and perceives the wisdom of the other in a particular matter, he makes an act of the will, displaying his confident assurance that God has endowed the other with the necessary graces and gifts to fulfill his vocation and irreplaceable role in family life.
In this month of May, we turn to the Blessed Mother for her guidance and example. She- who could have claimed authority by virtue of her position (as Mother of God) and nature (as conceived without sin)- humbly yet actively submitted to St. Joseph's authority. If the Seed of Wisdom could defer to another, surely we could mortify our pride, and relinquish our controlling grasp so as to contribute to the harmony of a peaceful home.
*term coined by St. John Paul II
