Catholic Ragemonkey

It makes me sad

I sometimes wonder what has happened, or is happening, to my generation. So many of my grade school and high school friends, raised in a similar Catholic setting as I was, no longer practice the Faith or do so only marginally. What has made the difference in my life? And what in their lives? Cohabitation and marrying outside the Church can almost be presumed across the board. And yet, they would, almost to a person, claim themselves to be Catholic. And even more so, they would almost scoff at the idea of "being" anything else. Yet, that doesn't always translate into Church attendance or living by Catholic moral standards. All of this is prompted by a pleasant phone call that ended minutes ago, which has left me saddened. A girl I used to work with in my high school and college years just called to tell me she is getting married. However, the groom-to-be has a previous marriage and doesn't want to pursue petitioning for a declaration of nullity. Since the wedding cannot, then, take place in the Catholic Church, they are getting married in an outdoor ceremony. My friend wanted me, however, to be somehow involved in the ceremony, perhaps giving a blessing or something. And, of course, I can't do that. I offered to speak to her boyfriend to explain Catholic belief about the sanctity of marriage and to help him understand annulments. It saddens me that I can't do more as I see another member of the flock (my friend) moving to the outer fence with no sign of stopping for now. I must pray.