You’re gonna love this. After two powerful scripture readings about the importance of marriage, the Church asks a single guy with two cats to unfold and unwrap the power and significance of the one of the Church’s sacred sacrament. (The Catholic Church is the only church that holds marriage to a sacramental level assuring that it can never be dissolved.) But that’s the sacramental position. Practically, it’s all about relationships, investments, forgiveness – both to yourself and another; complete with compromise, bipartisanship, always looking and seeking for a greater good beyond yourselves.

Am I now getting political or still talking about marriage? It’s both. The divide in our country these days is dangerous, and we pray for a resolution in finding a common ground. The same hope is held out for those two special people who manage a home with these little things running around it and constantly wanting attention and more food. If you think running a country is difficult, I can imagine what it’s like in a household where white lies abound and espionage is uncovered daily. “Did you finish your homework.” “Yeah, mom.” “Are you on the Internet again tonight.” “No, dad.” He said, she said!? Judge Kavanaugh vs.Dr. Ford anyone?

Well, the single guy with two cats turns to the tried and try given to us in simple principles that we learned – where? In kindergarten. The author is Robert Fulghum, written in early 1980. Try to hold on to two or three of them for the upcoming week of either personal living or in your marriage.

1. Share everything. 2. Play fair. 3. Don’t hit people. 4. Put things back where you found them. 5. Clean up your own mess. 6. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. 7. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. 8. Wash your hands before you eat. 9. Flush. 10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. 11. Live a balanced life – learn some and drink some and draw some and paint some and sing and dance and play and work every day some. 12. Take a nap every afternoon. 13. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. (You may wish to re-read that one.) 14. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup? The roots go down, and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. 15. Goldfish and hamster and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we. 16. And then remember the “Dick and Jane” books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all: “LOOK.”

My number 17 is from a commencement address. “Every morning make your bed.” Even if you have a lousy day, you would still have done something right, and a nicely made bed to see you through the next morning.

There you have it. Your friends say to the newly married, couple “Good luck.” The Catholic Church says, “God bless you, we’re behind you all the way.” I agree with both their wishes. Caring for two cats is much easier than marriage, but so very less fulfilling.