https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS_pWatzMz4&t=1s
Intended Audience
The book is meant mostly for Catholics, married and clergy alike. With laity who are not sufficiently formed and prepared for the sacrament of marriage, is it any surprise that most of them throw in the towel when confronted with challenges? The core of Catholic marriage, namely sexual fidelity, Indissolubility and exclusivity are under attack more than ever before. With rampant infidelity, whether by way of exterior acts or by way of lust in the heart, marriages are crumbling. And with very few clergy able to speak the truth and guide the faithful to walk the narrow path, divorces have become the norm. Thus, we have a culture of wounded, hurting people who are not certain what to make of their suffering. This book is an exhortation to practice authentic mercy and thereby participate in the nature of God and help bring about the conversion of their erring spouses. It is an offer of hope to all those who have been wounded by infidelity, in that the offer of mercy has the promise not just of reconciliation of the old but the assurance of a higher love.
Relevance of the Book
The book is relevant in the light of the messages of Our Lady of Fatima pertaining to certain key messages in the realm of marriage, family and lust. The first is that “The final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about marriage and the family. Don't be afraid, she added, because whoever works for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always be fought against and opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue. Then she concluded: nevertheless, Our Lady has already crushed his head”. This is the text as written to Cardinal Caffarra by Sr. Lucia on the eve of establishing the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. Secondly ‘more souls go to hell because of the sins of the flesh than for any other reason’. ‘And finally many marriages are not of God and do not please God’. This last one is especially pertinent in light of the apparent change in Church teaching regarding communion for divorced and re-married couples, thereby inadvertently propagating divorce and re-marriage. Thus, the book helps clarify the Church’s unambiguous 2000 year tradition on marriage, which is at the same time accessible and extremely readable for the average Catholic. The book re-iterates what the Church has always taught, and helps clarify and inform those who may be confused.
Background about the Author
Binita Jacob completed her undergraduate degree in Economics and then went on to complete her Masters in Business Administration from Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai, She worked in the field of Human Resources and Relationship Management in organisations such as Ma Foi Management ( now known as Randstad), and Anz Grindlays Bank. An introduction to St. John Paul Il's Theology of the Body while in the United States, led her to pursue and successfully complete her Master's Degree in Family Science and Counselling from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Changanacherry, Kerala. She also has a Bachelor Degree in Theology from Jyotir Bhavan, Kalamassery, Kerala and is currently pursuing her Licentiate in Theology of Marriage and Family. Binita is an avid reader and some of her favourite books include The Confessions of St. Augustine, Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla, A Map of Life by Frank Sheed, The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis and Uniformity with God's Will by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori.
