Finding faith after divorce

Every child needs to have a father and mother who are married to each other and living in a loving relationship.

Divorce shatters the family and ruins this ideal relationship. After a half century of easy divorce, our society is beginning to realize the harm done by divorce, especially to children. This damage often remains throughout their whole life.

They seem to have a more difficult time in judging and choosing a suitable spouse. They also have a higher divorce rate than others. This is a huge problem for the faith community.

When we preach the gospel message, we use human words. We say, "Our Father," and in the parable of the Prodigal Son we see a son who leaves home, lives a life of sin, repents and returns home. His father is waiting for him with open arms and immediately forgives him. This is a story of God's love for us and his willingness to forgive us. It tells us who God is and how he acts toward us.

But for the child of divorce, it is the father who left the family, and he is not coming back.

Our life experiences have a lot to do with how we see and understand God. Neighbors need to reach out to single moms and their children. We need to show God's love and concern for those who feel pain and confusion; I see many good families doing just that.

THE REV. GENE FRILOT

Pastor Emeritus

Incarnation Catholic Church