SYDNEY mum Rosina Gordon will be postponing spontaneous trips for fast food from tomorrow in a bid to show Catholics want marriage laws in Australia untouched.
Mrs Gordon, her husband Christopher and the couple’s six children will fast from their favourite family restaurant chain for the whole of October as part of a national month of prayer and fasting for marriage and family.
Supported by the Australian Catholic Marriage and Family Council, an advisory body to the Australia Catholic Bishops Conference of which Mrs Gordon is a member, the national initiative has already been going for one week.
The loving mother told The Catholic Leader she proposed the national initiative six months ago as a solution to help other Catholics become better at defending traditional marriage.
“We’re watching the definition of marriage unfold in Australia, and as Catholics, many of us might not be very good at talking about it in the public sphere,” Mrs Gordon said.
“But we have four things that no one else in the world does and that is the Rosary, Eucharist, Mass and fasting.”
For the next three weeks, the Gordons will “give up our daily luxuries” including the regular stop at McDonalds, the family’s usual fast food pitstop and their destination for this interview.
“It’s a big thing for my kids,” Mrs Gordon said.
“You’ve got to hurt a bit or there’s no point.”
The Gordons will also say a daily family Rosary and take up a Holy Hour once a week during October.
Mrs Gordon said prayer and fasting was a way to tap into the Church’s rich sacred tradition and oppose same-sex marriage “without upsetting anyone”.
“The time for rational discourse (in the public square) has passed,” she said.
“This is our last resource, but it should be our first.”
She encouraged parish priests to show a promotional video for the month-long initiative and promote the Rosary among the faithful.
“If priests could encourage the Rosary at Mass we will see amazing things happen,” she said.
Bishop Michael Kennedy, the Bishops Delegate for Marriage and Family, asked priests to promote the resources for the event in parishes.
“I encourage you to support your parish community to celebrate Mass, pray the Rosary and undertake Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during this time with the special intention of marriages and families in mind,” Bishop Kennedy said.
Catholics won’t be the only ones praying all October for marriage.
Scores of Christians from other denominations have offered to promote the cause, even creating daily devotionals to assist their own congregations in praying for marriage.
The National Day of Prayer and Fasting begins on October 1.
To view the resources for the National Month of Prayer and Fasting visit their website.
By Emilie Ng
