Section 4 | Rule 18: The Honor That the Custos Owes His Wife

Let the husband, above all honor his wife. For when Adam, after awakening from the divinely induced supernatural slumber, set his gaze upon his wife, Eve, for the first time, he praised her with honor and jubilation as he spoke these words: “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Gen. 2:23). In other words, “I am in her, and she is in me, and we together are one flesh.” Therefore, the husband establishes his relationship with his wife as primary over all relationships, save that of his relationship with God. He demonstrates this primacy by serving her, cherishing her, respecting her, spending time with her individually, and delighting in her, reverencing her with words of affirmation and praise—particularly in the presenceof his children—counting her as better than himself. For as the holy apostle says, “Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others [your wife] better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:3–4), particularly the interests of his wife.

Devin Schadt | Executive Director of the Fathers of St. Joseph

Ite ad Joseph