Today’s Gospel Text: And
Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to
divorce one's wife for any cause?" 4 He
answered, "Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made
them male and female, 5 and said, 'For this reason
a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two
shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two
but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put
asunder." 7 They said to him,
"Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to
put her away?" 8 He said to them, "For
your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the
beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever
divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits
adultery." 10 The
disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is
not expedient to marry." 11 But he said to them,
"Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who
have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by
men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the
kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it." Matt 19:3-12
Reflection: A lot is said about the whole institution of
marriage and its sacredness. The Catholic Church has been a strong defender of
the bond of marriage and yet the existential reality is that there have been increased
rates of divorces and many marriages end up in annulments.
Whatever
the reason for the modern day annulment and divorces and its various principles, what Jesus
teaches us is profound and is a very strong statement on the preservation of the
institution of marriage.
A
golden rule to follow, when the law seems rigid, is to see the practical side
of the law and the reason for the strictness.
The
man as the head of the house had a supportive and caring role to play in a
household. The human care is supposed to be steeped in love and hence
protective of those over whom one is placed as head of the house.
In
our times with the education and the independence of the woman in many areas of
decision making and encouraged by false sociological theories, this role is
often confused. Sometimes it seeks to
alienate the blending of the two relationship which blossoms well in the
furnace of love, submission and sacrifice.
Where
there is love and care, irreparable divisions and conflicts has no place. In
other words, they can always be the minor conflicts as individuals, as we come
with our many baggages while entering into any relationships.
Working
to build rather than divide, through constant communication, through a
commitment steeped in constant sacrifice, towards God and to each other and the
family, spelled at the time of marriage and above all seeking God and his
wisdom to handle the daily conflicts of married life, are some the essential
ingredients of a successful married life.
Prayer: Lord, strengthen the bonds of every marriage, so
that growing in your love for each other, this love may overflow on to others.
DD = Dedicated
Discipleship: Come grow
in the Lord with us
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