Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time/ August 13, 2021
Gospel: Matthew 19:3-12
Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus emphasizes the importance of marriage as a response to the question of divorce which was raised by the experts of the law, and why marriage is the best image of the love of God for us.
In the beginning, Jesus explained, in the original divine plan: “the Creator made them male and female. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. And Jesus added, “what God has joined together man must not separate.” Here we can see how Jesus strongly stands for the faithfulness or fidelity of marriage covenant. No man should ever separate what God has joined together. The Pharisees ask the question of divorce, why Moses commanded that a man can give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her. This is so, the Lord replied, “because of the hardness of your hearts.”
The attack on marriage, obviously, is always because of the hardness of the people’s hearts. This is a sad reality even today. And this attack is used by the evil one to destroy the meaning and beauty of the marriage covenant. Now, in our time, we can see that the attack on marriage by the evil one is severe. There are a lot of confusions made by the evil one so that the fundamental definition of marriage will be distorted. And now, the confusion is getting worse. An example of this confusion is the idea of same-sex union which many are pushing to equate as marriage. And this confusion is becoming popular in many countries. Another is the question on divorce which we heard in the gospel today. Divorce in many countries is becoming normal which is not, strictly speaking.
Friends, if we understood well the gospel today. Jesus’ answer to the quests of the Pharisees brings all of us back to the pure, clear, and challenging vision of God for married love. Jesus always reminds and appeals to the original divine plan of God on Marriage. The question on divorce, however, and all other attacks on marriage is because of the ‘hardness of the people’s hearts!’ And the hardness of hearts means, a sinful life, a life without respect for God’s love and plan for humanity.
Friends, here, we can realize that ‘marriage’ indeed is not merely a human institution. God seals the covenant made by the husband and wife. It is God who binds the two lovers and blessed them to become one. It is God who joined them together. Therefore, no man should ever separate them.
As I mentioned above, that marriage is the best image of the love of God for us! This is true. God, through Jesus Christ, binds us in His love. Christ became our bridegroom and we His body, the Church is His bride. Our marriage of God is also a covenant. A covenant which fulfilled in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Friends, we know that we are in troubled times. To be faithful in our covenant with God is never easy. Even the disciples were wary because they felt the difficulty of the marriage covenant. They even told the Lord, if this is the case, better not to marry at all! But the Lord has always planned for all of us, each of us, whether we are to marry or not. The single blessedness, those who are unmarried, those who renounce marriage for the Kingdom of God, is bound also to the covenant of the Lord.
Prayer
Abba, You love us, now and forever. Strengthen, all those who accept marriage for the Kingdom of God. Bless also those who chose not to marry for the Kingdom. May all of us be faithful always to You and the covenant that we received from You. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son who lives with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.
JOURNEY towards the Perfect Communicator 