Sunday, February 24, 2019

Reflection for Friday, March 1; Seventh Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 10:1-12


Gospel: Mark 10:1-12
Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom, he again taught them. The Pharisees approached him and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” They replied, “Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.” But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God 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. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
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Reflection:
Are you faithful to your marriage vows?

When a man and a woman are wed in the Catholic church the Priest pose this question to them: "Do you take__as your lawful wife/husband, to have and to hold, to this day onward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

The man and woman will answer: I do.

The Marriage bond is forever, but the reality of it all is some married couples separate. I know of three married couples who were married in the church, couple # 1: husband simply left his wife and two very young children. Couple # 2: The wife left the husband even though they already have a baby. Couple # 3: The wife carried an adulterous affair for more than three years. Within that span of time the wife was constantly being reminded by her husband to stop it if she was doing it. But the adulterous wife did not listen until it was fully discovered by her husband.

Oftentimes couples separate for selfish reasons. They only care of what they want and feel; they don’t give an iota of concern to the feeling of their spouse and children. Instead of separating, why not walk away permanently from whatever that makes us sin and give love a second chance and why not ask Jesus to heal the marriage?

Jesus said to his disciples: a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh (Mark 10:7). So, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” Then he said again: “Whoever divorces his wife and marries commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery (Mark 10:11-12).”

The Sacrament of Marriage is one of the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church, the first miracle made by Jesus was when he made water into wine in the wedding at Cana. The Priest that presides in the wedding ceremony does it in the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus himself said it: “What God has joined together; no human being must separate (Mark 10:9).”

Are you doing something to preserve the sanctity of your marriage? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

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