Reflection for Sunday October 6, Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mark 10:2-16

Gospel: Mark 10:2-16

The Pharisees approached Jesus 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."

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

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Reflection:

A blind man fell in love with his neighbor. When he was asked by his parents what made him love the woman, he said, "I can sense her inner beauty, her caring and loving ways. She also has a very gentle and good heart.

Eventually, this man was cured of his blindness and now had a clear picture of the physical appearance of the woman he had fallen in love with. He saw that the woman was not physically beautiful; nevertheless, he still decided to marry her. However, after a few months, the lack of physical beauty somehow diminished his love for her. Soon after, he deserted her for a young and physically attractive woman.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus talks about the indissolubility of the marriage covenant between a man and a woman. He emphasizes that no one has the right to dissolve this marriage. Jesus himself said, "What God has joined together, no human being must separate" (Mark 10:9).

However, many of us still violate the sanctity of the marriage covenant with impunity. Like the man in the story, we allow ourselves to be captivated by external appearance, even when we are already married. But what is external beauty when it will eventually fade away?

There is something far more important than a person's external appearance, and that is their inner character. Inner beauty is far more valuable than what can be seen with our eyes. A person’s attitude, goodness, and gentleness count far more than physical appearance.

Let us be faithful to our marriage covenant. Let us not give room for Satan to destroy this covenant. Satan, who often comes to us with a beautiful or handsome face and a charming body. – Marino J. Dasmarinas