Marriage and the Family

October 7, 2012

 Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is-27 Ħadd matul is-Sena

Reading 1                       

Genesis 2:18-24

The LORD God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him." So the LORD God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man. So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: "This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called 'woman, ' for out of 'her man' this one has been taken." That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.

L-Ewwel Qari

Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 2, 18-24

Il-Mulej Alla qal:   "Mhux sewwa li bniedem jiqa' waħdu. Ħa nagħmillu għajnuna tgħodd għalih." U l-Mulej Alla sawwar mill-art l-annimali selvaġġi u t-tajt kollu tal-ajru, u ġiebhom quddiem  il-bniedem biex jara xi jsemmihom, u skont ma jkun il-bniedem semma lil kull ħliqa ħajja, dak ikun isimha. U l-bniedem ta isem  lil kull bhima u 'l kull tajra tal-ajru,  u 'l kull annimal selvaġġ;  imma għall-bniedem ma nstabet ebda  għajnuna tgħodd għalih. U l-Mulej Alla tefa' nagħsa tqila fuq il-bniedem;u dan raqad. U ħadlu waħda minn kustiljih  u flokha mlieh bil-laħam.  U l-Mulej Alla sawwar il-kustilja,  li kien ħa mill-bniedem,  f'mara, u ġiiebha lill-bniedem. Imbagħad il-bniedem qal:  "Din id-darba  din hi  għadma  minn għadmi, u  laħam minn laħmi, għalhekk tissejjah mara, għax mir-raġel ittieħdet hi." Għalhekk ir-raġel iħalli lil missieru u lil ommu u jingħaqad ma' martu  u jsiru ġisem wieħed. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm             

PSALM 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6

R. (cf. 5) May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.

Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.                             R/

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.                                                       R/

Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.                                                           R/

May you see your children's children.
Peace be upon Israel!                                                 R/

Salm Responsorjali          

Salm 127(128)

R/   `Iberikina l-Mulej, il-jien kollha ta’ hajjitna.

Ħieni kull min jibża' mill-Mulej,

kull min jimxi fit-triqat tiegħu!

Mix-xogħol ta' idejk inti tiekol,

ħieni int, u riżqek tajjeb.                                   R/

Martek tkun bħal dielja għammiela

Fl-irkejjen ta' darek;

uliedek bħal xitel taż-żebbuġ

madwar il-mejda tiegħek.                    R/

Ara, kif ikun imbierek

il-bniedem li jibża mill-Mulej!

Ibierkek il-Mulej minn Sijon!                 R/

Jalla tara l-ġid ta' Ġerusalemm

tul ħajtek  kollha!                    

Jalla  tara wlied uliedek!

Sliem għal Iżrael!                                R/

Reading 2 

Hebrews 2:9-11

Brothers and sisters: He "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels, " that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering. He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated all have one origin. Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them 'brothers.'

It-Tieni Qari                                                                                                             

Qari mill-Ittra lil Lhud 2, 9-11

Ħuti, lil dak li għal ftit taż-żmien, kien imniżżel ftit inqas mill-anġli, lil Ġesu', aħna issa qegħdin narawh imżejjen fil-glorja u l-ġieħ minħabba fil-mewt li hu bata, biex, għall-grazzja ta' Alla, il-mewt li daq tkun  għall-ġid ta' kulħadd. Għax kien jixraq li Alla, li għalih u bih sar kollox, waqt li jwassal ħafna wlied għallll-glorja, jagħmel li l-Awtur tas-salvazzjoni tagħhom ikun perfett  bis-saħħa tas-sofferenzi. Għax kemm dak li jqaddes, u kemm dawk li jiġu mqaddsin, ilkoll huma mill-istess wieħed. U għalhekk Ġesu' ma jistħix isejħilhom ħutu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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.

Evanġelju

Qari skond San Mark 10, 2-16

 F'dak iż-żmien, resqu xi Fariżej lejn Ġesu' u biex iġarrbuh staqsewh jekk raġel jistax jitlaq 'il martu. Weġibhom u qal:  "X'ordnalkom Mose?" Qalulu:  "Mose' ta  l-permess li wieħed jagħmel il-kitba tad-divorzju, u jibgħatha." Imbagħad weġibhom Ġesu':  "Minħabba l-ebusija ta' qalbkom kitbilkom din l-ordni.  Iżda sa mill-bidu  tal-ħolqien Alla għamilhom raġel u mara. Għalhekk mela raġel jħalli lil missieru u 'l-ommu u jingħaqad ma' martu, u t-tnejn isiru ġisem wieħed.Għalhekk  mhumiex iżjed tnejn, imma ġisem wieħed. Mela dak li għaqqad Alla ma għandux jifirdu l-bniedem." Xħin daħlu d-dar id-dixxipli reġgħu staqsewh fuq dan, u hu qalilhom:  "Min jitlaq lil martu u jiżżewweġ oħra jkun ħati ta' adulterju kontra l-ewwel waħda; u jekk mara titlaq lil żewġha u tiżżewweġ ieħor tkun ħatja ta' adulterju." Ġibdulu quddiemu  xi tfal ċkejknin biex iberrikom, iżda d-dixxipli tiegħu qabdu jgħajtu magħhom. Ġesu', meta ra hekk, inkorla u qalilhom: "Ħalluhom it-tfal iż-żgħar jiġu għandi; iżżommuhomx, għax ta' min hu bħalhom hija s-Saltna ta' Alla.   Tassew  ngħidilkom, li min

is-Saltna ta' Alla ma  jilqgħhiex bħal tifel ċkejken ma jidħolx fiha."   Imbagħad ħaddanhom

miegħu u qiegħed idejh fuqhom u berikom.    Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Marriage and the Family: Humanity's Future

A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

Rather than commenting in detail on each of the readings for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B), I would like to offer some general reflections on marriage and family life that flow from Sunday’s readings. In today’s Gospel (Mark 10:2-16) the Pharisees once again confront Jesus with the divisive issue of divorce and its legitimacy: “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”

“What did Moses command you?” Jesus asked. They replied that Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss the wife. Jesus declares that the law of Moses permitted divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1) only because of the hardness of hearts (Mark 10:4-5). In citing Genesis 1:27 and 2:24, Jesus proclaims permanence to be the divine intent from the beginning concerning human marriage (Mark 10:6-8). He reaffirms this with the declaration that what God has joined together, no human being must separate (verse 9).

Jesus wisely and prudently responds to the loaded question by appealing to God’s plan of complete unity and equality in drawing men and women together in marriage. He affirms that husband and wife are united so intimately that they actually become one and indivisible. In answering a direct question that was deliberately designed to entrap him, Jesus was speaking of the nature of marriage and of that only. His emphasis is on its holiness and covenant fidelity and not on the illegitimacy of divorce. The goal of marriage is not divorce and annulment!

Divorce, annulment and remarriage

Jesus did not condemn people who did their best and ended up divorced. He was not judging such people, throwing them out of the community of the Church, or assigning them places in hell. He was only affirming the outlook taken by couples themselves when they stand before the Church’s minister and pronounce their wedding vows.

Today Catholic annulments look to many like a simple Catholic divorce. Divorce says that the reality of marriage was there in the beginning and that now the reality is broken. Annulment is a declaration that the reality was never there. The Church declares many marriages invalid because of some impediment present at the time of the marriage. 

Over the years of my pastoral ministry, I have met many divorced people who feel very alienated from the Church. For many, divorce was the last thing they ever dreamed of or wanted. In many instances, it hit them unexpectedly, forcefully and tragically. No one I met ever told me that they looked forward to a divorce. They simply didn’t see any other alternative. 

Some divorced men and women have erroneously been told by well-meaning people that they are excommunicated from the Catholic Church, which is certainly not true. Their pain is often enormous; their need for understanding and acceptance is great. They need unambiguous Catholic teaching to enlighten them and lead them to Christ. They need friends, people to pray for and with them, and they need God in their lives in the midst of rupture and brokenness. They deserve our understanding and our prayerful care.

A positive teaching on annulments should be offered in every parish community. Though it may be a tedious and painful process for some people, an annulment can be an instrument of grace, healing, closure, and peace of mind and heart.

The future of humanity passes through marriage and the family

In the papal encyclicals from "Humanae Vitae" (1968) to "Evangelium Vitae" (1995) and especially the apostolic exhortation "Familiaris Consortio" (1981) and the magnificent "Letter to Families" (1994), Popes Paul VI and John Paul II have dedicated much attention to marriage and the family in today’s culture. From the first year of his pontificate, John Paul II constantly emphasized: “the family is the way of the Church." The family is a school of communion, based on the values of the Gospel. 

In 2008, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the encyclical "Humanae Vitae," the bishops of Canada released a very important document in which they wrote (#19):

“In short, Pope Paul Vl’s encyclical 'Humanae Vitae' and the subsequent 'theology of the body' developed by Pope John Paul II issue an immense challenge to a world that is too often occupied with protecting itself against the extraordinary life potential of sexuality. In the wake of these two prophetic Popes, the Church, 'expert in humanity,' issues an unexpected message: Sexuality is a friend, a gift of God. It is revealed to us by the Trinitarian God who asks us to reveal it in turn in all its grandeur and dignity to our contemporaries at this start of the third millennium. The theology of the body has been compared to a revolution that would have positive effects throughout the 21st century of Christianity. We invite the faithful to be the first to experience its liberating potential.”

Signs of hope for marriage, family life and vocations

To accept Jesus’ teaching on marriage requires the openness of children and a sense of dependence on God’s strength matching the child’s sense of dependence on parents. When love is authentic, strong, sincere and firm, it is accompanied by vision, joy and creativity, new life and a desire for holiness. When married couples allow Christ to be at the center of their project, they experience deeply the peace outpoured by God -- a peace that flows forth to their children and grandchildren.

The crisis of vocations in the Western world requires that we rethink not only our manner of promoting vocations, but the terrain where seeds of vocations are sown. This fertile soil for vocations is the family, the domestic Church. This reality is brought about by the presence of Christ in the home, from the graces of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and from fidelity to the Gospel and the teachings of the Church.

There are some voices in our society and Church that don’t have much hope for the sacrament of marriage and for family life. I beg to differ with such voices of doom and despair. Each of us is responsible for fostering a true culture of marriage and family life as well as a culture of vocations to the priesthood and religious or consecrated life.

Over the past year in particular, I have witnessed some very hopeful signs for marriage and family life among young adults in various parts of the world. I had the privilege of leading two retreats for university students -- one for the John Paul II Catholic Chaplaincy of Sheffield’s Hallam University in England and the other for the Catholic Students’ Association of Victoria University in British Colombia in Canada. 

The wise, ecclesial leadership of university chaplains -- Sister Anne Lee, NDS in Hallam and Father Dean Henderson in Victoria -- gathered together some remarkable young adults from many countries of the world. They are the young men and women of the generations of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, freed from the ideological strangleholds and liberated from the barren, spiritual wastelands of my generation. Their eyes are fixed on Christ and they love the Church with all of her shadows and light.

I never had more open conversations about marriage and family life than I did with those students in Hallam and Victoria these past months. Many spoke openly about their parents who were divorced and alienated or simply absent from the Church. The students said that they learned from the mistakes and losses of their parents, and wanted to pursue the path of a holy marriage and family life. They desire to have Christ, the sacramental life, and the teachings of the Church at the center of their lives.

I have also been very moved and edified by the young men and women who form the staff of the Salt and Light Television Network in Canada. Their simple and clear faith, deep joy, sterling commitment, visible love of Christ and the Church and ardent desire for evangelization is inspiring. Over the past six years, I have been privileged to witness the religious professions and ordinations of several Salt and Light colleagues, and to celebrate seven marriages of my staff -- several who worked with me in preparing World Youth Day 2002. And now we are into the season of baptisms! It is from this generation of children that will come forth vocations for the Church. How could there not be vocations when the terrain was so fertile and the parents so open to the Gospel and to the Church?

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