TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
6 OCTOBER 2024
The
Pharisees ask Jesus a loaded question, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce
his wife?” They know the answer to that
question. Moses allowed a husband to
divorce his wife. However, they want to
draw Jesus into the current argument: What constitutes the reasons for a husband’s
decision to divorce his wife. The
stricter rabbis insist that a husband could file for a divorce only on the
strictest grounds, such as infidelity.
However, the more lenient ones argue that any reason would suffice. A man can divorce his wife if he does not
like her cooking, or if he cannot get along with her family.
Jesus
avoids that trap. He knows that a wife
has absolutely no recourse in a divorce proceeding. She can do nothing to defend herself and no
option other than to accept the husband’s decision and moving on to a very
uncertain future. Divorced women are
driven into poverty and the shame of being an outcast without a family. As always, Jesus has compassion for the poor
and the vulnerable. So, he argues that
Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of people’s hearts. He refuses to be drawn into the arguments of
the day and responds by going to the heart of what God intends for
marriage. He quotes the second chapter
of Genesis and insists that God created marriage as a permanent
institution. He argues that when a man
and a woman become one flesh, that union cannot be separated. What God has joined together, no human being can
separate. According to Genesis, which
the Pharisees would understand as Moses speaking, God instituted marriage as a
mutual love and harmony that cannot be broken.
His
disciples have difficulty with this radical teaching. Even though they accept Jesus as the Messiah,
they have not yet realized what he means by the kingdom of God. That kingdom, won by his death and resurrection,
will restore humanity to the original intimacy and love of Genesis. That is why Jesus wants children to come to
him. Children have a remarkable ability
to embrace the present moment without question.
The disciples musty learn that same lesson. They will need to embrace his message of love
and permanence with simplicity and trust.
Jesus
invites us to embrace this very difficult teaching about marriage with
simplicity and trust. As Catholics, we
accept his teaching that marriage is a permanent institution that can be ended only
in death. We are part of the kingdom of
God begun with his death and resurrection.
As all of you who married couples know, marriage is not an easy vocation. It is very demanding. I argue that married couples face greater
challenges than we who live the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The Church has clearly defined what
constitutes a valid bond of marriage that can only end in death. We embrace the teaching of Jesus and know
that civil divorce does not end a valid bond of marriage. That is why we have a Marriage Tribunal in
our Diocese. Those whose marriages have
ended in divorce can approach the Tribunal to decide about the truth of that
bond. Most Catholics do not understand
what an annulment means. If you find
yourself in this difficult situation, do not hesitate to approach Father
Andrew.
Married couples need to do
everything possible to cooperate with the grace given by the Sacrament to be
faithful to their commitment. When you
experience difficulties, do not hesitate to seek professional help. There are other movements today which support
married couples. The Bible begins with a
wedding in Genesis. It ends with a
marriage feast in the Book of Revelation.
We are painfully aware that we do not live in a world of perfect love
and intimacy. But in a world of sin and
division, we are invited to embrace the Kingdom of God like little
children. That means that married
couples in a valid bond of marriage need the faith to enter into the dying of
Jesus Christ, trusting that together, they can share in his rising.
