Lived Out in Love
 The Gospel this Sunday is a tough one, as Jesus is questioned by the Pharisees about divorce. Divorce is a reality that affects almost all families, my own included. We know what a gut-wrenching experience this can be for couples, their children, their families and their friends. Sadly, we also know that the alternative (staying married) is not always a realistic option, especially when there is a situation of abuse. Even the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “If civil divorce remains the only possible way of ensuring certain legal rights, the care of the children, or the protection of inheritance, it can be tolerated and does not constitute a moral offense” (2383). I recently read that divorce rates have declined in the United States, though not necessarily because people are choosing to stay married, but because fewer and fewer people are getting married in the first place. I suppose one way to ensure that a lifelong commitment will never be broken is to never to enter into one, but this misses the point. In responding to the Pharisees, Jesus harkens back to the original, beautiful vision of marriage as laid out in the first chapters of Genesis. Marriage is a very serious thing and should not be entered into lightly or without adequate preparation, but it is also a beautiful thing when lived out day by day in that conscious choice to love the other “in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health” all the days of one’s life. Let’s pray this week for all families who have experienced divorce, for their healing; for all married couples, for their perseverance; and for all those preparing for marriage, for their prudence. Fr. Thom |
|
