27th Sunday: Gen 2:18-24. Heb 2:9-11. Mk 10:2-16. The Gospel this weekend is this: Mk 10:2-16. The Pharisees approached and asked, "Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" They were testing him. 3 He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?" 4 They replied, "Moses permitted him to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her." 5 But Jesus told them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. 7 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother (and be joined to his wife), 8 and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate." 10 In the house the disciples again questioned him about this. 11 He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." 13 And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 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. 15 Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." 16 Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them. The first reading is this: Gen 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." 19 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. 20 The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man. 21 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. 22 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, 23 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." 24 * That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body. The second reading is this: Heb 2:9-11. We see Jesus "crowned with glory and honor" because he suffered death, he who "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels," that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 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. 11 He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated all have one origin. Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them "brothers," MEDITATION: This Sunday is about the way our loving God created the way spouses love each other and love their children, and the fact that the supreme love of all has been revealed to us by Christ. It's fantastic the way the Trinity have never wanted human beings to be alone (Gen 2:18). The Catholic Church itself says that the family is the domestic church! I'm a celibate priest, but that's not to 'shut the door' on women but to open the door and be free to love even more. Of course 'loving' means much more than our superficial world thinks. To quote one of Agatha Cristie's few jokes: 'An archaeologist is the best husband any woman can have: the older she gets the more he is interested in her.'! Of the happily married couples that I know, they don't spend their time gazing at each other, but with each other. There's a job to be done! And a man can do it much better backed up by a woman (and 'visa-versa').Ideal married love is not to spend time looking at each other but to look with each other together - to plan the road ahead. The name for 'conjugal life' comes from the latin for 'carrying the burden together'. St. Paul put it clearly in his letter to the Galatians: 'We should bear each others burdens' (Gal 5:26). It's not divine scripture, but I like the U2 song 'One' about married life: "We've got to carry each other ... Love is a temple - a higher law". Of course, one of the fundamental tasks of marriage is to have children. It starts as a great pleasure in bed but it leads to the challenges of bringing up kids. It all leads eventually to a tremendous joy. Jesus actually talks in the Gospel about how a mother goes through labour pains for a while, but soon the 'good news' appears! (John 16:21). It's symbolic of the Christian road for us all. 'When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world' (Jn 16:21). I think it's sad to see so many houses in the world today well built and very ornate, but often lacking the real beauty: children! The life of a family has to be prepared from day one. I'd agree with the following: "Most well-loved children are conceived many years before they're born". They're talking about something much more profound than the obstetrics I was taught as a medic! Maybe more kids mean more dirty shoes on your expensive carpet - but think of where the real beauty of a house lies: when it's a 'home'! I heard of a young father in Spain who separated from his wife and irresponsibly left his family but had to pass by the home to pick up some things he'd forgotten. His small child was there and by coincidence grabbed him by the leg and wasn't keen to let go, and the father decided to stay for good! Children stimulate love. Origen (an inspirational third century Christian writer) wrote that when he was a child, his father used to tell him he was a living tabernacle. Some older people suffer the 'syndrome of the empty nest' - a nest that was chirping! I think that a good treatment is to realise that our real nest (family) is much bigger than may seem. When Isaiah says "Widen the space of your tent" (Is 54:2), it's actually directed to the sterile woman! Giving life involves much more than physical 'fertility'. We've seen as missionaries that many marriage breaks are the result of searches for a false happiness, and when the true search is revitalized, the marriage is beautifully healed. Mundane wealth is helpful, but it may become an obstruction. The UK's birth rate (live births per year per thousand of population) fell from 28 at the beginning of the 20th century to 12 at the end, owing to increased use of contraception, and better living standards.Whereas the birth rate remains high in 'poorer' countries - for example, in Nigeria it stands at 57, in Bangladesh 35, and in Uzbekistan 30. That's a richness! In 1990 in western Europe, 1 in 20 newborns had parents who weren't legally married and by 2002 the rate had multiplied by six. That's a poverty! As he speaks of marriage in the Gospel today, Jesus embraces the children, and as he teaches us all to help, he's actually embracing us too. We comulgate the 'consecrated' host today with the awareness that Christ wants us all to be 'consecrated', and that's so that He can truly call us brothers and sisters (second reading - Heb 2:11). Jesus doesn't just 'oppose' divorce like a cold legalist, he 'laments' it as a real friend, and that's one of the things symbolised by the Cross in our churches. And it's a Cross that leads to resurrection. As the second reading says: Christ brings many children to glory through suffering. Love wins! I used the words 'good news' as a reference to what appears in parturition, but that's actually like a 'prologue' for the best 'Good News' of all (Gospel). The Love of God will be very fertile in us all, and will give birth to an eternal life! Thinking of children, I keep thinking of jokes: A child asked his mother once “Why is Dad so baldy?” and she replied “Because he's so clever”. The child then asked “So why have you so much hair?”! Mass begins with the 'confiteor', and that reminds me of the following: So many problems in marriage would be cured with three simple words: I'm sorry. Unless a husband and wife forgive each other daily, marriage can become a living hell. It requires humility and yet I think that this is one thing that helps a marriage to be heavenly. Also I give thanks today for having had a great Mum and Dad here on Earth! ............ Dara. En ESPAÑOL: 27º Domingo: Gen 2:18-24. Heb 2:9-11. Mc 10:2-16. Este Domingo nos habla de como nuestro Dios amoroso creó la forma en que los esposos aman uno al otro y a sus hijos, y del hecho de que el amor supremo nos ha sido revelado por Cristo. ¡Qué bonito es el hecho de que la Trinidad desde el principio no han querido ver al ser humano solo! (Gen 2:18). ¡La Iglesia Católica misma dice que la familia es la iglesia domestica! Yo soy un sacerdote célibe, pero no es para 'cerrar la puerta' a las mujeres, sino para abrir la puerta y estar aún más libre para amar sin el amor romántico. Claro, 'el amor' significa mucho más que lo que piensa nuestro mundo superficial. Me hace gracia lo que dijo la esposa de un arqueólogo: "Mi esposo es el mejor esposo que se puede tener; ¡cuanto más vieja soy, más se interesa por mí! Los matrimonios felices que conozco no pasan el tiempo mirándose uno al otro, sino mirando los dos en la misma dirección. ¡Hay mucho trabajo por hacer! Y un hombre lo hace mejor apoyado por una mujer (y 'viceversa'). El amor matrimonial ideal no es para mirarse uno al otro, sino para mirar juntos - preparando el camino. La palabra 'conyugal' significa en latín 'llevar el yugo juntos'. Dice San Pablo: 'Deberíamos ayudarnos a llevar la carga los unos a los otros' (Gal 5:26). No es de la Palabra de Dios, pero me gusta la canción 'One' de U2 sobre la vida matrimonial: "We've got to carry each other (tenemos que cargar uno al otro) ... Love is a temple (el Amor es un templo) - a higher law (una ley superior)". Claro, una de las tareas fundamentales de la vida matrimonial es tener hijos. Empieza con el gozo en la cama, pero después viene el desafío de formar a los hijos. El resultado es un gozo tremendo. De hecho, Jesús habla en el evangelio de cómo una madre sufre dolores de parto durante un pequeño rato, ¡pero pronto aparece la 'buena nueva'! Es un símbolo del camino Cristiano para todos. "Pero cuando llega el niño, ni se acuerda del dolor, a causa del gozo de ver un hijo nuevo nacido en el mundo" (Jn 16:21). Es triste ver tantas casas bien construidas y decoradas, pero pocas veces con la auténtica decoración: ¡los hijos! La familia se prepara desde antes de la boda. Como se dice: "Los hijos son concebidos muchos años antes de que nazcan". ¡Está hablando de algo mucho más profundo que la obstetricia que me tocó aprender como médico! Quizá más hijos significan más zapatos sucios pasando por tu bonita alfombra- pero recuerda en qué allí está la auténtica belleza de una casa: ¡en que sea un hogar! He oído de un padre en España que se separó de su esposa y irresponsablemente dejó a su familia, pero tuvo que volver a la casa para recoger unas cosas personales que había olvidado. Su hijo pequeño estaba allí y espontáneamente se abrazó a su pierna y no la quería soltar, y el padre decidió quedarse para siempre. Los hijos estimulan el amor. Orígenes (un escritor Cristiano del siglo 3°), dice que su padre le había dicho que él era un 'sagrario vivo'. Algunos mayores sufren 'el síndrome del nido vacío' - un nido sin el piar de pájaros. Creo que la solución es darnos cuenta de que nuestro nido auténtico es mucho más grande de lo que parece. ¡Cuando dice Isaías "Ensancha el espacio de tu tienda" (Is 54:2), de hecho se dirige a la mujer estéril! Dar vida supone mucho más que la 'fecundidad' biológica. Hemos visto en la misión, que muchas rupturas matrimoniales son frutos de búsquedas de felicidades mundanas mentirosas. Y cuando la búsqueda buena es revitalizada, el matrimonio es sanado. Las riquezas mundanas pueden ayudar, pero también pueden obstruir. La cifra de nacimientos (por año por mil) en el Reino Unido ha bajado de 28 al principio del siglo XX, hasta 12 en 2000 a causa del aumento de la contracepción y del nivel de vida. Esto es una pobreza. Pero sigue alta en los países económicamente pobres - por ejemplo, en Nigeria 37, Bangla Desh 35, y en Uzbekistán 30. En 2002, en Europa occidental, 1 de cada 3 recién nacidos era de padres no casados, y 1 de cada 5 tenía el padre ausente. En 1990, en 1 de cada 20 casos no estaban casados - se ha multiplicado por 6. Al hablar del matrimonio en el Evangelio de hoy, Jesús abraza a los niños, y al pedirnos a todos ayuda, de hecho está abrazándonos a nosotros también. Comulgamos la hostia 'consagrada' hoy sabiendo que Cristo nos quiere ver a todos 'consagrados', y es para que de verdad nos pueda llamar a todos 'hermanos y hermanas' (segunda lectura - Heb 2:11). Jesús no se opone al divorcio como un legalista frío, sino como amigo que se lamenta amorosamente; y eso está simbolizado por la Cruz en nuestras iglesias. Pero es una Cruz que llega hasta la resurrección. Como dice la segunda lectura: Cristo lleva a muchos hijos a la gloria por su sufrimiento. ¡El Amor es victorioso! El fruto del parto es buena nueva, y aquello es 'prólogo' del mejor Buena Nueva de todo (Evangelio). El Amor de Dios será muy fecundo en todos nosotros, y ¡dará luz a una vida eterna! Pensando en niños, siempre me acuerdo de este chiste: Un niño preguntó a su madre: "¿Porqué es Papá tan calvo?" y ella respondió: "Porque es muy listo e inteligente". El niño siguió: "Entonces ¿cómo es que tú tienes tanto pelo?"! Empezamos la misa confesando pecados, y eso me hace pensar en como una simple palabra podría ser la curación de tantos problemas en el matrimonio: “Perdóname”. Si no se perdonan marido y mujer cada día, el matrimonio acaba como un verdadero infierno. Requiere humildad sin embargo creo que con misericordia un matrimoio se puede convertir en un auténtico Cielo. ¡También yo doy gracias hoy para haber tenido una gran Mamá y Papá! ............ Dara.
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