The Blessings of Marriage - 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B
 |
| From www.uncutmountainsupply.com |
There's a true story I know about a boy who was in junior high, sitting in his room on an ordinary Saturday morning, when his father walked in the room. His dad began explaining that he and his wife were going through a very difficult
time in their marriage. Particularly,
his work was requiring him to spend a lot of extra time there, and his wife was
upset that he wasn’t around for the family. As he said this, he began crying, and he told
his son that he was sorry for being distant from him and that he wanted to
change. Of course, the son was shocked, but he did what he could to console and embrace his father, to tell him that he forgave him and
that he loved him. The father left the room, and
the son went back to his normal activities, but he never forget his dad's humility in that
moment.
Of course, the son was a bit afraid at that point: what if things
became worse between his parents? Could
this end up in a divorce? But when we hear this story, we might realize that this was instead a moment of hope. The dad could have blamed his boss, his
schedule, or his wife, but instead, he took responsibility for his actions, and
things improved significantly from that time forward. This was a moment of tremendous grace, a
grace that came from Christ Himself.
I want to speak sensitively here because of how often we see
or experience the effects of broken marriages, so what our readings do so
beautifully is to remind us of what marriage is meant to be. We go back to Genesis in the first reading, when
God looks upon solitary man and says, “It is not good for man to be alone.” We all know what loneliness feels like, when
we feel distant and different from others or wonder if anyone really loves
us. In response to this loneliness, God
then puts man back to sleep and draws out the woman from his side, the crowning
moment of His creation. Man and woman,
being different from each other, can come into a lasting union filled with joy,
companionship, and fruitfulness. This perfect
bliss found in the garden doesn’t last forever; it’s ruptured by the original
sin and has been filled with brokenness ever since. However, marriage remains present throughout all
the Scriptures, and Jesus affirms that it means something more than just a
human decision. It’s not like two of our
ancient ancestors suddenly decided to try this out one day, made a wedding cake
from plants, and decided to combine their stone accounts.
Rather, marriage is a sacrament. It is a sign and reality of God’s love given
to humanity. Several times throughout
Scripture, Christ is called the Bridegroom, and the Church is described as
Christ’s Bride, prepared for the eternal wedding feast. Jesus always remains faithful to his Church,
even in her brokenness and weakness.
Just think of all of the ways that Israel turned away from God, or even
how members and leaders of the Church throughout history have failed to live in
Christ’s love. In the midst of all of this,
Jesus does not turn away, but he remains faithful, even unto his death on the
cross, where the blood and water, symbolic of the sacraments of the Church,
come forth from his side. In this same
way, a sacramental marriage is a reminder of God’s faithfulness precisely
because the husband and wife promise fidelity to each other until death, and
God confirms this promise by making them “one flesh.” This is why, as Jesus says, someone who divorces
a spouse and marries another person “commits adultery” because this breaks the
promise of lifelong faithfulness, contradicting God’s design for human love,
and the Catholic Church has remained faithful to this teaching throughout the
centuries.
Of course, this teaching can be difficult; even the
disciples questioned Jesus, “Are you really sure about this?” When this teaching becomes hard, remember
that, as the first reading says, we are never meant to walk alone. When we go through rough times, Satan wishes
for us to remain silent and to not communicate our needs for help, because he
knows that the darkness will grow until disaster occurs. There’s plenty of small things that can build
up over time in relationships – trials of life, work demands, money problems,
disagreements, family issues, technology – that can close couples off to each
other and to the Lord. Instead, we can
step into the light and ask for both God’s grace and the assistance of
others. In our parishes, there are many resources available to help us all grow in healthy love. For instance, the annulment process, when
done well, can be a very healing and liberating time, discovering if something
kept a valid marriage from taking place.
Also, keep in mind that if there’s any sort of serious harm or abuse in
a marriage, safety is the first priority, and we can provide resources to help
bring freedom, justice, and healing when needed. Because we don’t walk alone, all of us can
support families in our parish and in our community, recognizing that no matter
what may have happened in the past, every person can receive now healing,
forgiveness, and grace from God.
We know that we can’t enter into this lifelong commitment on
our own power, but because marriage is a sacrament, it provides significant
grace to those who receive it. It’s
beautiful that this Gospel also includes Jesus blessing the children who came
to him. Picture this: in the sacrament
of marriage, God welcomes his children, his son and daughter, to the altar as
they leave their fathers and mothers, and he unites them together and blesses
them with so many graces. Just as the
husband and bride promise to be with each other for their whole lives, God
promises to them the same thing: that He will be with them always and give forgiveness
and strength when they fall. This helps
the spouses to live in this same spirit of forgiveness and love for each
other. They can pray together each day
as the psalm says, “May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives,” trusting
in the Lord’s continual grace. The boy I described in the beginning saw
this in his own parents; in that moment of crisis, his dad accepted
responsibility and asked for forgiveness, and this dark time became illuminated
with grace as the husband and wife were strengthened in love for each other and for their children.
As we move toward the Eucharist, Christ’s act of sacrificial
love for us, His Bride, I would like to pray from the nuptial blessing for the
sacrament of matrimony. I pray this in
particular for all married couples here and for those in our community, that we
all may ask the Lord to remind us of His faithfulness and eternal love. “And now, Lord, we implore you: may these
your servants hold fast to the faith and keep your commandments; made one in
the flesh, may they be blameless in all they do; and with the strength that
comes from the Gospel, may they bear true witness to Christ before all. And grant that, reaching at last the fullness
of years for which they hope, they may come to the life of the blessed in the
Kingdom of Heaven. Through Christ our
Lord, Amen.”
Comments
Post a Comment