Friday of the Nineteenth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 417
Lectionary: 417
Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,
summoning their elders, their leaders,
their judges and their officers.
When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people:
"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
In times past your fathers, down to Terah,
father of Abraham and Nahor,
dwelt beyond the River and served other gods.
But I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the River
and led him through the entire land of Canaan.
I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac.
To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.
To Esau I assigned the mountain region of Seir in which to settle,
while Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
"Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and smote Egypt with the prodigies
which I wrought in her midst.
Afterward I led you out of Egypt, and when you reached the sea,
the Egyptians pursued your fathers to the Red Sea
with chariots and horsemen.
Because they cried out to the LORD,
he put darkness between your people and the Egyptians,
upon whom he brought the sea so that it engulfed them.
After you witnessed what I did to Egypt,
and dwelt a long time in the desert,
I brought you into the land of the Amorites
who lived east of the Jordan.
They fought against you, but I delivered them into your power.
You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them,
the two kings of the Amorites, before you.
Then Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab,
prepared to war against Israel.
He summoned Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you;
but I would not listen to Balaam.
On the contrary, he had to bless you, and I saved you from him.
Once you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho,
the men of Jericho fought against you,
but I delivered them also into your power.
And I sent the hornets ahead of you that drove them
(the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites,
Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites)
out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow.
"I gave you a land that you had not tilled
and cities that you had not built, to dwell in;
you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves
which you did not plant."
summoning their elders, their leaders,
their judges and their officers.
When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people:
"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
In times past your fathers, down to Terah,
father of Abraham and Nahor,
dwelt beyond the River and served other gods.
But I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the River
and led him through the entire land of Canaan.
I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac.
To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.
To Esau I assigned the mountain region of Seir in which to settle,
while Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
"Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and smote Egypt with the prodigies
which I wrought in her midst.
Afterward I led you out of Egypt, and when you reached the sea,
the Egyptians pursued your fathers to the Red Sea
with chariots and horsemen.
Because they cried out to the LORD,
he put darkness between your people and the Egyptians,
upon whom he brought the sea so that it engulfed them.
After you witnessed what I did to Egypt,
and dwelt a long time in the desert,
I brought you into the land of the Amorites
who lived east of the Jordan.
They fought against you, but I delivered them into your power.
You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them,
the two kings of the Amorites, before you.
Then Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab,
prepared to war against Israel.
He summoned Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you;
but I would not listen to Balaam.
On the contrary, he had to bless you, and I saved you from him.
Once you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho,
the men of Jericho fought against you,
but I delivered them also into your power.
And I sent the hornets ahead of you that drove them
(the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites,
Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites)
out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow.
"I gave you a land that you had not tilled
and cities that you had not built, to dwell in;
you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves
which you did not plant."
Responsorial
PsalmPS 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22
AND 24
R. His
mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever;
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his mercy endures forever;
Give thanks to the LORD of lords,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
Who led his people through the wilderness,
for his mercy endures forever;
Who smote great kings,
for his mercy endures forever;
And slew powerful kings,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
And made their land a heritage,
for his mercy endures forever;
The heritage of Israel his servant,
for his mercy endures forever;
And freed us from our foes,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever;
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his mercy endures forever;
Give thanks to the LORD of lords,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
Who led his people through the wilderness,
for his mercy endures forever;
Who smote great kings,
for his mercy endures forever;
And slew powerful kings,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
And made their land a heritage,
for his mercy endures forever;
The heritage of Israel his servant,
for his mercy endures forever;
And freed us from our foes,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
AlleluiaSEE 1 THES 2:13
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Receive the word of god, not as the word of men,
but, as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Receive the word of god, not as the word of men,
but, as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 19:3-12
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying,
"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?"
He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning
the Creator made them male and female and said,
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, man must not separate."
They said to him, "Then why did Moses command
that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?"
He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts
Moses allowed you to divorce your wives,
but from the beginning it was not so.
I say to you, whoever divorces his wife
(unless the marriage is unlawful)
and marries another commits adultery."
His disciples said to him,
"If that is the case of a man with his wife,
it is better not to marry."
He answered, "Not all can accept this word,
but only those to whom that is granted.
Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so;
some, because they were made so by others;
some, because they have renounced marriage
for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."
"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?"
He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning
the Creator made them male and female and said,
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, man must not separate."
They said to him, "Then why did Moses command
that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?"
He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts
Moses allowed you to divorce your wives,
but from the beginning it was not so.
I say to you, whoever divorces his wife
(unless the marriage is unlawful)
and marries another commits adultery."
His disciples said to him,
"If that is the case of a man with his wife,
it is better not to marry."
He answered, "Not all can accept this word,
but only those to whom that is granted.
Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so;
some, because they were made so by others;
some, because they have renounced marriage
for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."
For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Stephen of Hungary,
please go here.
Meditation: "What
God has joined together"
What
is God's intention for our state in life, whether married or single?
Jesus deals with the issue of divorce by taking his hearers back to the beginning of creation and to God's plan for the human race. In Genesis 2:23-24 we see God's intention and ideal that two people who marry should become so indissolubly one that they are one flesh. That ideal is found in the unbreakable union of Adam and Eve. They were created for each other and for no one else. They are the pattern and symbol for all who were to come. Jesus explains that Moses permitted divorce as a concession in view of a lost ideal. Jesus sets the high ideal of the married state before those who are willing to accept his commands.
Jesus deals with the issue of divorce by taking his hearers back to the beginning of creation and to God's plan for the human race. In Genesis 2:23-24 we see God's intention and ideal that two people who marry should become so indissolubly one that they are one flesh. That ideal is found in the unbreakable union of Adam and Eve. They were created for each other and for no one else. They are the pattern and symbol for all who were to come. Jesus explains that Moses permitted divorce as a concession in view of a lost ideal. Jesus sets the high ideal of the married state before those who are willing to accept his commands.
Whether
married or single - be consecrated for the Lord
Jesus, likewise sets the high ideal for those who freely renounce marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Both marriage and the single life are calls from God to live a consecrated life, that is to live as married couples or as singles who belong not to themselves but to God. Our lives are not our own, but they belong to God. He gives strength, joy, and blessing to those who seek to follow his way of holiness in their state of life. Do you seek the Lord Jesus and his grace for your state of life?
Jesus, likewise sets the high ideal for those who freely renounce marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Both marriage and the single life are calls from God to live a consecrated life, that is to live as married couples or as singles who belong not to themselves but to God. Our lives are not our own, but they belong to God. He gives strength, joy, and blessing to those who seek to follow his way of holiness in their state of life. Do you seek the Lord Jesus and his grace for your state of life?
"Lord
Jesus Christ, your call to holiness extends to all in every state of life.
Sanctify our lives - as married couples and as singles - that we may live as
men and women who are consecrated to you. Make us leaven in a society that
disdains life-long marriage fidelity, chastity, and living single for the
Lord."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Don't separate what God has joined
together, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"Then he showed that it is a fearful thing to tamper with this law. When establishing this law, he did not say, 'Therefore, do not sever or separate' but 'What God has joined together, let man not separate.' If you quote Moses, I will quote the God of Moses, and with him I am always strong. For God from the beginning made them male and female. This law is very old, even if it appears human beings have recently discovered it. It is firmly fixed. And God did not simply bring the woman to her husband but ordered her also to leave her father and mother. And he not only ordered the man to go to the woman but also to cling to her, showing by his way of speaking that they could not be separated. And not even with this was God satisfied, but he sought also for another greater union: 'for the two shall be one flesh.'" (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 62.1)
"Then he showed that it is a fearful thing to tamper with this law. When establishing this law, he did not say, 'Therefore, do not sever or separate' but 'What God has joined together, let man not separate.' If you quote Moses, I will quote the God of Moses, and with him I am always strong. For God from the beginning made them male and female. This law is very old, even if it appears human beings have recently discovered it. It is firmly fixed. And God did not simply bring the woman to her husband but ordered her also to leave her father and mother. And he not only ordered the man to go to the woman but also to cling to her, showing by his way of speaking that they could not be separated. And not even with this was God satisfied, but he sought also for another greater union: 'for the two shall be one flesh.'" (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 62.1)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, MATTHEW 19:3-12
Weekday
(Joshua 24:1-13; Psalm 136)
Weekday
(Joshua 24:1-13; Psalm 136)
KEY VERSE: "So they are no longer two, but one flesh" (v. 6).
TO KNOW: The Pharisees deliberately tried to involve Jesus in controversy in order to entrap him. At one point they questioned him about his views on the grounds for divorce. In effect, the Pharisees asked Jesus whether he favored the strict view of the school of Shammai, which held that a man could divorce his wife if he found "some indecency in her" (Deut 24:1). Shammai made it clear that "indecency" meant fornication, and a wife could be put away for no other cause. Or did Jesus favor the laxer view of the school of Hillel that divorce could be obtained on the most trivial of grounds? Jesus said, although Moses permitted divorce in certain instances, this was not God's original purpose when man and woman were joined into "one body" (Gn 2:24). What God united, no one should divide. The disciples were astonished by Jesus' strict interpretation of the law, and they asked if it was better to remain celibate. Jesus replied that not everyone had been given this special "gift from God" (1 Cor 7:7). While some embraced celibacy "for the sake of the kingdom" (Matt 19:12), everyone should serve God by following their unique call.
TO LOVE: Do I live my vocation as a sign of Christ's commitment to his Church?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be faithful to my call.
Optional Memorial of Saint Stephen of Hungary
Stephen, the first Christian King of Hungary, was born in 975 AD and died in 1038. He was a son of the Hungarian chief Géza and was baptized, together with his father, by Archbishop Saint Adalbert of Prague in 985. On this occasion, he changed his pagan name Vajk to Stephen. In 995, Stephen married Gisela, a sister of Duke Henry of Bavaria, the future Emperor Saint Henry II, and in 997 succeeded to the throne of Hungary. In order to make Hungary a Christian nation and to establish himself more firmly as ruler, he sent Abbot Astricus to Rome to petition Pope Sylvester II for the royal dignity and the power to establish episcopal sees. The pope acceded to his wishes and, in addition, crowned him as king on August 17, 1001. In 1031, his only son, Emeric, lost his life on a boar hunt. Thus, Stephen's cherished hope of transferring the reins of government into the hands of a pious Christian prince was shattered. At Stephen’s death, he was buried beside his son and both were canonized together in 1083. The Holy Crown of Saint Stephen and other Coronation Jewels are national relics, and are on display in the Parliament of Hungary, in Budapest.
Friday 16 August 2019
Day of Penance
Joshua 24:1-13. Psalm 135(136):1-3, 16-18, 21-22, 24. Matthew
19:3-12.
His love is everlasting – Psalm 135(136):1-3, 16-18, 21-22, 24.
‘So they are no longer two, but one flesh.’
The response to the psalm ‘his love is everlasting’ is
translated in another place as ‘his mercy endures forever.’ This meeting of
love and mercy is a helpful prism for understanding Jesus’ teaching about
divorce, marriage and celibacy in today’s gospel.
Jesus affirms that a loving and faithful marriage is a
manifestation of the kingdom of God. This being said, it is God’s faithfulness
in accompanying us as human beings is the ground on which any of our human
faithfulness may be built. Be it living out our commitment to God within a
religious community, within a searching or dedicated single life, or with our
beloved, we all draw upon the inexhaustible spring of God’s love and mercy.
This living water gives us what we need to thrive, to hear the call to fidelity
in our own circumstances, and to respond generously how we can.
Saint Stephen of Hungary
Saint of the Day for August 16
(975 – August 15, 1038)
 |
| Imre Varga’s statue of Saint Stephen I, Apostolic king of Hungary, 1993, along the cathedral, Aachen, Germany |
Saint Stephen of Hungary’s Story
The Church is universal, but its expression is always
affected—for good or ill—by local culture. There are no “generic” Christians;
there are Mexican Christians, Polish Christians, Filipino Christians. This fact
is evident in the life of Stephen, national hero and spiritual patron of
Hungary.
Born a pagan, he was baptized around the age of 10, together
with his father, chief of the Magyars, a group who migrated to the Danube area
in the ninth century. At 20, he married Gisela, sister to the future emperor, Saint
Henry. When he succeeded his father, Stephen adopted a policy of
Christianization of the country for both political and religious reasons. He
suppressed a series of revolts by pagan nobles and welded the Magyars into a
strong national group. He asked the pope to provide for the Church’s
organization in Hungary—and also requested that the pope confer the title of
king upon him. He was crowned on Christmas day in 1001.
Stephen established a system of tithes to support churches and
pastors and to relieve the poor. Out of every 10 towns one had to build a
church and support a priest. He abolished pagan customs with a certain amount
of violence, and commanded all to marry, except clergy and religious. He was
easily accessible to all, especially the poor.
In 1031, his son Emeric died, and the rest of Stephen’s days
were embittered by controversy over his successor. His nephews attempted to
kill him. He died in 1038 and was canonized, along with his son, in 1083.
Reflection
God’s gift of holiness is a Christlike love of God and humanity.
Love must sometimes bear a stern countenance for the sake of ultimate good.
Christ attacked hypocrites among the Pharisees, but died forgiving them. Paul
excommunicated the incestuous man at Corinth “that his spirit may be saved.”
Some Christians fought the Crusades with noble zeal, in spite of the unworthy
motives of others.
Today, after senseless wars, and with a deeper understanding of
the complex nature of human motives, we shrink from any use of
violence—physical or “silent.” This wholesome development continues as people
debate whether it is possible for a Christian to be an absolute pacifist or
whether evil must sometimes be repelled by force.
Saint Stephen of Hungary is the Patron Saint of:
Bricklayers
Hungary
Hungary
Lectio: Matthew 19:3-12
Lectio Divina
Friday, August 16, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty and ever-living God,
Your Spirit made us Your children,
confident to call You Father.
Increase Your Spirit within us
and bring us to our promised inheritance.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Your Spirit made us Your children,
confident to call You Father.
Increase Your Spirit within us
and bring us to our promised inheritance.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 19:3-12
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying,
"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?"
He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator
made them male and female and said, 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, man must not separate." They said to him, "Then why did
Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss
her?" He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses
allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say
to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries
another commits adultery." His disciples said to him, "If that is the
case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." He answered,
"Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted.
Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they
were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake
of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."
3) Reflection
Context. Up to chapter 18 Matthew has shown how the
discourses of Jesus have marked the different phases of the progressive
constitution and formation of the community of disciples around their Master.
Now in chapter 19, this small group withdraws from the territory of Galilee and
arrives in the territories of Judea. The call of Jesus that involves His
disciples advances more until the decisive choice: the acceptance or rejection
of the person of Jesus. Such a phase takes place along the road that leads to Jerusalem
(chapters 19-20), and finally with the arrival in the city and at the Temple
(chapters 21-23). All of the encounters that Jesus experiences in the course of
these chapters take place during this journey from Galilee to Jerusalem.
• The encounter with the Pharisees. Passing through Transjordan (19:1) the first encounter is with the Pharisees and the theme of Jesus’ discussion with them becomes a reason for reflection for the group of the disciples. The question of the Pharisees concerns divorce and challenges Jesus. The Pharisees want to accuse Jesus because of His teaching. Matthew considers it “testing Him,” “a way of tempting Him.” The question is really a crucial one: “Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatsoever?” (19:3). The malicious attempt of the Pharisees to interpret the text of Deut 24:1 to place Jesus in difficulty does not escape the attention of the reader: “Suppose a man has taken a wife and consummated the marriage, but she has not pleased him and he has found some impropriety of which to accuse her, he has, therefore, made out a writ of divorce for her and handed it to her and then dismissed her from his house.” This text had given cause, throughout the centuries, for innumerable discussions: to admit divorce for any reason whatsoever; to request a minimum of bad behavior, is a true adultery.
• It is God who unites. Jesus responds to the Pharisees having recourse to Gen 2:24, which presents the question about the primary will of God, the Creator. The love that unites man to woman, comes from God and because of its origin, it unifies and cannot be separated. If Jesus quotes Gn 2:24: “This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife and they become one flesh” (19:5), it is because he wants to underline a particular and absolute principle: it is the creating will of God that unites man and woman. When a man and a woman unite together in marriage, it is God who unites them; the term “coniugi” - couple – comes from the verb joined together, to unite, that is to say, that the joining together of the two partners sexually is the effect of the creative word of God. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees reaches its summit: marriage is indissoluble from its original constitution. Jesus continues this time drawing from Mal 2:13-16: to repudiate the wife is to break the covenant with God and according to the prophets this covenant has to be lived, above all, by the spouses in their conjugal union (Hos 1-3; Isa 1: 21-26; Jer 2:2; 3:1,6-12; Ezek 16; 23; Isa 54:6-10; 60-62). Jesus’ response appears as a contradiction to the Law of Moses which grants the possibility of granting a writ of divorce. To justify His response Jesus reminds the Pharisees, “If Moses gave this possibility it is because you were so hardhearted” (v. 8), more concrete, because of your lack of acceptance to the Word of God. The Law of Gen 1:26; 2:24 had never been modified, but Moses was obliged to adapt it to an attitude of indocility. The first marriage was not annulled by adultery. To contemporary man, and particularly to the ecclesial community, the word of Jesus clearly says that there should be no divorces. Nevertheless, we see that there are; in pastoral life divorced people are accepted. The possibility of entering into the Kingdom is always open to them. The reaction of the disciples is immediate: “If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is advisable not to marry” (v. 10). Jesus’ response continues to uphold the indissolubility of matrimony, impossible for the human mentality but possible for God. The eunuch of whom Jesus speaks is also not the one who is unable to generate but the one who, separated from his wife, continues to live in continence. He remains faithful to the first conjugal bond: he is a eunuch as regards all other women.
• The encounter with the Pharisees. Passing through Transjordan (19:1) the first encounter is with the Pharisees and the theme of Jesus’ discussion with them becomes a reason for reflection for the group of the disciples. The question of the Pharisees concerns divorce and challenges Jesus. The Pharisees want to accuse Jesus because of His teaching. Matthew considers it “testing Him,” “a way of tempting Him.” The question is really a crucial one: “Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatsoever?” (19:3). The malicious attempt of the Pharisees to interpret the text of Deut 24:1 to place Jesus in difficulty does not escape the attention of the reader: “Suppose a man has taken a wife and consummated the marriage, but she has not pleased him and he has found some impropriety of which to accuse her, he has, therefore, made out a writ of divorce for her and handed it to her and then dismissed her from his house.” This text had given cause, throughout the centuries, for innumerable discussions: to admit divorce for any reason whatsoever; to request a minimum of bad behavior, is a true adultery.
• It is God who unites. Jesus responds to the Pharisees having recourse to Gen 2:24, which presents the question about the primary will of God, the Creator. The love that unites man to woman, comes from God and because of its origin, it unifies and cannot be separated. If Jesus quotes Gn 2:24: “This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife and they become one flesh” (19:5), it is because he wants to underline a particular and absolute principle: it is the creating will of God that unites man and woman. When a man and a woman unite together in marriage, it is God who unites them; the term “coniugi” - couple – comes from the verb joined together, to unite, that is to say, that the joining together of the two partners sexually is the effect of the creative word of God. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees reaches its summit: marriage is indissoluble from its original constitution. Jesus continues this time drawing from Mal 2:13-16: to repudiate the wife is to break the covenant with God and according to the prophets this covenant has to be lived, above all, by the spouses in their conjugal union (Hos 1-3; Isa 1: 21-26; Jer 2:2; 3:1,6-12; Ezek 16; 23; Isa 54:6-10; 60-62). Jesus’ response appears as a contradiction to the Law of Moses which grants the possibility of granting a writ of divorce. To justify His response Jesus reminds the Pharisees, “If Moses gave this possibility it is because you were so hardhearted” (v. 8), more concrete, because of your lack of acceptance to the Word of God. The Law of Gen 1:26; 2:24 had never been modified, but Moses was obliged to adapt it to an attitude of indocility. The first marriage was not annulled by adultery. To contemporary man, and particularly to the ecclesial community, the word of Jesus clearly says that there should be no divorces. Nevertheless, we see that there are; in pastoral life divorced people are accepted. The possibility of entering into the Kingdom is always open to them. The reaction of the disciples is immediate: “If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is advisable not to marry” (v. 10). Jesus’ response continues to uphold the indissolubility of matrimony, impossible for the human mentality but possible for God. The eunuch of whom Jesus speaks is also not the one who is unable to generate but the one who, separated from his wife, continues to live in continence. He remains faithful to the first conjugal bond: he is a eunuch as regards all other women.
4) Personal questions
• With regard to marriage, do we know how to accept the teaching
of Jesus with simplicity, without adapting it to our own choice to be
comfortable?
• The evangelical passage has reminded us that the design of the Father for man and for woman is a wonderful project of love. Are you aware that love has an essential law: it implies the total and full gift of one’s own person to the other?
• The evangelical passage has reminded us that the design of the Father for man and for woman is a wonderful project of love. Are you aware that love has an essential law: it implies the total and full gift of one’s own person to the other?
5) Concluding Prayer
God, create in me a clean heart,
renew within me a resolute spirit,
do not thrust me away from Your presence,
do not take away from me Your spirit of holiness. (Ps 51:10-11)
renew within me a resolute spirit,
do not thrust me away from Your presence,
do not take away from me Your spirit of holiness. (Ps 51:10-11)
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