Beautiful Tension

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 10:2-16.

The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,

"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" 

They were testing him.

He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?" 

They replied,

"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce

and dismiss her."

But Jesus told them,

"Because of the hardness of your hearts

he wrote you this commandment. 

But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 

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,

no human being must separate." 

In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. 

He said to them,

"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another

commits adultery against her;

and if she divorces her husband and marries another,

she commits adultery."

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,

but the disciples rebuked them.

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. 

Amen, I say to you,

whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child

will not enter it."

Then he embraced them and blessed them
placing his hands on them.

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Reflection

The Church has always upheld the dignity of Marriage as a divine institution that unites man and woman. The beautiful thing about marriage is that it is not just a choice made by both man and woman. Jesus pointed out that Divine Will deigned to unite man and woman in marriage: “... what God has joined.” This points out to us the unitive nature of God. He unites all things together.

Young people often ask what are the signs of doing God’s Will. God’s Will seeks to bring out unity and harmony in all things. Love unites the many into one. It makes something beautiful out of differences. It transforms contrast into complementarity. With man and woman made differently, God has designed their differences to make a beautiful whole.

God is not in discord but He exists in the beautiful tension of complementary unity. Especially in marriage, where the man and woman find themselves different more than the same, there God is working to bring out the complete face of His love. Human love must learn to live with beautiful tension in order to learn what divine love is all about.

A Wholeness of Unity and Integrity

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48.

At that time, John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ, 
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"

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Reflection

A tribal mentality runs the risk of alienating others just because they are different from us. The disciples thought that they were an exclusive club of disciples empowered by Jesus. Jesus reminded them that the work of God is bigger than human associations. God works through all and in all, and transcends human boundaries. After all, the Spirit, like the wind, goes wherever it wills.

God works and saves humanity in its wholeness. He relates to each one of us regardless of color, gender, age, shape, or size. His working hand does not splinter into the diversity of humankind, but unites them in His Son. Though different, all of us are united in One Faith in Jesus. In the same way that the diverse is united in one, so must each member be singular in his own discipleship.

As individual Christians, we are called to unity not only with others but above all ourselves. Christian discipleship is a single-hearted act. Not one part of us should withheld our full communion in Jesus. We all belong to Christ, different though we are. We all belong to Christ, in all that we are.

The Real Face of Glory

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 9:30-37.

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it. 
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” 
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?” 
But they remained silent.
They had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest. 
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” 
Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”

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Reflection

Jesus was prophesying His Passion and Death to His disciples to prepare them for His moment of glorification. Sadly, the Twelve were blinded by their concept of glory they preoccupied themselves with ascendancy over the rest. Jesus’ message was lost in their ambitions.

Jesus then sat down, the pose for a teacher, to point out to them the real face of glory. Real glory is found in real service. It is the service epitomized in the image of the suffering Jesus on the cross. It a service that exacts the payment of one’s life. In dying on the cross, Jesus served everyone His life. The Twelve had to understand this well.

The Servant of all gave us an example of humility, a humility that can only come from a child, from the Son. For while he was at the top of the mount of Calvary, He did not sit there as King but one who was at the bottom carrying the weight of the world. The glory of God is found in Jesus’ service of love. Like He did with the Twelve, Jesus calls us to follow His example.