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Gospel Reading for June 14, 2024 – Matthew 5: 27-32
THE WHOLE HUMAN FAMILY
Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.
“It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
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In this gospel reading of today, Jesus makes very clear the 6th and 9th Commandment of God. In Mark 10: 6-9, Jesus responded to the Pharisees who tested him on his stand regarding divorce: “. . . at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
The Sacrament of Matrimony is not a whimsical idea of God. It is the basis of the FAMILY, the nucleus of society, whose numbers make up THE WHOLE HUMAN FAMILY, and whose well-being is very important for a healthy society. This is why when one enters into marriage, the couple has to make a solemn vow: “to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy law.” Obviously, the fulfillment of this vow can be done only if the partners have TRUE LOVE for each other, and make Christ the center of their partnership.
For the partnership to succeed, it is imperative for the couple to work on achieving success by developing good communication skills (including listening), patience and understanding, constructive management of disagreements/arguments, accepting differences and forgiving mistakes, recognizing gifts and sharing of skills (instead of competing), honesty (to build trust and confidence in each another), respect, commitment and enjoyment of each other’s company.
Therefore, Divorce is not the solution when couples drift apart. What has to be solved is why couples drift apart. The problem is when the couple or one of the partners think that tying the knot is not the beginning of a life AS ONE but trapping the partner in a relationship for life. A lot of marriages also failed because the couple did not work on it, or the reasons for getting married were wrong in the first place. When one enters into marriage, knowing that Divorce is an alternative, the chances of making the marriage work is less. Moreover, Divorce has so many adverse effects not only on the couple, but their families and relatives, and most especially, on the children – the innocent ones who will be made to suffer for something which isn’t of their own doing. “Studies indicate a concerning correlation between parental separation and a spike in juvenile delinquency. This extends to a range of behaviors such as truancy, early sexual experimentation, substance abuse, and involvement in criminal activities.” It is no wonder that Jesus was against Divorce.
Let us support Bishop Alberto Uy of Tagbilaran City who is urging members of Congress to reconsider the proposed divorce bill and instead focus on promoting policies and programs that support marriage, strengthen families, and protect the well-being of all members of society.
Lord, we ask your Holy Spirit to enlighten the minds of our lawmakers who are pushing for Divorce in the Philippines!
