Word: True disciples of Jesus bear the nature and character of a child.
Order: “Let the children come to me, do not prevent them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these!”(Mk 10:14b)
Reflection:
The readings for the month of October start with the beautiful story of creation which clearly manifests the Lord’s infinite and unconditional love for mankind. In the beginning, God created man, but saw that it is not good for him to be alone. So “He took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord made a woman from the rib.”The man said, “This is now bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman,”(Gen 2:18-23). “That is why a man leaves his Father and Mother, clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh(Gen 2:24).
Even before the beginning of recorded history, virtually every society and major religion have fostered and protected marriage as the framework of society’s most basic institution: the family. It is an institution that nurtures, protects and civilizes children. This is the reason the Church, specifically our own BLD Community, strongly supports the traditional Christian marriage and the doctrine of indissolubility of the marital bond. We believe that the family must be strong so that the basic building block of society or Christian community may stand firm. While this reflection was being written, no less than the Holy Father, Pope Francis, who was in the United States on a pilgrimage, was pleading with the American nation to push for the protection of family life.
In the gospel of Mark (10:7), God deals with unmistakable clarity about the sanctity of marriage: “Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” In the view of many, the recent passage of the RH Bill is a threat to the sanctity of Christian marriage. There is perhaps reason to fear that in the near future, another law might be enacted allowing same-sex marriage. Are we, then, to abolish marriage as we know it? As BLD members and as true disciples of Jesus, what are we going to do about it?
We Christians are often made to feel intolerant for not going along on critical issues like divorce or same-sex marriage. We are viewed as too orthodox, intolerant and unmindful of the reality around us. Others even try to intimidate us into silence by accusing us of bigotry. We need to speak out – to explain how these secular interventions can harm us all.
As Jesus has always pointed out, we need true disciples who, fired by the Holy Spirit, will have the boldness to speak the truth. The Bible is replete with instances when Jesus exhorts his disciples to be childlike in faith the face of widespread opposition to our belief in Christian marriage. We are to trust and submit to the Lord implicitly by bearing the true nature and character of a child – sinless, pure, innocent, gentle, submissive and totally dependent on someone’s care (Mark 10-15),
In the Gospel of the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mark writes about Jesus response when asked by the Pharisees, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” The Pharisees added,“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,” (Mk 10:5). In the same Gospel, Mark narrates that in the course of the discussion with His disciples, Jesus noticed that some people were bringing children to Him that He might touch them, but the disciples rebuked the children. However Jesus said, “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,” (Mk 10:13-15). In a way, Jesus was telling His disciples not to prevent anyone from approaching him, especially children, for indeed, the kingdom of God is for the childlike.
Our community theme for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time continues along the same lines: We bear the nature and character of a child when we are detached from worldly possessions. When Jesus said in Mark 10:21,“You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven; then come, follow me,” He was actually posing a challenge to the rich young man (and to us) to become His true disciple. He demands a change of heart not ruled by money. There is an old saying that goes something like this, “I was complaining that I have no money to buy branded shoes like Bally or Florsheim, until I saw a man without feet!” Indeed, we should count our blessings and remember that God’s abundant blessings are for us to share with those in need.
Our community theme for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time: We bear the nature and character of a child when we serve with humility. We can only be humble if we entrust ourselves totally to God and acknowledge Him, not only as the source of our strength, but our very own strength, for without Him we are nothing, and can do nothing.
Finally, our theme for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time is – We bear the nature and character of a child when we have the courage to witness our faith.
A handsome young man told his fiancée, “I want a big wedding.” The couple wrote their own vows, picked out a wedding cake, and planned a Boracay honeymoon. They omitted only one detail: a marriage license. They couldn’t get one because they are both men. Is it unjust for a government to refuse to authorize same-sex “marriages”?
In The Clash of Orthodoxies, a Princeton philosopher wrote that the matrimonial law reflects a moral judgment: “that marriage is inherently heterosexual, monogamous, and permanent – a union of one man and one woman”. This judgment is based on the understanding, both biblical and natural law, that marriage is a two-in-one-flesh communion of persons. “This communion is consummated and actualized sexually – that is, by acts that are meant to be reproductive, whether or not they result in children. They unite the spouses as a single procreative unit – an organic unity achieved even by infertile couples. Only a mated pair can be a complete organism capable of human procreation.”
In contrast, homosexual acts have no connection to procreation and can’t unite persons organically. As a result, these acts can’t be marital – which means relationships integrated around them can’t be marriages. In a similar vein, same-sex partners are physically incapable of marriage. It takes a man and a woman to become “one flesh”.
Our secular friends may say, “Okay, that’s your definition of marriage. But why should you be allowed to impose your views on everyone else?” It is a must therefore for our BLD community disciples to be ready with additional non-religious arguments to support traditional marriages. For instance, if we expand the meaning of marriage to include same-sex unions, on what grounds could we legitimately oppose marriages of three or more persons, or weddings between siblings?
If supporters of same-sex marriage succeed, marriage will be reduced to nothing more than a legal contract between any two individuals based solely on feelings. True marriage would be abolished, and the damage to our society would be irreparable.
Central to the marital issue being faced by our community is the challenge to all our servant leaders in the BLD community to take an active part and start wearing their spiritual armors and arming themselves with hope, charity and faith. We should have the boldness to speak with confidence about the mystery of the marital gospel. We need to pray twice as hard for our brothers and sisters in the western world and other countries where divorce and same-sex marriages are an existential reality.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus help, not only the Filipino family, but families throughout the Christian world. Help those who toil for their daily sustenance. We lift up to you the couples who are in turmoil, on the verge of separation; we bring before you, broken families, siblings who are lost and confused.Lord, give us the courage to be salt and light in the world and to speak up for your truth, regardless of the consequences. Teach us to internalize in our minds and in our hearts the true nature of discipleship – the nature and character of a child. Amen.
Mama Mary, intercede for us and give us your mantle of protection. Amen.
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