Ezek 16:1-15,60,63 or 16:59-63/Isa 12:2-6/Matt 19:3-12.
Reflection:
(By Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD(Catholic Bishop of Ho, Ghana)
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The question of some Pharisees about divorce in the Gospel Reading provoked a very clear response from Jesus.
The Pharisees to support their option for divorce quoted the Law of Moses.
For the Jews, Moses was a great prophet to whom God gave the Law so he is an authority to be followed.
Apparently, they thought by making reference to Moses they would have Jesus on their side.
Jesus, in the Gospel Reading today, distanced himself from Moses and pointed out to the people that the exception which Moses made to the Law was only because of the inability of the people to follow the law as God prescribed it.
Jesus does not accept any reason for which divorce should be allowed.
He insists on the absolute preservation of marital union.
This is the will of God and anything to the contrary goes against his will.
The reason for the indissolubility of marriage is to be found in the way God created humanity – “male and female he created them”.
In marriage, the union of the two persons is such that they become one and inseparable.
Since that union is sanctioned by God it is not allowed that a human person should put it asunder.
We observe in the response of Jesus the importance of fidelity in human relationships.
It is the expression of God’s love for humanity and if we love God we would not want to fail in our fidelity to him.
Without fidelity, love cannot be authentic and the relationship would be infected by egoism.
God loves us and wants us all to live in his love which is fidelity to him and to one another.
The solution to difficulties does not lie in divorce but in a love that is capable of overcoming the difficulty.
This is the true dignity of the Christian because he is created in the image of God who is faithful at all times. Amen.
