27th Sunday of the Year, B – October 6, 2024.
Readings: Genesis 2:18-24; Ps 127:1-5; Hebrews 2:9-11; Gospel – Mark 10:2-16.
Today’s first reading presents God as a scientist who creates man and woman in his image and likeness to be one and united for life. The second reading relates that Christ endured his passion to bring us to the perfection of his sons and daughters making us God’s brothers and sisters. In the gospel text, some Pharisees who stood on the side of the law put Jesus to the test by asking his opinion concerning divorce.  Jesus turns the discussion into the original plan of marriage in God’s plan – no divorce. He intends to protect the institution of marriage by discouraging divorce which makes children and women, young and vulnerable adults.
Introduction
Beloved in the Lord, the focus of our liturgy this Sunday is on the beauty of Christian marriage. Our readings take us to the original plan of God for man to enjoy a permanent marriage relationship open to offspring for the perpetuation of humans. Our reflection argues in favour of the equality of men and women before God. It redirects our attention to God’s manual for Christian marriage as laid out by Christ in the gospel.
Background & Summary of the Readings
Today’s first reading (Genesis 2:18-24) presents God as a scientist who creates man and woman in his image and likeness to be one and united for life. Being the second creation account, it tells how it took only one day for man to be created, followed by plants and animals, and woman. God is painted as an anaesthesiologist who causes the man to fall asleep after which, he acts like a surgeon by removing one of the man’s ribs to enclose it with flesh.
The second reading (Heb. 2:9-11) relates that Christ endured his passion to bring us to the perfection of his sons and daughters making us God’s brothers and sisters. The text reveals our union with Christ as a marriage relationship that requires covenantal love and fidelity.
In the gospel text (Mark 10:2-16), some Pharisees who stood on the side of the law put Jesus to the test by asking his opinion concerning divorce. In responding to them, Jesus turns the discussion into the original plan of marriage in God’s plan – no divorce. He also showed them how they manipulated the scripture and interpretative tradition to question their claim. By welcoming children and blessing them, Jesus wanted to teach that every Christian marriage full be open to the possibility of having children. Since women and children had little or no rights in the New Testament times, Jesus intends to protect the institution of marriage by discouraging divorce which makes children and women, young and vulnerable adults.
Pastoral Lessons
- Keep to the properties of marriage: Keep to the properties of marriage unity – What God has joined together (Cf. Mark 10:9) and indissolubility (no man must put asunder) (Matthew 19:6; Cf. CIC, can. 1056; CCEO, can. 776 §3) as Christ tells us in the gospel.
- Embrace the ends of marriage: Parents are urged to embrace the ends of marriage – procreation and education of children and the union of spouses.
- Fulfil the functions of family: In Familiaris Consortio,(1981, No.17), Pope Saint John Paul II invited us to observe the fourfold functions of the family – forming a community of persons, serving life, participating in the development of society, and sharing in the life and mission of the Church.
- Protect the institution of marriage: Although it is given that the Church can grant annulment to marriages under Canon Law, Jesus invites us to protect the institution of marriage for the survival of the human race by discouraging divorce.
- Raise Godly Children: Since children are a gift from God, parents ought to raise them according to the teachings of the Church especially as regards faith and morals.
Summary Lines
- Today’s first reading presents God as a scientist who creates man and woman in his image and likeness to be one and united for life.
- The second reading relates that Christ endured his passion to bring us to the perfection of his sons and daughters making us God’s brothers and sisters.
- In the gospel text, some Pharisees who stood on the side of the law put Jesus to the test by asking his opinion concerning divorce.
- Jesus turns the discussion into the original plan of marriage in God’s plan – no divorce.
- Jesus intends to protect the institution of marriage by discouraging divorce which makes children and women, young and vulnerable adults.
Conclusion
We are challenged to cherish the marriage institution and ensure its survival in our age. We are encouraged to pray for those who are not enjoying their marriages because of lack of children and other challenges in life, that through the celebration of this Holy Mass, God would make them smile again by giving them children and taking away their troubles. It behoves couples to form a community of persons, serve life, participate in the development of society, and share in the life and mission of the Church. Christian couples ought to rededicate themselves to the properties of marriage – unity and indissolubility. It is crucial for them to also put the ends of marriage namely unity and good of the spouses and the education of children in perspective while modelling their homes after the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph of Nazareth. Happy Sunday!
