SUNDAY HOMILY OF 27TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
SUNDAY HOMILY OF 27TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: RETURN TO YOUR ORIGINAL NATURE!
BY: Fr. Augustine Ikechukwu Opara
Gen. 2: 18-24, Ps. 128, Heb. 2: 9-11, Mark. 10: 2-16
The readings today hit a strong note on one of the most abused institutions in our time. This reflection is not to abuse or debase anyone but to state the blatant truths God entrusted to us and the Church. That institution is marriage. Today it is so difficult to speak about marriage because our culture is against God’s idea of marriage. We must be able to speak clearly and yet not condemn anyone.
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Nowadays, people are beginning to believe that living together in a life-long marriage is the exception while being separated or divorced is the ordinary case. Records show that the number of weddings in Catholic Churches has dramatically dropped in most parts of the world. Unfortunately, even a quick divorce does not guarantee peace of mind. Also, it does not even guarantee the success of the next marriage. That is why someone might get married many times and divorce many times. This is simply to prove that divorce is not always the best solution to the problems in marriage. It is important to realize that a marriage is a deep commitment, different from a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship. Marriage is not just a contract or paper agreement. It transcends contract becomes a covenant and is a sacrament.
Why is marriage such a necessary human institution? The answer is simple: it is necessary for the survival of the human race. In the Gospel, quoting the Book of Genesis, Jesus said, “From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female” (Mk 10:6). The man and the woman were intended by God to complement or complete each other (Gen 2:18). And the bond that joins them is love. Love is not just a feeling or emotion; it is about sacrifice. It is a lifelong decision, to stick it out together through thick and thin. This union of man and woman is often expressed in an intimate act. This act naturally brings forth children that ensure the posterity of mankind. And that takes care of all the confusion we create today as marriage, whether ‘Man-United’ or ‘Woman-United’.
Every child has the right to a stable family and a stable family can only be found in a stable marriage and not in the ideologically man-made twisted union. One important fact is that in the end, God is the one who will judge us. His judgment will not be based on the laws of the United States of America, France, or any other country, that legalizes abortion, or United Nations human rights, or any self-opinionated twisted human law. It will be based on the law of God- the law of Love. It is crystal clear in the teachings of Jesus, that divorce is a violation of the law of God.
A man appeared before Frank Caprio for a driving ticket in the Court of Providence. He was accompanied by his wife and his lovely wife never allowed him to respond to any question asked by the Judge. When the Judge tried protesting the man said my wife is right. And the judge quibbled, I guess that is the secret of the success of your sixty-three years of marriage. One thing people need to do today is to say yes. Married couples must be able to say yes to each other. Marriage is not a fifty-fifty relationship; it is a one hundred percent relationship – total self-giving to each other.
My brothers and sisters, God wants us to live in happiness and peace. We sincerely sympathize with all those going through difficult times in their marriages, we pray that God will give them the grace and wisdom to move forward and find peace in their homes. Trouble comes when we turn away from God, and let our selfishness and pride rule our lives. Yes, when we deviate from the original plan of God. Let us bring back God into the center of our homes and families. As Fr Payton reminds us, “The family that prays together, stays together.”
God bless you!
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