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Gospel Reading for August 16, 2024 – Matthew 19: 3-12
UNWILLING VICTIMS
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.” They said to him, “Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?” He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.” His disciples said to him,”If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” He answered, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”
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“Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.”
For Jesus, divorce is adultery unless the marriage is unlawful. This is because divorce legally allows change of partners, unmindful of the effects this will have on the children of whoever the partners will be. The children become UNWILLING VICTIMS and this is so unfair/unjust because in the first place, they were not given the chance to choose their parents. If their parents are not good, they are stuck up with them until they can be independent of them. But then, when they do become independent of them, they have already acquired all kinds of insecurities resulting to Low self-esteem, Difficulty dealing with their Emotions, Inability to concentrate on their studies, and Having trust issues; These are but a few. How difficult it is to proceed to the future with all these incapabilities. They all add up to a HANDICAP that is almost UNTREATABLE. As it is, children of parents who are separated suffer this much. Legalizing the separation makes the suffering even worse. The children are forced to accept children of new partners of their parents. The children are forced to accept the new partner as a replacement for their parent. Why punish our children with our sins?
Children need to grow up in a healthy family environment if they are to be molded into God’s image and likeness, and if we want them to be a contribution to the world someday. This is why the SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY should not be taken lightly. It is ONLY FOR THOSE who wish and can promise to love each other for a lifetime and are willing to make sacrifices for the loved one and their children, come what may. It is ONLY FOR THOSE who wish to make Christ the center of their sacred union. It is ONLY FOR THOSE who believe in the POWER OF THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY to make the world better.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may you be the model of our families!
