St. Pontian, pope & martyr 

St. Hippolytus, priest & martyr 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Joshua 24:1-13*

(…..) Addressing the people,

Joshua said to them: “Yahweh, the God of Israel, commands me to say to you: Your ancestors lived beyond the Euphrates River － Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor – serving other gods.

But I brought Abraham your father from beyond the Euphrates and led him through the whole land of Canaan. Then I gave him a son Isaac, that he might have numerous descendants. (……)

Then I sent Moses and Aaron to punish Egypt in the way that you know, that you might leave. Then I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued you with chariots and horses as far as the Red Sea.

Then you cried to Yahweh, and he put immense darkness between you and the Egyptians. He made the sea go back on them and they were drowned. You have withnessed a all the things he did in Egypt, and then you lived in the desert for a long time.(….)

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊ 

Matthew 19:3-12

Some Pharisees approached him. They wanted to test him and asked, “Is a man allowed to divorce his wife for any reason he wants?” Jesus replied, “Have you not read that in the beginning the Creator made them male and female,   and he said: Man has now to leave father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body?   So they are no longer two but one body; let no one separate what God has joined.”

 They asked him, “Then, why did Moses command us to write a bill of dismissal in order to divorce?”   Jesus replied, “Moses knew your stubborn heart, so he allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not so in the beginning.  Therefore I say to you: who­ever divorces his wife, unless it be for concubinage, and marries another, commits adultery.”

 The disciples said, “If that is the condition of a married man, it is better not to marry.”   Jesus said to them, “Not everybody can accept what you have just said, but only those who have received this gift.   There are eunuchs born so from their mother’s womb.

Some have been made that way by others. But there are some who have given up the possibility of marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who can accept it, accept it.”

 

 Gospel Reflection：

 Jesus is confronted with a question on marriage by the Pharisees. It is a question as relevant today as it was then. Marriage as an institution is very important. It is what keeps Society stable. A good marriage produces a good family.

Good families produce a good society. And so, all institutions, be they human or Divine in origin must work hard for its preservation. The Pharisees are not bad people as such, though perhaps they do not do enough to guide the people in the right observance of God's law.

Their thinking calcified in time and no fresh insight comes from them. That is why Jesus is irritated by them. They who are supposed to lead people to the truth are a major stumbling block. So what about marriage? Jesus says that some marriages are done in bad faith and can be revoked.

The Church has a process of nullifying a marriage done in bad faith. The rules are stringent. They cannot be used for convenience or at a whim as the Pharisees implied concerning what Moses allowed.  Marriage is a big responsibility. It cannot be embraced half-heartedly.