October 3rd - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Gen 2:18-24; Heb 2:9-11; Mk 10:2–16)

The first reading for this weekend goes back to the creation of the first woman, and the recognition by God that “it is not good for the man to be alone.” The creation of woman, bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, like him and yet not him, finally resolves this. God creates this couple as a partnership. By the time of Moses, however, divorce was common enough that Moses gave instructions as to how it was to be handled. The husband had to give his wife a bill of divorce to dissolve the marriage. The legal document protected the woman from being accused of adultery and allowed her to remarry under the law. St. Joseph, finding that Mary was with child, intended to divorce her following this law; it was only at the prompting by an angel in a dream that he was convinced not to. Now Jesus had said in the Sermon on the Mount that anyone who divorces is committing adultery, so the Pharisees press Him on this. After all, Moses, by setting up rules for divorce, has basically allowed it. Jesus doesn’t answer whether it is legal – only restates in strong terms that it is not what God intended. How refreshing it must have been for Him when people were bringing their children to Him – no wonder He was indignant when the disciples tried to keep them away! Jesus points out that it is these children (rather than the Pharisees?) who should be the model for all of us to aspire to.

• In Pope Francis’s "Amoris Laetitia" (“the joy of Love”) the pope emphasizes that life is more complicated than religious law. He notes that Jesus set forth a demanding ideal for his followers — but "never failed to show compassion and closeness to the frailty of individuals.” How do you understand the Church’s teaching on marriage?
• If we truly lived God’s original plan for marriage, do you think true happiness would be possible for everyone?
• God recognized it was not good for man to be alone, yet not everyone is called to married life. Are those who are called to be single not in need of that partnership? Or what fulfills that role for them?