In God's Design of Marriage, the couple mirrors God's love

In God’s design of marriage, the couple mirrors God’s love.

Last Sunday’s Gospel reminded us not to cause or lead the “little ones who believe” in Jesus to sin.  Those who are guilty of scandal are considered the real “enemies.” Thus, it is better for such people to “be thrown into the sea with a millstone around their necks” so as to prevent further harmful infliction on the other believers.  Today’s Gospel continues to remind us in a deeper way of the meaning of “little ones.”  We know that Jesus cares for all of us unconditionally and lovingly and He wants to show us the way to salvation even in the different stages of our human life.  He gives importance to the little ones who are subjects to danger and being inflicted by the cruelty, maleficence, unjust treatment, or simply abuses of the older ones.  In our family, the one who is most vulnerable and defenseless is not ignored by a parent.  Most of the parents who really love their children will always protect the innocent, the youngest, and the helpless.

Usually in all societies, the little ones are being belittled and taken for granted.  Including the unborn, these small ones for those who do not respect the sacredness of human life, they are a threat to one’s ambition, a burden to the advancement or progress of a nation, an obstacle to the women’s right and freedom. Both in ancient times and today, a child is considered the least important because of being dependent, useless, humanly speaking, and requires extra attention to be cared for.  In so many places today, they are the voiceless and powerless, and most of them fleeing from their countries with adults, become victims of human trafficking and pornography.  Because of a lack of education and opportunities to be able to work, many have nothing to live on; they engage in crimes in order to survive and roam around in the streets and at the mercy of others who might take advantage of them.  Their dignity has been devalued if not reduced like commodities and objects of pleasure.  Everything is attributed to a materialistic society.  There can be no assessment more contrary to the truth, for Jesus says that they cry for justice and the first in the Kingdom of God. 

Another aspect of the Gospel for today that Jesus highlights is His teaching on divorce.  How we should understand this prevailing societal problem should be assessed against the backdrop of the great compassion and concern He has for the little ones in our midst.  One most vulnerable sectors in our society belong to mothers, women, and the youth in particular.  In a society ruled mostly by men, many especially women are constrained to depend on men for their survival and oftentimes being manipulated, exploited, and abused.

Jesus knows the kind of life a married woman has. She leaves her family that protects her and lives in her husband’s home. If abandoned or divorced by her husband, she cannot simply return to her family of origin.  Instead, she looks for someone who will take of her, or else she will be living alone exposed to cruelty and abuse.  Many divorced women end up in prostitution.    The sad and miserable plight of divorced women is obviously not in accord with the will of God.

They are the little ones, too.  Women just like men are very precious in God’s eyes that should be respected because of their vulnerable position in society and in the world.  Children who come from dysfunctional families due to divorce will likely follow their parent’s lifestyle and example. Divorce now becomes an option, not a commitment and decision to be renewed every day.  God from the very beginning designed the union of man and woman in marriage should be indissoluble and unitive, intended to be lifetime partners growing in mutual help and support. 

Moses’ teaching on divorce allows men to divorce their wives due to the hardness of heart. The relationship between husband and wife is the covenant of love with God. God’s blessing bestowed upon the couple ensures the dignity of both men and women, promotes their mutual well-being, and entrusts them with the sacred duty of forming a community of love, respect, and mission to evangelize societies starting in the Christian family which is the domestic Church. Nowadays, men and women live together without the benefit of marriage.  The Church’s teaching on divorce and remarriage is not popular these days. That’s understandable, because today’s culture is more about feelings than faithfulness, and since feelings come and go, why shouldn’t marriages come and go too?

They readily seek an easy way out of an unhappy marriage through divorce.  We need to see marriages amongst the Christian couples, especially those who are tested by time, who live with commitment and sacrifice despite the various challenges of the married state. One day I asked a couple who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary the secret of their happy married life.  Both of them said: their love should be constant forgiveness, never to give up on each other, patience, trust, and respect. 

The Gospel episode on divorce is followed by people who bring children to Jesus to be blessed because it is necessary for the families and couples that their primary duty is to take care of the children which are the fruits of marriage.  The children are the most affected.  They are oftentimes the least considered in their parents’ decision to divorce.

Marriage mirrors God's Love

God is totally involved in all aspects of married life. Since He instituted this vocation of husband and wife to live as one flesh and no longer two, they exist no longer for themselves, but for each other; that’s how God designed it.  If He blessed this bond of marriage for a lifetime, no matter how difficult, tiresome, or burdensome a relationship to maintain and to preserve, God will supply what is needed as long as the couple allows God to teach and sustain them with His grace.  Alone by themselves to handle the challenges and trials, they will never survive, but with God on their side, no matter how difficult the married life could be, their love for each other will prevail as they mirror God’s love for others. 

Let us thank God for showing us the true meaning of marriage and let us pray for all Catholic marriages and families.  Let us continually ask God to give them the grace they need to discover and fulfill their lifetime beautiful vocation that mirror’s God’s self-giving love in this self-centered world.

October is the month of the Holy Rosary