But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 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, no human being must separate."
The Jews from ancient times celebrate the mercy of God who gives us the law. I especially enjoying reading Psalm 119; every verse has a synonym for law. It might be precept, rule, commandment, teaching, word or way. Because it is longest of all the psalms, no one need read it in one sitting. It is an alphabetic psalm, meant to be read from A to Z, paragraph by paragraph, over many days throughout out lives. Always with gratitude that the Lord reveals to his confused and distressed people a way to live in this lawless world.
The first commandment we find in the Bible is
You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die.That statute was immediately violated. So we should not be surprised that God's second commandment is also ignored, dismissed and trashed,
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.What should delight and inspire us is how often the law is observed! By people who cannot imagine living any other way!
The majority of Catholic Veterans I meet in the VA hospital are divorced; some of them, multiple times. But I also meet many who have been married for thirty and forty-plus years, and as many who were widowed after a life-long marriage.
I am not surprised by the number of divorced Catholics. This is the United States, after all, which routinely ignores treaties, agreements and covenants it no longer deems convenient or profitable. Many Americans regard the dollar as infinitely more valuable than the priceless worth of a husband, wife or God's command. Inevitably some Catholics will fall prey to that ideology.
But many Americans -- Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim -- make their vows and keep them. They stood before their families, friends, a minister or judge and said, "I do!" and will not renege.
Rather than bewailing the fact of divorce, which has been with us since the Garden of Eden, we should celebrate those good men and women who practice the art of marriage with the same zeal as the Lord who loves his Church.
They look like ordinary people. And they are in many ways. But their grace is astonishing. They are wonderful in our eyes.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.