No Hard Hearts in Marriage

Mark 10: 1-12
Sir 6:5-17 / Psa 119

For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, `God made them male and female.’
(Mark 10:5-6)

Thorns of divorce and adultery,
Aim to destroy the family;
God gave marriage for man and wife,
Nothing must break this bond for life.

Jesus set out and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again; and again, as his custom was, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and dismiss her.” But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 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. What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” (Mark 10: 1-12)

Reflection

The institution of marriage is the most important choice that a man and a woman can make in their entire life. As in the other two major milestones in a man’s life (birth and death), it is supposed to be permanent (should happen only once, unless the partner dies). The only difference is that God gives us the privilege to make all the choices — who, when and where to marry – before we take the ‘ultimate plunge’.

Unfortunately, due to man’s “hardness of heart” – in his selfish desire to be in control, and unwilling to surrender his cherished freedom of choice, divorce was invented (by man) as an escape hatch. Before marriage, as the adage aptly puts it, “love is blind, and lovers cannot see the petty follies that they themselves commit.” The lovers’ hearts are tender for each other, and even soft as putty to be formed by each other’s charms. But when they are already living with each other, and reality sets in to reveal each other’s real personality, their hearts begin to undergo some transformation, sometimes for the better, but more often for the worse. The faults that we see in our spouse cause our heart to harden, unless we temper it with respect, understanding and forgiveness.

It is true that marriage is made in heaven, because Christ Himself instituted this sacrament. But it is lived here on earth, and unless we make our pledge “for better, for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death” not only to our spouse, but also to Jesus Christ, our commitment may only last as long as our infatuation, or until the romance dies out. More than “ownership of each other’s heart”, or the “sealing of our love for all time,” the true purpose of marriage is to fulfill our life in God’s plan of procreation, and in the process to experience divine love in the purity of this bond. But this can only be attained if both husband and wife persevere in their commitment of fidelity, remaining chaste for each other as God willed it. God’s command in the book of Proverbs says it so beautifully: “Drink the water from your own cistern, fresh water from your own well. Don’t let your fountains flow to waste elsewhere, nor your streams in public streets or for strangers, so that your fountainhead may be blessed.” (Prob.5:15-17)

For our union to become “heaven on earth”, Jesus its High Priest must be in the center of our marriage, reflecting the image of the Holy Trinity in its love and bonding. Husbands must always keep the words of Jesus in mind: that it is often our “hardness of heart” that affects our loving relationship with our wife. We should be more considerate to our spouses, “realizing that the woman is of a more delicate nature” (1Pet.3:7). Having been married for more than four decades, I am convinced that our love for each other is not of our own making, but is a gift from God. It must be divine in nature, because it seems to grow stronger through the years. We constantly thank God, our Father for His gift of love.

We will serve You, Lord all the days of our lives, for You have blessed our marriage with Your love, and nothing we do can ever be enough to express our gratitude to You. Amen.

Don’t Take It for Granted

Mark 9: 41-50
Sirach 5: 1-8 / Psa 1

I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
(Mark 9: 41)

Never drive away from your door
The poor, the sick, the unwanted;
Might be Christ we choose to ignore,
What if He takes us for granted?

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” (Mark 9: 41-50)

Reflection

In one noontime mass we attended, the celebrant asked the parishioners if they were aware that a miracle had happened that day. Answering his own question, he said simply, “You woke up this morning. That’s the miracle.” His point was if not for the grace of God in our lives, we could just as well be one of those statistics snuffed out by a giant cyclone, an earthquake, a tsunami, a terrorist’s bomb, or by the number one killer in the world today, a heart attack. But we were all safe and healthy in that peaceful house of God, witnessing and partaking of another miracle, the transformation of an ordinary bread into the living Body of our Savior. And we never gave it a thought; we just took it all for granted.

We are thankful for a glass of cold water offered on a hot afternoon, but just as easily take the favor for granted afterwards. But Jesus said He will not forget — that person “will certainly not lose his reward.” In the same manner, we may not give pause to the kind of example we show to the “little ones” – the insignificant people in our lives, like our servants in the house, the office janitor or lowly clerk, the fruit vendor at the corner street, the beggar knocking on our car window, or even our own children. But it is our very attitude towards these “little people” – whether we build up their hope in a loving God, or tear it down by our prejudice and indifference — that will determine our standing with God. We can never take their presence in our lives for granted, because Jesus is in every one of them.

As Christian leaders, we have a grave responsibility to build up the faith of subordinates or people over whom we have influence, directing them towards the kingdom of God. We can do this by having a forgiving spirit, by honest business dealings (Be Honest Even if Others are Not!), by kind and encouraging words we speak, by being generous to those who seek our help, and by sharing the Word of God to the spiritually famished. These are the little things that matter, that we must never take for granted, because God can use them to make miracles in other peoples’ lives.

Last, but certainly not the least, we must never take the danger of sin lightly. In fact, Jesus tells us to treat it ruthlessly. Better to be maimed and blind in life, than be whole and end up in hell. Thus we must cut off all worldly practices in our life: what we do, where we go, and what we see (pornography?) How unfortunate for many, that these are the things they just take for granted.

Instill in us the fear of hell and the hope of heaven, dear God, so that we may see each day in our life as a miracle of Your loving grace, and strive to live according to the Gospel values of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

By His Grace Alone

Mark 9:38-40
Sir.4:11-19 / Psa 119

There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. 40For whoever is not against us is for us.
(Mark 9:40)

Your grace alone is what we need
To give us strength when trials increase;
But no sacrifice or good deed
Can make us worthy of Your peace.

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow us.” 39But Jesus said, “Do not stop him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. 40For whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:38-40)

Reflection

We can only imagine how exasperated Jesus must have been when in the middle of His talk on service and humility, his favorite apostle interrupted Him to boast that they had stopped “someone casting out demons in your name” because that person was not of their company. It seemed John was not listening to His teaching at all. As their teacher, Jesus could have reprimanded John by telling him, “Who told you to stop anyone doing good in my name? Why are you acting proudly like the Pharisees, exalting yourself just because you have been given the power to cast out demons?” Instead, Jesus patiently explained to His apostles that “whoever is not against us is for us.” He wanted them to know that His love was not exclusive, but all-encompassing.

John and the other apostles must have thought that they alone had the authority to perform miracles in Jesus’ Name. They believed they had the exclusive “license to cast out demons” issued by the Messiah. They must have forgotten that earlier, Jesus had sent out 72 of His disciples to different towns and villages (Lk.10:1,9) which He intended to visit, giving them power to heal the sick. One of them could have been empowered to expel evil spirits.

James Baldwin, a Black American writer and civil rights activist in the 1960’s once wrote, “Nobody is more dangerous than he who imagines himself pure in heart; for his purity, by definition, is unassailable.” Sometimes we need to be reminded that we are all sinners, and only by the grace of God can our hearts be made pure. As St. Augustine of Hippo said of grace: “(It) is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.” St. Paul was well aware of the danger of feeling “saved” by our works when he wrote, “Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our sins… For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Eph.2:4,8)

Jesus taught His apostles (and us) by His words and actions that in every opportunity we must humbly reach out to others to share our faith with them. We must never be critical of their religious practices nor be envious of their spiritual growth. Grace is freely given so that our faith may be freely shared. And no matter how far we have gone in our faith journey, we must never be proud of what we have gained or understood. As the Holy Book says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Prov.3:5-6) Never by our own efforts but only by God’s grace are our ways made righteous, leading us to God’s kingdom.

Lord God, keep us always aware of the danger of feeling worthy of Your grace and salvation because of our good works. Instead, Lord, convict us of our unworthiness, so that we may always seek Your help and protection from the snares of the evil one. Please grant us this grace, in Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

Welcoming the Little Children

Mark 9: 30-37
Sir 2: 1-11/ Psa 37

Whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me; and whoever receives me does not receive me but the One Who sent me.
(Mark 9:37)

Blessed are the poor and the meek,
Unlike the proud, God hears their call.
Those who serve the small and the weak
Are in God’s eyes greatest of all!

They left that place and traveled through Galilee. But He did not let anyone know where they were. He was teaching His disciples, telling them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise.” But they did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it. They came to Capernaum, and once inside the house, He asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child whom He placed in their midst. Then, taking the child in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me; and whoever receives me does not receive me but the One Who sent me.” (Mark 9: 30-37)

Reflection

There were three things that our Lord Jesus was intent on accomplishing in the three years of His ministry: spreading the Good News of salvation and the kingdom of heaven, healing the people from disease and the dominion of Satan, and forming the spiritual character of His followers, especially His apostles. This last was the most important as He was leaving the formation of His Church to them. This was the reason why there were times when our Lord did not want the crowds to know where they were, to give Him precious time to teach them, especially about His mission.

The task of making the apostles understand His mission and vision was not going to be easy, as they seemed to have a different mindset about what being successful in life was really all about. In fact, their perspective of becoming a good leader was going in the opposite direction. They could not understand what Jesus was talking about when He said He was going to be killed by men, and “after three days will rise again.” They were afraid to ask, because His dying was a horrifying prospect for them, like a patient fearful of being told by his doctor that he had malignant cancer. Instead, they would rather discuss among themselves who would occupy the highest position when the Messiah finally established His kingdom in Jerusalem. They were like little children, who were more concerned about what they wanted for themselves, but quite innocent about the real purpose that Jesus had called them to accomplish.

A short time ago, they were wondering why they could not drive out an evil spirit from a boy. Jesus had told them that they needed to be more prayerful (Mk.9:29). They had become so self-important about their power to heal and drive out demons that they had forgotten to attribute this power to God through prayers. Their taste of power had made them proud, and Jesus had to remind them about being humble and being “last, and the servant of all.” He showed them His love for the “little ones” by embracing a child in their midst, telling them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me,” and His Father as well.

Who are the “children” that Jesus is talking about? It is those who are helpless and vulnerable, who are weak and underprivileged, who are totally dependent on others for their very survival, even compromising their dignity as human beings. Our new pope, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, said he chose the name “Francis” after St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, who was once a rich man, but embraced poverty to become a voice for the poor. At last we have a true servant of God who is opening the doors of the Church to welcome the child that our Lord Jesus is talking about in this Gospel. He said he wants the Church to be “of the poor, for the poor.” Pope Francis is known for his simple and humble lifestyle, and his call for us to minister to the poor may be the most important development in the Catholic Church in this second millennium. Let us heed his call… Who knows? Peace and justice may finally begin to reign on earth.

Father of love and mercy, thank You for Your message of receiving the little people into our lives, as our Lord Jesus has implied in today’s Gospel. Thank You also for giving us Pope Francis, whose leadership in our Church may finally herald the coming of Your kingdom here on earth. May it be so, in Jesus’ holy Name we pray. Amen.

Faith Before Healing

Mark 9: 14-29
Sir 1:1-10 / Psa 93

“Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
(Mark 9:23-24)

Why do I seek only to believe
After I have received the gift?
My faith is weak in this life I live,
Lord, take away my unbelief.

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and some scribes arguing with them. As soon as the people saw Jesus, they were utterly amazed and ran to greet Him. “What are you arguing with them about?” He asked. A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” “O faithless generation,” Jesus replied, “how long will I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” He answered, “From childhood. It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” (Mark 9:14-29)

Reflection

This Gospel passage seems to be showing the human side of Jesus. He was getting impatient with the slow development of His apostles’ faith. Coming down from the mountain where He was apprised of His nearing crucifixion, Jesus knew He didn’t have much time left with His apostles. It was obvious to Him that His apostles were not able to exorcise the evil spirit from the boy because they were more concerned with their power to heal and exorcise (to ‘show’ those skeptical scribes) than to ask the Father in prayer and to show compassion to the father and his distressed son. Our Lord showed His compassion by asking the father about the history of his son’s evil possession. He was also able to draw out what little faith the father possessed. Lack of faith prevented the apostles from exorcising the evil spirit, while what little faith the father of the boy showed was enough to bring about God’s miracle.

Jesus shows us again that having faith is more important than being healed. And having gifts of the Holy Spirit (like healing) does not necessarily mean that we have a strong faith either. In all instances, we must turn to God in prayer, whether to ask for somebody’s healing or to be exorcised of an evil influence. When a brother in our community decided it was time to stop his heavy smoking habit, he turned to God for help, and surrendered his addiction to Him in prayer. He said he could not believe that it seemed almost effortless, without any withdrawal effects. It was at that time when he saw that only God can help us overcome all our addictions. And then his greater spiritual healing followed. He is now a renewed Christian and non-smoker.

Father God, we are always besieged by the demon of doubt; please cure us of our unbelief, and all attachments (addictions) in this world, so that our faith may grow more intensely, and we may become closer to You. Amen.

Each Called to Serve

John 21: 20-25
Acts 28: 16-20, 30-31 / Ps 11: 4, 5 and 7

This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
(John 21:24)

Lord, there’s only one thing You desire:
To be faithful in good times or tough;
For lofty posts let me not aspire,
To serve You is privilege enough.

Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, who had reclined close to his chest at the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” Follow me!” So the word spread among the brethren that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, ““What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be described, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. (John 21: 20-25)

Reflection

It cannot be denied that St. John was the favorite apostle of Jesus. He was the only one who could recline close to the chest of Jesus, and to whom the Lord revealed who was going to betray Him. He was the only apostle who stayed with Jesus in Calvary, and to whom Jesus entrusted His mother Mary. St. Peter knew this, and wondered what role St. John would be undertaking, since he (Peter) was the one tasked by the Lord to “take care of My sheep.” So Jesus answered him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” (Jn.21:22)

On the part of St. John, his own words in this Gospel were a self-fulfilling prophecy, when he wrote: “So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die” (he was talking about himself), because he was the only apostle who did not suffer martyrdom like the rest of his compatriots. He died at an advanced age, in exile in the island of Patmos, where it is believed he wrote his Gospel.

St. Peter had no cause to worry about God’s plan for St. John, because even if he was the apostle closest to Jesus’ heart, it was St. Peter who was destined to be the leader of the Twelve and head of the early Church. St. John knew his part, and was even subservient to St. Peter (Jn.20:3-8). He, however, would have a greater impact on the future Christian world, for he was commissioned by the Holy Spirit to write the ‘Gospel of Love’.

All of us who are called to serve have different roles to play in God’s plan of salvation. It is not the position or responsibility given to us that matters in the eyes of God, but our willingness and commitment to serve Him. As we say in the renewal, more important than our ability is our availability. Whether one is a leader in Christ’s organization or a follower, we are all equally important in His Mystical Body. As St. Paul explains, “No one must think of himself more highly than others, but with a sober mind consider each one according to the faith that God has apportioned. For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually, parts of one another” (Rom.12:3-5).

Heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for the gift of brotherhood, for being called to serve in a community sanctified in the Name of Jesus our Lord, and constantly empowered and guided by Your Holy Spirit. Preserve it Lord from intrigues and personal ambition, which are works of the evil one. Help us to persevere in our appointed tasks. Amen.