Breaking Open the Word
October 6
Introduction
Today’s scripture readings are about the bond of love that marriage creates between a man and a woman, a bond that God intends to be permanent. These readings challenge the spouses to practice the fidelity of their ever-faithful God, honoring their holy covenant commitment before him.
In the first reading from Genesis, we hear about the God’s creation of all living things, including man and woman. We think of man as two separate beings (man and woman), but the Hebrews saw one, whole integral being. So when man and woman “become one body: in this reading, the union is total, implying that one is incomplete without the other. In other words, the teaching about the complementary nature of men and women in Genesis is much stronger and more radical than we might think. The thought that woman was taken from man’s side has supported views of male domination in some cultures throughout history. But such a view is not central in this text which emphasizes the complementary oneness of man and woman. “Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” is a proclamation of identity and unity. In any case, only those who insist on a literal interpretation of the story, and ignore the cultural context from which it arose, would insist that superiority of man over woman is divinely revealed. There is no obligation in most Christian churches to take such a position, and no honest thinking person would.
The second reading comes from the letter to the Hebrews, and will continue to do so through the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. This letter was not written by Paul, so the lectionary introduces today’s reading with “A reading from the letter to the Hebrews” without mentioning the name of Paul. We do not know who wrote Hebrews, but it was obviously a scholar and a dedicated theologian.
The central theme of this letter is that Jesus Christ is the fullness of God’s glory, revealing to the world for the first time the true nature of God. In Jesus, we can see God clearly. Jesus is the high priest who accomplished in his self-sacrifice what all other sacrifices could not, the perfection reconciliation between God and humankind.
Gospel Explained
In this passage, belief in the permanency of marriage is based on the teaching of Genesis we heard in today’s first reading, and which Jesus quotes: “They are no longer two, but one flesh.” It is impossible to separate “one flesh”.
The Pharisees test Jesus and they want to find out if Jesus is faithful to God’s laws. Some might also want to make Jesus answer in a way that will set the crowd against him. Jesus exposes their hidden agenda by making them answer their own question. Jesus shifts the dialogue from divorce to marriage. He acknowledges that Moses permitted divorce, but explains that this reflects human failure, not God’s will. God wanted people to act with mutual love and care. Instead, people chose to disregard the needs and desires of others in order to advance their own personal interests. Such sinful choices weaken and sometimes even destroy the bond of marriage.
Today's Theme
Today’s Theme: Become One
God doesn’t want the man to be alone because the man is a social being. People need interpersonal relationships in order to grow toward their full potential. We need to talk with others and form friendships and societies in order not only to survive but to flourish.
Out of concern for the man’s well-being, God searches for a partner for the man. The way in which God creates the woman shows that she shares the same nature and capacity of the man. The animals were formed from the earth, but she has been made of the same stuff, the same material, as the man. Only the man and woman can have a mutually loving and supportive relationship.
A husband and wife strive for unity in every aspect of their lives: emotional, physical, intellectual, spiritual. By giving and receiving from each other as devotedly as possible, they are witness to God’s love in the world.
Theme in our Life Today
The two shall become one flesh expresses the heart of the Bible’s concept of marriage. By entering into marriage, a husband and wife take solemn vows to become permanently one flesh—to love, honor, and cherish one another until they are parted by death.
Two becoming one in marriage means that are striving to always work better together and to understand each other better. We acknowledge the other person's freedom to be their own, authentic, God-given self. We sometimes have to sacrifice in order to accommodate or help the other person. Marriage does not mean you have to agree on everything or that you will each lose your individual purpose but it does mean that we will strive to become a better sense of ourselves and create a “oneness” with God at the center of our marriage. In a world where sin and temptation is all around us, we must strive to become one with our spouse and protect the sanctity of marriage and put our faith in God to provide for our family.
Prepare for Sunday
1. Describe an experience in your life when, because of your trust in a person, you accepted something difficult to understand.
2. How have you lived through the experience of not being accepted by an individual or group?
3. Relate an experience in your marriage or in a close relationship when you felt alone or felt a strong sense of belonging.
4. How has a married couple contributed to your life?
5. How have you helped heal the hurt of someone who has divorced?
PRAYER
Almighty God,
strengthen the unity of those who have entered into marriage.
May peace reign in their hearts and in their home. May they have true friends to stand by them,
both in joy and in sorrow.
May they help and comfort all who come to them in need.
May the blessings promised to the compassionate be theirs in abundance.
After they have served you loyally in your kingdom on earth, welcome them into your kingdom in heaven.
We ask this through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.