Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • October 1 2021 5 9274 Hwy 49/Airport Gulfport, MS 39503 228-863-5525 1-800-880-2446 FAX: 228-863-9612 www.butchoustalet.com Imagine living in a perfect paradise with no depravity, no want, no hardship, no unfulfilled desire, no sickness, suffering, or death; a place where a good thought or word spoken would come into being as a reality. This is the scene in today’s first reading describing God’s creation of the world. After creating everything else, God performed his greatest achievement by creating mankind. And, while the man enjoyed communion with God, life-sustaining food, and dominion over all created things he knew instinctively that something was still missing. Of course, God knew it also and created woman. When the man, Adam, feasted his eyes on the woman, Eve, there was an immediate bond of love. “This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife and the two become one flesh” (Genesis 2:23, 24). But as we know, Adam did not observe God’s command to protect his spouse and even blamed God when asked why he also ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. Adam and Eve fell for the lie of Satan that they could accomplish greater happiness by being equal to or better than God. Satan managed to take their focus and purpose of life from desiring to please God to a thirst for pleasing the flesh. In today’s Gospel, when challenged by the hard-of- heart Pharisees about marriage and divorce, Jesus reiterates God’s intent for marriage to be between a man and a woman and to be indissoluble. To have the ongoing quest for the happiness and well-being of the other and a willingness to subordinate your demands for the other. “Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Mark 10:9) Jesus establishes Marriage as a Sacrament. In case we need a reminder, a Sacrament is a visible sign, instituted by Christ to give grace. Sacraments are signs that point to the presence of Christ among His people. The purpose of the Sacraments is to sanctify (make holy) people, to build up the body of Christ and give worship to God (CCC #1114, #1123). The Sacraments emerged as a distinctive part of the Church’s life as the apostles followed Jesus’ example and carried out his teachings. The Sacrament of Marriage represents a sign of Christ’s love for the Church. “Husbands, love your wife as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25-32). While marriage is the most intimate relationship of love between a man and a woman, at the same time because of our weak human nature and propensity toward self-centeredness, marriage can be the most challenging of relationships. Many today are not only avoiding marriage and missing out on God’s blessing of a committed union, but of those who do marry, fifty percent of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce or separation. This equates to 41% of all first marriages ending in divorce, 60% of second marriages, and 73% of third marriages ending in divorce. Even though God commands that marriage is indissoluble we ignore God and try it our way. So, we have God’s plan which is designed to solidify marriages that last a lifetime by the total and unconditional mutual giving of each to the other, or our plans which are ripe with conditions and do more to promote failure. I was talking to a man who was about to move in with his girlfriend. He showed me a list of six stipulations she had to comply with before he would make the move. I read them and asked, “Where is the list that she gave you?” He laughed and said, “No list, it doesn’t work that way. I pointed out this was all one way with him making all the demands and asked, “What kind of a love relationship is that?” He replied, “Whose talking about love?” Prenuptial agreements and their attitude of commitment with strings attached, are also incompatible to God’s plan. Understandably, people marry because they are in love but what is love? Is it all about the goose bumps, the physical attraction, and satisfying the desires of the flesh? If so, we are reverting to Adam and Eve and the “what’s in it for me mentality.” Statistically, that has not worked well for fifty percent of us. Could God be that wrong about His plan for our well-being and happiness? Consider a scripture passage we hear read at almost every wedding. Most of us know it well. Here it is in the Amplified Bible: “Love is patient and kind (and endures long), Loves is never envious nor jealous, is not boastful or haughty. It is not conceited or arrogant or prideful, it is not rude or act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own way, for it is not self-seeking: it is not touchy, or resentful, it takes no account of an evil done to it -- pays no attention to a suffered wrong. It does not rejoice at injustice or unrighteousness but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything, is ever ready to believe the best of every person. Its hopes are fadeless under anything that comes and endures without weakening. Love never fails or becomes obsolete or comes to an end” -- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Psalm 128 pronounces a blessing on those who fear the Lord. “Fearing the Lord” is really the same thing as keeping his commandments and is part of love, expressed in the practice of charity. Obey the counsels of the Lord, hold fast to his commandments, and trust in his promises” -- St Hilary of Poitiers. We have been created for the glory of God, for our own salvation and the salvation of others. The solution is within us. Each day provides opportunity for faithful love and service to God and those to whom we have made vows. To keep your heart from falling into the category Jesus calls “hard” surrender your rebellious nature, bind yourself to the Holy Spirit’s consuming and purifying fire where you will be more pliable to God’s ways. Will you reject judging another’s actions and instead put more scrutiny on yours? Will you pray more fervently and confidently and mirror Jesus in your relationships? Our continuous yielding to loves “law” softens the heart and revives the spirit of commitment. Deacon Ralph Torrelli lives in Hattiesburg and is assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. Visit his web- site: www.homilypearls.com. 1st Reading: Genesis 2:18-24 Psalm: 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 2nd Reading: Hebrews 2:9-11 Gospel: Mark 10:2-16 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time Love is… Deacon Torrell i Sunday Scripture Commentaries