TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B THEME: Marriage According to God’s Plan
Date: 4 Oct 2015
First Reading
FIRST READING Genesis 2:18-24
“They become one flesh.”
A reading from the Book of Genesis
The Lord God said, “It is no t good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.
The word of the Lord
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia. If we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us. Alleluia.
Responsorial Psalm
RESPONSORIAL PSALM 128:1-6
RESPONSE: May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives
Blessed are all who fear the Lord, / and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat.
You will be blessed and prosper. R
Your wife like a fruitful vine / in the heart of your house;
Your children like shoots of the olive / around your table. R
Indeed thus shall be blessed / the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Sion.
May you see Jerusalem prosper / all the days of your life! R
May you see your children’s children.
On Israel, peace! R
Second Reading
SECOND READING Hebrews2:9-11
“He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin.”
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews
Brethren: We see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower that the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brethren.
The word of the Lord
Gospel
GOSPEL Mark 10:2-16
“What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
At that time: Pharisees came up and in order to test Jesus 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 certificates of divorce, and to put her away.” 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.”
And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus was it he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them: for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in is arms and blessed them, laying hands upon them.
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
REFLECTION
NO SEPARATION
"Therefore let no man separate what God has joined." —Mark 10:9
Jesus does not want husband and wife to be separated. Also, He became indignant at His disciples for separating some children from Him (Mk 10:14). Furthermore, Jesus does not want parents separated from their children. Let no overtime, lifestyle, day care, extracurricular activities, school, or other responsibilities separate what God has joined together. Moreover, Jesus does not want family members separated from each other by TV, overwork, communication breakdown, and independent lifestyles. Jesus even refuses to separate Christians from their enemies (see Mt 13:30).
The Lord does not want sexual relations separated from marriage. In addition, Jesus, the Author of Life (Acts 3:15), does not want sperm and egg separated through contraception or sterilization. He does not want marriage separate from childbearing, nor childbearing separated from making these children disciples for Jesus. The Lord abhors the separation of a newly created human being from the womb of its mother. Let no one separate by abortion baby from mother.
Finally, let no one separate Christians from one another. The Lord has joined us to Him and to one another in Baptism (1 Cor 12:13). We are brothers and sisters in Him. We must live in real Christian community and not in worldly isolation and individualism. Let nothing separate what God has joined.
PRAYER
Father, by my life may I never choose separation from You forever (see Mt 25:32).
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