1 Kings 19:9,11-16
Psalm 26(27):7-9,13-14
Matthew 5:27-32
BE A SIGN OF THE TRINITARIAN LOVE IN THE WORLD
Among the sacraments, the commitment made at marriage is more than a wish; It is a covenant, a profound promise, a solemn oath. It is something more sacred than almost any other promise: a solemn promise witnessed by the Church-the people of God and God himself.
No wonder, Jesus considers divorce to be contrary to God’s will to the point of suggesting self-mutilation metaphorically.
Let us think about children born of the vowed marriage. When divorce happens—often because of adultery—let us reflect on the thousands of books written by adults whose memoirs detail the lifelong pain that resulted from their parent’s divorce. Divorce scars the psyches of children and their adult selves.
It engenders brutal destruction: the destruction of their belief system, trust in other human beings, confidence, and one’s entire belief system. The children might witness their role-modeling parents disintegrate into shallow versions of themselves. They can feel abandoned entirely for a lifetime.
The feelings inside the mind, heart, and soul might be illustrated as the pillars of Parenthood crumbling in front of their eyes. The ground has collapsed. There is no longer any centeredness.
If we truly consider what Christ has said concerning divorce in marriage and compare it with the great numbers of divorces and family disintegration in the world of today would it not be better to prevent the devastation on our children by tearing out an eye or cutting off a hand? Let us pray for Christian marriages that parents should remain firm together whether in good times or bad times.
Fr Joseph Osho
