Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 3, 2021
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 140
Reading I
The LORD God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him."
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep,
he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib
that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
"This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called 'woman, '
for out of 'her man’ this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.
Responsorial Psalm
- (cf. 5) May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
May you see your children's children.
Peace be upon Israel!
R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
He "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels, "
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.
He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated
all have one origin.
Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers.”
Alleluia
- Alleluia, alleluia.
If we love one another, God remains in us
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,
"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?"
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?"
They replied,
"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her."
But Jesus told them,
"Because of the hardness of your hearts
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.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate."
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
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 people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
"Let the children come to me;
do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it."
Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.
OR:
The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,
"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?"
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?"
They replied,
"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her."
But Jesus told them,
"Because of the hardness of your hearts
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.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate."
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
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."
Reflection: FIDELITY OF GOD: THE MODEL OF FAITHFULNESS IN MARRIAGE
Divorce is like cancer increasing every day. Half the marriages end in divorce particularly among those below forty, affecting their children and families. Children from broken families suffer from intense grief, mental problems, dropout early from School, get sexually abused, and take up to crime and substance abuse. Hence divorce is a major concern for the family, Church and the state today. The Scripture challenges the spouses to imitate the fidelity of their ever-faithful God. Genesis explains God's original plan concerning sex and marriage that God made man and woman for each other, sharing the same strengths (bone) and weaknesses (flesh). The second reading reminds us that Jesus became one of us, bonding us to each other and to God. The Gospel gives us Christ's explicit teaching on marriage and divorce, the Divine origin of marriage, the sacredness of family life and the indissolubility of marriage. The family life is sacred, a permanent relationship and the spouses are partners with equal rights (CCC #2334). Destruction of the family is destruction of the society. Jesus prohibits divorce. The original intention of God was to provide a lover, a helpmate for lifetime. Hence, no man must separate what God had joined together. Marriage is a contract (sacred and legal) between a man and woman. A valid marriage is permanent. The husband and wife bring to the marriage their strengths and weaknesses, loves and hates, hurt and wounds, hopes and fears. Hence, the spouses learn to accept each other as they are: two imperfect and vulnerable human beings. They are God's gift to each other. They must learn to heal the wounds resulting from their weaknesses. The spouses need to work hard to create a good marriage. Marriage demands that they become the right persons for each another. It means a union based on commitment, sharing and forgiveness. It takes a lot of mutual trust and adjustments; generosity and good will to forgive and forget, strengthened by God's blessings. We must also exercise compassion to the divorced and troubled families. Finally be conscious of the dangers of the modern culture of cohabitation: a life of pleasure without responsibility and commitment.