Our Lady Of Good Counsel

“The verse quoted above from our First Reading this 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time presents the original. plan of God about the union of man and woman, certainly called Marriage. It is validated by the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel. He makes it clear the indissolubility of marriage when He says that what God has joined together, no human being must separate. In Marriage, God unites man and woman in an unbreakable bond of loving intimacy and togetherness.

One of the highlights of Pope Francis’ apostolic journey to the United States in 2015 was the World Meeting of Families. He recognized the value of families and posed an inspiration to us as a nation and the whole world what it takes to bring up a family. He had this to say,

“Before He created the world, God was in love, because God is love. The love He had within himself, the love between the Father and the Son, in the Holy Spirit, was so great, so overflowing – I’m not sure if this is theologically precise, but you will get what I am saying – that love was so great that God could not be selfish. He had to go out from himself, in order to have someone to love outside of Himself. So, God created the world. God made this wonderful world in which we live and which, since we are not too smart, we are now in the process of destroying. But the most beautiful thing God made – so the Bible tells us – was the family. He created man and woman. And He gave them everything. He entrusted the world to them: “Grow, multiply, cultivate the earth, make it bear fruit, let it grow”. All the love He put into that marvelous creation, He entrusted to a family.” (Address of the Holy Father at the B. Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia on September 26, 2015)

Marriage has to be seen in the light of what God intended to be in the beginning and in the light of the dignity of the human person. It entails commitment, fidelity, truthfulness, respect and unity. It is knitted in love, strengthened by it and nourished by it.

It is also worthy to note that this month is called Respect Life Month. Every aspect of human life starts from a wonderful loving relationship between spouses knit by God’s blessings, that is in the Sacrament of Matrimony. At the moment that spouses make their vows expressing themselves to be faithful to one another in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do them part, it
empowers them to journey in life and faith with God, with one another and with their children.

There are many attempts today to change the view on marriage. But Christian tradition maintains its position based on the teachings of Christ and not based on human understanding and acceptance of marriage. This Sunday’s readings invite us to ask ourselves and our society and to look for ways to strengthen and value Marriage and the Christian family. ╬