If...Then

~~~Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~ Genesis 2:18-24 ~~ Psalm 128 ~~ Hebrews 2:9-11 ~~ 

~~~ Mark 10:2-16 ~~~

...what God has joined together,

no human being must separate.

Traditional marriage between one man 

and one woman 

has recently been challenged.

God made each man and each woman

 in his likeness...

to love and serve him...

to be loved by him...the creator.

Same sex couples are given

 the same blessings by God.

Marriage to me will always mean 

a union between man and woman..

male and female. 

It is the concept and interpretation 

of the word marriage that I want to preserve.

The union between two persons of the same sex 

may certainly be blessed by God,

but perhaps we should have called

 this union something special...a new word.

We create new words for the English language every year.

By using the same word it seems 

to imply that it is the same relationship...

clearly it is a completely unique and different relationship.

May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.

The Lord blesses all the days of our life no matter who we are...

no matter who we love.

He also blesses us throughout our lives.

We receive blessings for each stage of our life,

for at each stage we need different blessings.

Blessings to find the right partner...

Blessings to grow together in relationship...

Blessings to foster and rear a family...

Blessings for our aging years...

Blessings for the surviving spouse.

These are just a few of the days of our lives.

If we love one another, God remains in us

and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This verse gives us much to for reflection.

This is an 'if...then' verse...

cause and effect.

Love is the critical link...

If we do not love all people than God's love 

can not be brought to perfection in us.

God is love.

We have this same love in us..

how can we deny it to others?

This post only reflects my personal perspective

on the meaning of marriage.

It is not meant to judge or condemn anyone.

God blesses all the days of your life

just as he blesses the days of all of his creatures...

men and women.

~~~Peace~~~

Joined by God

~Twenty - seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time~

 

~~~ Genesis 2: 18-24 ~~~ Psalm 128 ~~~ Hebrews 2:9-11 ~~~ Mark 10: 2-16 ~~~

 

The Genesis reading and Mark's gospel provide

bookends of the readings today.

God created man and woman to be together.

God created man and then woman from the beginning of creation.

The beauty of the union of marriage between a man and a woman

can be traced all the way back to the Genesis writings.

 

"...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."

 

When a man and a woman are joined in marriage they become one...

they complete one another.

This is no way dismisses the single life.

This in no way implies the celibate life to be missing something.

 

For our lives to be spiritually complete

we must acknowledge the presence of God.

If God is not present in our lives,

 whether in the single or married state,

 we will be lacking.

 

Moses perhaps was responding to pressure when he decided

to allow divorce to become acceptable.

Unfortunately in our society today divorce is more

often the rule than the exception.

 

Remaining faithful to your marriage vows is certainly challenging.

Some even say today that monogamy is not possible.

That somehow it is not normal, I disagree.

 

It is clear from the beginning that God had a hand

in the male female connection.

It seems clear to me that when a couple forgets to keep

God in their marriage they are jeopardizing their union.

 

 

If you are in a marriage find a way to include God.

Make God an integral part of your relationship.

 

Statistically married men live longer.

I will go out on a limb here and speculate that having a woman

in a man's life is a good thing. 

 

Pray together as often as you can.

Ask God to guide you in your decisions as a couple.

Remember to put the other person first in your marriage.

The Sacrament of Marriage is one of love.

Marriage should exemplifiy God's love for us

just as we love our spouse.