27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B - 4/10/2015 - Gospel: Mk 10:2-12
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When the relationship of a family is unstable everyone in that family will suffer. When you see signs such as poor communication and love for one another is dwindled; the level of care is neglected and members of the family become stranger for one another; they share the same roof but not the same dreams; the house used to be a sweet home is now more or less a boarding house. These signs show that something bad is going to happen to the family relationship unless there is a drastic change and quickly, otherwise disaster will fall. The lack of the sacrificial love is the main reason and this contributes to unstable relationships.
When sacrificial love is taken for granted then hurt and pain follow and then stress and pressure are on the relationship and the feeling of not being loved and respected and unequal treatment arise. The equality treatment between husband and wife is important because it keeps the family going and going well. It manifests through respect and sacrifice. Lack of sacrificial love is caused by poor taking care of that love. When it happens true love disappears and is replaced by selfish demands. Withdraw the blood flow from the true love and the healthy love will eventually die and when it dies it is rather hard to revitalize it. True sacrificial love requires caring for the needs of the other first and that makes love growth and flourish. When true love dies people escape through the gate of divorce. That road is painful and lengthy in its process. The marriage may end but not its effects and the innocent children suffer and are victimized.
Jesus reconfirms that right from the creation, marriage is a permanent bond and indissoluble and that both a husband and a wife have the same duty to care for it and make it grow stronger. The bond of marriage is intended for the couple to enjoy life and maintain the happiness it brings. It is a safeguard to protect the family from harm, to preserve a healthy relationship and to provide for the children a good and loving environment. How can you once love each other and now you hate each other and make your children suffer? Jesus seems to identify two key problems.
First, the teaching of Jesus is not deep rooted in your heart- the harden of heart and unteachable v.6 Without God's sacrificial love in our heart nothing could maintain a healthy relationship. When the sacrificial love is weak the selfish love will take over and put strain on our relationships. Second, we want to be an adult and want to take control of our own lives, loose the childhood of God in us, and feel free to do whatever we want. God is irrelevant to our decision making. We ignore prayer and the sacraments and the spiritual life. Instead of trusting in God we trust in our own wisdom and allow the selfish love to run our lives.
When sacrificial love is taken for granted then hurt and pain follow and then stress and pressure are on the relationship and the feeling of not being loved and respected and unequal treatment arise. The equality treatment between husband and wife is important because it keeps the family going and going well. It manifests through respect and sacrifice. Lack of sacrificial love is caused by poor taking care of that love. When it happens true love disappears and is replaced by selfish demands. Withdraw the blood flow from the true love and the healthy love will eventually die and when it dies it is rather hard to revitalize it. True sacrificial love requires caring for the needs of the other first and that makes love growth and flourish. When true love dies people escape through the gate of divorce. That road is painful and lengthy in its process. The marriage may end but not its effects and the innocent children suffer and are victimized.
Jesus reconfirms that right from the creation, marriage is a permanent bond and indissoluble and that both a husband and a wife have the same duty to care for it and make it grow stronger. The bond of marriage is intended for the couple to enjoy life and maintain the happiness it brings. It is a safeguard to protect the family from harm, to preserve a healthy relationship and to provide for the children a good and loving environment. How can you once love each other and now you hate each other and make your children suffer? Jesus seems to identify two key problems.
First, the teaching of Jesus is not deep rooted in your heart- the harden of heart and unteachable v.6 Without God's sacrificial love in our heart nothing could maintain a healthy relationship. When the sacrificial love is weak the selfish love will take over and put strain on our relationships. Second, we want to be an adult and want to take control of our own lives, loose the childhood of God in us, and feel free to do whatever we want. God is irrelevant to our decision making. We ignore prayer and the sacraments and the spiritual life. Instead of trusting in God we trust in our own wisdom and allow the selfish love to run our lives.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia