27 Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings:

• Genesis 2:18-24. The creation of man and woman, their vocation to become two in one flesh and to be suitable partners for each other.
• Hebrew 2:9-11. Jesus is perfected through suffering and tastes death for all. So, he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
• Mark 10:2-16. Jesus prohibits divorce and remarriage and compares the kingdom of God to those who are like little children.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

As we consider this week’s reading we are invited to reflect on the concept of relationship. In many ways the heart of the Gospel message is relationship: the relationship between Jesus and the Father, the relationship between God and humanity, the relationship between us and the rest of humanity. This week we are reminded of the most intimate level of this dynamic through the image of husband and wife. In the Gospel Jesus protects this radical moment of relationship where two “become one flesh,” a relationship we understand as marriage.

When people generally consider this aspect of relationship it is usually envisioned with weddings, a united and happy family, a man and wife happily aging together. Marriage evokes attitudes of happiness and joy. It is usually affiliated with the concept of love. As one reads the first reading or the Gospel passage all these images, attitudes and values will probably surface. And yet, in the second reading a very different image of suffering is sandwiched between the other two readings. This is not an accidental insert.

The Christian spirituality of the cross always reminds us that the deepest level of relationship is often born out of the fire of self sacrifice. To love God, to love your neighbor as yourself, to love your spouse and your family these are all powerful moments of relationship, but ultimately they call us to sacrifice our own selfish passions for the good of others. Christian mystics like St. Paul of the Cross have understood this within the concept they called the Mystical Union. Jesus’ mission is to cement the damaged relationship between God and humanity through the ultimate self sacrificing covenant when he suffered and died for our sake. Like Jesus we are called into a deep and meaningful relationship with God the Father and all humanity. But also like Jesus we are called to sacrifice ourselves to lift up our own brothers and sisters.

In comprehending this Mystical Union it is important for us to place His Passion within the context of society. To be in an intimate relationship with the Father meant to be at the service of all humanity. This uncompromising lifestyle was not consistent with the social structures of the Roman era and I will argue that it is not consistent with the social structures of our day. Society did to Jesus then as it did to the prophets before him and as it continues to do the saints of our own day. But as God vindicated Jesus within the social “culture of death” God continues to vindicate those of us who live to sacrifice ourselves for the common good. And thus the second reading tells us that “Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters.”

Marriage and family is the foundational unit of our society. In the eyes of our church society is build around this unit. This is the principle unit within which we are called to live a life of self sacrifice. In marriage we have the opportunity to express a form of this mystical union that we are called to have with God. Like marriage, mystical union is ultimately where one can and does experience happiness and joy. The mystics like St. Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Mother Theresa and St. Paul of the Cross found their ultimate enlightenment by pursuing the Divine Will. But in pursuing this Divine Will they slowly had to shed away their own personal will, their own ideals and goals, their own wants and needs, all this was sacrificed for the ultimate good. Within our own family dynamic we experience this mystical moment. Many times we face moments where we have to sacrifice our own wants and desires. Once children are on the scene this mystical moment becomes elevated. But as the family grows together there will be moments when the ultimate meaning of one’s own purpose becomes clearly understood within the context of this family.

Our own experience within this unit should help inform us of our personal relationship with God. Our own relationship with God may not be as tangible as marriage. But if we allow ourselves to be sacrificed in faith (keeping in mind the great sacrifice that Jesus made for us, in faith) then we will begin to find the same great and powerful meaning that the mystics found. In faith we must learn to soften our own passions, expectation, and ideals for what we want from our own society. We must learn to sacrifice this on the altar of the Divine Will and receive from God’s own concept of what is Good and Just.

Questions for your Reflection:

• What set of attitudes and expectation do we have as we consider our own marriage or community unit? Are these attitudes self serving or are they serving the family dynamic?
• How can we come to understand the image of Christ suffering for us within our own role within our own family or community? How can we understand this image in our own role within society?
• Take the time to evaluate your own social values and ideals. How are these values formed and whom do they serve? Do they promote your own good in the midst of the social reality, or do they promote a good that is other than your own?