Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 10
1.	AND rising up from thence, he cometh into the coasts of Judea beyond the Jordan: and the multitudes flock to him again. And as he was accustomed, he taught them again.	Et inde exsurgens venit in fines Judææ ultra Jordanem : et conveniunt iterum turbæ ad eum : et sicut consueverat, iterum docebat illos.	κακειθεν αναστας ερχεται εις τα ορια της ιουδαιας δια του περαν του ιορδανου και συμπορευονται παλιν οχλοι προς αυτον και ως ειωθει παλιν εδιδασκεν αυτους
2.	And the Pharisees coming to him asked him: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.	Et accedentes pharisæi interrogabant eum : Si licet vero uxorem dimittere : tentantes eum.	και προσελθοντες [οι] φαρισαιοι επηρωτησαν αυτον ει εξεστιν ανδρι γυναικα απολυσαι πειραζοντες αυτον
3.	But he answering, saith to them: What did Moses command you?	At ille respondens, dixit eis : Quid vobis præcepit Moyses ?	ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις τι υμιν ενετειλατο μωσης
4.	Who said: Moses permitted to write a bill of divorce, and to put her away.	Qui dixerunt : Moyses permisit libellum repudii scribere, et dimittere.	οι δε ειπον μωσης επετρεψεν βιβλιον αποστασιου γραψαι και απολυσαι
5.	To whom Jesus answering, said: Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you that precept.	Quibus respondens Jesus, ait : Ad duritiam cordis vestri scripsit vobis præceptum istud :	και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις προς την σκληροκαρδιαν υμων εγραψεν υμιν την εντολην ταυτην
6.	But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.	ab initio autem creaturæ masculum et feminam fecit eos Deus.	απο δε αρχης κτισεως αρσεν και θηλυ εποιησεν αυτους ο θεος
7.	For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother; and shall cleave to his wife.	Propter hoc relinquet homo patrem suum et matrem, et adhærebit ad uxorem suam :	ενεκεν τουτου καταλειψει ανθρωπος τον πατερα αυτου και την μητερα και προσκολληθησεται προς την γυναικα αυτου
8.	And they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh.	et erunt duo in carne una. Itaque jam non sunt duo, sed una caro.	και εσονται οι δυο εις σαρκα μιαν ωστε ουκετι εισιν δυο αλλα μια σαρξ
9.	What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.	Quod ergo Deus conjunxit, homo non separet.	ο ουν ο θεος συνεζευξεν ανθρωπος μη χωριζετω
10.	And in the house again his disciples asked him concerning the same thing.	Et in domo iterum discipuli ejus de eodem interrogaverunt eum.	και εν τη οικια παλιν οι μαθηται αυτου περι του αυτου επηρωτησαν αυτον
11.	And he saith to them: Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her.	Et ait illis : Quicumque dimiserit uxorem suam, et aliam duxerit, adulterium committit super eam.	και λεγει αυτοις ος εαν απολυση την γυναικα αυτου και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται επ αυτην
12.	And if the wife shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.	Et si uxor dimiserit virum suum, et alii nupserit, mœchatur.	και εαν γυνη απολυση τον ανδρα αυτης και γαμηθη αλλω μοιχαται
13.	And they brought to him young children, that he might touch them. And the disciples rebuked them that brought them.	Et offerebant illi parvulos ut tangeret illos. Discipuli autem comminabantur offerentibus.	και προσεφερον αυτω παιδια ινα αψηται αυτων οι δε μαθηται επετιμων τοις προσφερουσιν
14.	Whom when Jesus saw, he was much displeased, and saith to them: Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.	Quos cum videret Jesus, indigne tulit, et ait illis : Sinite parvulos venire ad me, et ne prohibueritis eos : talium enim est regnum Dei.	ιδων δε ο ιησους ηγανακτησεν και ειπεν αυτοις αφετε τα παιδια ερχεσθαι προς με μη κωλυετε αυτα των γαρ τοιουτων εστιν η βασιλεια του θεου
15.	Amen I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter into it.	Amen dico vobis : Quisquis non receperit regnum Dei velut parvulus, non intrabit in illud.	αμην λεγω υμιν ος εαν μη δεξηται την βασιλειαν του θεου ως παιδιον ου μη εισελθη εις αυτην
16.	And embracing them, and laying his hands upon them, he blessed them.	Et complexans eos, et imponens manus super illos, benedicebat eos.	και εναγκαλισαμενος αυτα τιθεις τας χειρας επ αυτα ευλογει αυτα

21 posted on 02/24/2017 4:36:12 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)

1. And he arose from thence, and comes into the coasts of Judea by the farther Side of Jordan: and the people resort to him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.
2. And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3. And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you?
4. And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5. And Jesus answered and said to them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife.
8. And they two shall be one flesh: so then they are no more two, but one flesh.
9. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.
10. And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11. And he said to them, Whoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, commits adultery against her.
12. And if a woman shall put away her husband and be married to another, she commits adultery.

BEDE; Up to this time Mark had related what our Lord said and did in Galilee; here he begins to relate what He did, taught, or suffered in Judea, and first indeed across the Jordan on the east; and this is what is said in these words: And he arose from thence, and comes into the coasts of Judea, by the farther side of Jordan; then also on this side Jordan, when He came to Jericho, Bethany, and Jerusalem. And though all the province of the Jews is generally called Judea, to distinguish it from other nations, more especially, however, its southern portion was called Judea, to distinguish it from Samaria, Galilee, Decapolis, and the other regions in the same province.

THEOPHYL. But He enters the region of Judea, which the envy of the Jews had often caused Him to leave, because His Passion was to take place there. He did not, however, then go up to Jerusalem, but to the confines of Judea, that He might do good to the multitudes, who were not evil; for Jerusalem was, from the malice of the Jews, the worker of all the wickedness. Wherefore it goes on: And the people resort to him again, and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

BEDE; Mark the difference of temper in the multitude and in the Pharisees. The former meet together, in order to be taught, and that their sick may be healed, as Matthew relates; the latter come to Him, to try to deceive their Savior by tempting Him. Wherefore there follows, And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting Him.

THEOPHYL. They come to Him indeed, and do not quit Him, lest the multitudes should believe on Him; and by continually coming to Him, they thought to bring Him into difficulty, and to confuse Him by their questions. For they proposed to Him a question, which had on either side a precipice, so that whether He said that it was lawful for a man to put away his wife, or that it was not lawful, they might accuse Him, and contradict what He said, out of the doctrines of Moses. Christ, therefore, being Very Wisdom, in answering their question, avoids their snares.

CHRYS. For being asked, whether it is lawful, he does not immediately reply, it is not lawful, lest they should raise an outcry, but He first wished them to answer Him as to the sentence of the law, that they by their answer might furnish Him with what it was right to say. Wherefore it goes on, And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you?

And afterwards, And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. They put forward indeed this that Moses had said either on account of the question of our Savior, or wishing to excite against Him a multitude of men. For divorce was an indifferent thing among the Jews, and all practiced it, as though it were permitted by the law.

AUG. It makes nothing, however, to the truth of the fact, whether, as Matthew says, they themselves addressed to the Lord the question concerning the bill of divorcement, allowed to them by Moses, on our Lord's forbidding the separation, and confirming His sentence from the law, or whether it was in answer to a question of His, that they said this concerning the command of Moses, as Mark here says. For His wish was to give them no reason why Moses permitted it, before they themselves had mentioned the fact; since then the wish of the parties speaking, which is what the words ought to express, is in either way shown, there is no discrepancy, though there be a difference in the way of relating it. It may also be meant that, as Mark expresses it, the question put to them by the Lord, What did Moses command? was in answer to those who had previously asked His opinion concerning the putting away of a wife; and when they had replied that Moses permitted them to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away, His answer was concerning that same law, given by Moses, how God instituted the marriage of a male, and a female, saying those things which Matthew relates; on hearing which they again rejoined what they had replied to Him when He first asked them, namely, Why then did Moses command?

AUG. Moses, however, was against a man's dismissing his wife, for he interposed this delay, that a person whose mind was bent on separation, might be deterred by the writing of the bill, and desist; particularly, since, as is related, among the Hebrews, no one was allowed to write Hebrew characters but the scribes. The law therefore wished to send him, whom it ordered to give a bill of divorcement, before he dismissed his wife, to them, who ought to be wise interpreters of the law, and just opponents of quarrel. For a bill could only be written for him by men, who by their good advice might overrule him, since his circumstances and necessity had put him into their bands, and so by treating between him and his wife they might persuade them to love and concord. But if a hatred so great had arisen that it could not be extinguished and corrected, then indeed a bill was to be written, that he might not lightly put away her who was the object of his hate, in such a way as to prevent his being recalled to the love, which he owed her by marriage, through the persuasion of the wise. For this reason it is added, For the hardness of your heart, he wrote this precept; for great was the hardness of heart which could not be melted or bent to the taking back and recalling the love of marriage, even by the interposition of a bill in a way which gave room for the just and wise to dissuade them.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Or else, it is said, For the hardness of your hearts, because it is possible for a soul purged from desires and from anger to bear the worst of women; but if those passions have a redoubled force over the mind, many evils will arise from hatred in marriage. Thus then, He saves Moses, who had given the law, from their accusation, and turns the whole upon their head. But since what He had said was grievous to them, He at once brings back the discourse to the old law, saying, But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.

BEDE; He says not male and females, which the sense would have required had it referred to the divorce of former wives, but male and female, so that they might be bound by the tie of one wife.

CHRYS. If however he had wished one wife to be put away and another to be brought in, He would have created several women. Nor did God only join one woman to one man, but He also bade a man quit his parents and cleave to his wife. Wherefore it goes on: And he said, (that is, God said by Adam,) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife. From the very mode of speech, showing the impossibility of severing marriage, because He said, He shall cleave.

BEDE; And in like manner, because He says, he shall cleave to his wife, not wives. It goes on: And they two shall be one flesh.

CHRYS. Being framed out of one root, they will join into one body. It goes on: So then they are no more two, but one flesh.

BEDE; The reward then of marriage is of two to become one flesh. Virginity being joined to the Spirit, becomes of one spirit.

CHRYS. After this, bringing forward an awful argument, He said not, do not divide, but He concluded, What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.

AUG. Behold the Jews are convinced out of the books of Moses, that a wife is not to be put away, while they fancied that in putting her away, they were doing the will of Moses. In like manner from this place, from the witness of Christ Himself, we know this, that God made and joined male and female, for denying which the Manichees are condemned, resisting now not the books of Moses, but the Gospel of Christ.

BEDE; What therefore God has conjoined by making one flesh of a man and a woman, that man cannot separate, but God alone. Man separates, when we dismiss the first wife because we desire a second; but it is God who , separates, when by common consent, for the sake of serving God, we so have wives as though we had none.

CHRYS. But if two persons, whom God has joined together, are not to be separated; much more is it wrong to separate from Christ, the Church, which God has joined to Him.

THEOPHYL. But the disciples were offended, as not being fully satisfied with what had been said; for this reason they again question Him, wherefore there follows, And in the house, his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

PSEUDO-JEROME; This second question is said to be asked again by the Apostles, because it is on the subject of which the Pharisees had asked Him, that is, concerning the state of marriage; and this is said by Mark in his own person.

GLOSS. For a repetition of a saying of the Word, produces not weariness, but thirst and hunger; wherefore it is said, They that eat me shall yet be hungry, and they that drink me shall yet be thirsty; for the tasting of the honeyed words of wisdom yields all manner of savor to them who love her. Wherefore the Lord instructs His disciples over again; for it goes on, And he said to them, Whoever shall put away his wife and marry another, commits adultery upon her.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. The Lord calls by the name of adultery cohabitation with her who is not a man's wife; she is not, however, a wife, whom a man has taken to him, after quitting his first; and for this reason he commits adultery upon her, that is, upon the second, whom he brings in. And the same thing is true in the case of the woman; wherefore it goes on, And if a woman shall put away her husband, and marry another, she commits adultery; for she cannot be joined to another as her own husband, if she leave him who is really her own husband. The law indeed forbade what was plainly adultery; but the Savior forbids this, which was neither plain, nor known to all, though it was contrary to nature.

BEDE; In Matthew it is more fully expressed, Whoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication. The only carnal cause then is fornication; the only spiritual cause is the fear of God, that a man should put away his wife to enter into religion, as we read that many have done. But there is no cause allowed by the law of God for marrying another, during the lifetime of her who is quitted.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. There is no contrariety in Matthew's relating that He spoke these words to the Pharisees, though Mark says that they were spoken to the disciples; for it is possible that He may have spoken them to both.

13. And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said to them, Suffer the little children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15. Truly I say to you, Whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

THEOPHYL. The wickedness of the Pharisees in tempting Christ, has been related above, and now is shown the great faith of the multitude, who believed that Christ conferred a blessing on the children whom they brought to Him, by the mere laying on of His hands. Wherefore it is said: And they brought young children to him, that he might touch them.

CHRYS. But the disciples, out of regard for the dignity of Christ, forbade those who brought them. And this is what is added: And his disciples rebuked those who brought them. But our Savior; in order to teach His disciples to be modest in their ideas, and to tread under foot worldly pride, takes the children to Him, and assigns to them the kingdom of God: wherefore it goes on: And he said to them, Suffer little children to come to me, and forbid them not

ORIGEN; If any of those who profess to hold the office of teaching in the Church should see a person bringing to them some of the foolish of this world, and low born, and weak, who for this reason are called children and infants, let him not forbid the man who offers such an one to the Savior, as though he were acting without judgment. After this He exhorts those of His disciples who are already grown to full stature to condescend to be useful to children, that they may become to children as children, that they may gain children; for He Himself, when He was in the form of God, humbled Himself, and became a child. On which He adds: For of such is the kingdom of heaven.

CHRYS. For indeed the mind of a child is pure from all passions, for which reason, we ought by free choice to do those works, which children have by nature.

THEOPHYL. Wherefore He says not, for of these, but of such is the kingdom of God, that is, of persons who have both in their intention and their work the harmlessness and simplicity which children have by nature. For a child does not hate, does nothing of evil intent, nor though beaten does he quit his mother; and though she does him in vile garments, prefers them to kingly apparel; in like manner he, who lives according to the good ways of his mother the Church, honors nothing before her, nay, not pleasure, which is the queen of many; wherefore also the Lord subjoins, Truly I say to you, Whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

BEDE; That is, if you have not innocence and purity of mind like that of children, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Or else, we are ordered to receive the kingdom of God, that is, the doctrine of the Gospel, a little child, because as a child, when he is taught, does not contradict his teachers, nor put together reasonings and words against them, but receives with faith what they teach, and obeys them with awe, so we also are to receive the word of the Lord with simple obedience, and without any gainsaying. It goes on: And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Fitly does He take them up into His arms to bless them, as it were, lifting into His own bosom , and reconciling Himself to His creation, which in the beginning fell from Him, and was separated from Him. Again, He puts His hands upon the children, to teach us the working of His divine power; and indeed, He puts His hands upon them, as others are wont to do, though His operation is not as that of others, for though He was God, He kept to human ways of acting, as being very man.

BEDE; Having embraced the children, He also blessed them, implying that the lowly in spirit are worthy of His blessing, grace, and love.

Catena Aurea Mark 10

22 posted on 02/24/2017 4:36:55 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)

Baroncelli Polyptych: Coronation of the Virgin

Giotto di Bondone

c. 1334
Tempera on wood
Baroncelli Chapel, Santa Croce, Florence

23 posted on 02/24/2017 4:37:55 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)

Information: St. Ethelbert

Feast Day: February 24

Born: 552

Died: 24 February 616

24 posted on 02/24/2017 8:39:53 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Montanus, St. Lucius and Companions

Feast Day: February 24
Born/Died: in the third century

Emperor Valerian tortured and punished the Christians during the days of the early Church. He had allowed a Roman officer to put St. Cyprian to death in September 258.

The Roman officer himself died soon after and the new official, Solon, was nearly killed by some rebels. He suspected that they tried to kill him in revenge for the death of St. Cyprian and arrested eight innocent people.

They were all Christians; mostly deacons, priests and bishops. Each of them had been a devoted follower of St. Cyprian. These Christians were taken down into dark dungeons where they found others whom they knew.

These deep dungeons were dirty and damp and the high walls surrounded the group. They realized that they would soon be put to death. The Christians were kept many months in the prison.

They were made to work during the day and were often kept without food and water for no reason. The cruel treatment, made these Christians grow close together and they helped one another bear their sufferings. The ordinary people protected the bishops, priests and deacons at whom the emperor's cruelty was specially aimed at.

When the Christians were finally called to the place of execution, each was allowed to speak. Montanus, who was tall and strong, spoke bravely to the entire Christian crowd. He told them to be true to Jesus and to die rather than give up the faith.

Lucius, who was small and in poor health, walked quietly to the place where he was to die. He was weak from the hard months in prison. In fact, he had to lean on two friends who helped him to the place where the executioner waited. The people who watched asked him to remember them when he went to heaven.

As each of the Christians were beheaded one after another, the Christians who watched became braver and stronger. They wept for those who suffered such injustice. But they were also filled with joy when they realized that these martyrs would bless them from heaven.

Montanus, Lucius and their companions willingly died for their faith in Jesus in 259.

25 posted on 02/24/2017 8:42:55 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Friday, February 24

Liturgical Color: Violet

Pope John XXIII approved the
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
on this day in 1960. St. Gaspar
Bufalo began devotion to Jesus
in His Most Precious Blood in
1808, when he co-founded the
Confraternity of the Precious
Blood.

26 posted on 02/24/2017 4:58:52 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: February 24th

Friday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

February 24, 2017 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, always pondering spiritual things, we may carry out in both word and deed that which is pleasing to you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Prayer Before a Crucifix
Old Calendar: St. Matthias, apostle
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" (Mark 10:5-9).
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Matthias, apostle. His feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on May 14.

From the Beginning of Creation Marriage Was Sacred
The link between secularization and the crisis of marriage and of the family is only too clear. The crisis concerning the meaning of God and that concerning moral good and evil has succeeded in diminishing an acquaintance with the fundamentals of marriage and of the family which is rooted in marriage. For an effective recovery of the truth in this field, it is necessary to rediscover the transcendent dimension that is intrinsic to the full truth of marriage and the family, overcoming every dichotomy that tends to separate the profane aspects from the religious as if there were two marriages: one profane and another sacred.
"God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Gn 1,27). The image of God is found in the duality of man and woman and in their interpersonal communion. For this reason, transcendence is inherent in the existence of marriage, right from the start, because it belongs to the natural distinction between man and woman in the order of creation. In their being "one flesh" (Gn 2,24), the man and the woman, in their mutual assistance and fruitfulness, participate in something sacred and religious, as the Encyclical Arcanum divinae sapientiae of my Predecessor Leo XIII emphasized, pointing to the understanding of marriage held in ancient civilizations (10 Feb. 1880, Leonis XIII P.M. Acta, vol. II, p. 22). In this regard, he observed that marriage "from the very beginning was a figure (adumbratio) of the Incarnation of the Word of God" (ibid.). In the state of original innocence, Adam and Eve already had the supernatural gift of grace. In this way, before the Incarnation of the Word took place historically, its effective holiness was already being bestowed on humanity.
Excerpted from Natural Marriage Already Has Sacred Dimension, John Paul II, February 5, 2003

27 posted on 02/24/2017 7:29:24 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Mark 10:1-12

7th Week in Ordinary Time

What God has joined together, no human being must separate. (Mark 10:9)

If you’ve been through a divorce, or know someone who has, you might have a hard time accepting these words. You might find yourself thinking, “Doesn’t Jesus understand why marriages break down? Why can’t he show a little more compassion?” If you know anything of the guilt, anger, and sadness that can come with divorce, it might seem as if Jesus is being a legalist here or that he enjoys “arresting” us on the charge of a broken marriage.

But remember who Jesus was talking to—some very legalistic Pharisees. They were looking for loopholes, trying to trap Jesus by getting him to spell out just when it is acceptable to leave your spouse. In response, Jesus told the truth, as he always does. Yes, marriage is sacred to him, and it is a blessing for us. It’s a union between two people that is sealed by the Holy Spirit, and the last thing he wants for us is to go through the agony of having that union torn apart.

Notice, however, that while Jesus said that divorce should not happen, he never said a condemning word about people whose marriages do end up failing. He knows that we are human beings who make mistakes; that’s why he came to earth! Look, for instance, at how he treated someone who was caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Some other Pharisees were there, quoting the Law that says that the woman should be stoned. But Jesus confronted them with their own sinfulness, and they walked away. Then, he told the woman, “Neither do I condemn you” (8:11).

If you are going through the pain of divorce, Jesus has the same words for you. He’s not asking whose fault it was, and he is not holding your sin—or someone else’s—in front of you. That’s what Satan does, and we should never listen to his voice! Instead, Jesus wants to heal you and set you free. He wants to take whatever feels wounded or broken in your life and make it entirely new. Let this be the day that you accept his mercy and healing!

“Lord Jesus, send your Spirit out on all those families wounded by divorce. Let them know that your grace can break the chains of hatred, mistrust, and unforgiveness. Shine your light into their darkness!”

Sirach 6:5-17
Psalm 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34-35

28 posted on 02/24/2017 7:41:59 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for February 24, 2017:

“Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” (Mk 1:15) Any two people who live as closely as husband and wife are bound to emotionally hurt each other at times. It may be a careless word or wanting your way. Don’t be too proud to repent. “I’m sorry” is the first step; making amends is the next.

29 posted on 02/24/2017 7:47:02 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Regnum Christi

February 24, 2017 – One Flesh

24 Feb 2017

Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Father Edward Hopkins, LC

Mark 10:1-12

Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan. And crowds again gathered around him; and, as was his custom, he again taught them. Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 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, let no one separate.” Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 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.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe in your immeasurable love reflected in your gift of the Eucharist. I believe that you call me to share in this gift with my own gift of self. I trust that you will grant me the light and desire to sacrifice myself and purify my love for you and others. I love you, Lord, with this prayer. May it increase the authenticity of the love expressed in my daily life.

Petition: Lord, help me to penetrate the meaning of “loving in the flesh.”

1. Docile or ‘Un-teachable’? Jesus taught those who gathered to learn from him that they should keep their hearts open and docile. The Pharisees gather not as learners, but as those who “know better.” They constantly look for problems and difficulties in Jesus’ teaching. Their aim is to test him, to find what is wrong, or to trap him in his words. This they never manage to do. From his teaching in the Temple at the age of 12 till the present, no one has spoken like him—with authority and truth. How do I approach the teaching of Jesus and his Church? Am I, with faith, open to learn and change my behavior, if necessary? Or do I, with a hardened heart, look for a way to affirm my own truth?

2. Hardness of Heart: To divorce or not to divorce? This question is not right! The correct question is: “How does God want us to love?” The difference lies in the state of our heart. The one who is open and loves God seeks to know his will. The one who is closed-minded is usually a slave of sin and so lacks the freedom to seek or know the truth. Such a person’s only objective is to justify what he or she wants. Divorce can be justified—it was by Moses. Why? Because of our hardness of hearts, our not being ready to live the fullness of real love. Jesus speaks the truth and gives the grace to live it. Do I allow him to challenge me to live beyond the minimal, beyond the borders of “Thou shalt not,” and to desire what he desires? What do I do to free myself from the sin and imperfections that keep me ignorant of God’s true will in my life?

3. The Flesh of God’s Plan: The “flesh” that God created was holy, a gift: a Temple of God and destined for eternal life. Jesus became flesh and then left us his flesh, because we had lost sight of its true value and sacredness. It may be only in the Eucharist that we can regain the truth of our flesh and of our vocation to love, to self-donation. Crucified-Christ shatters our fleshy tendency to self-gratification. It substitutes “one flesh,” one body, given for the life of others. The unity and indissolubility of marriage declare the key of love: We are no longer two but one flesh, one life, one interest, one vocation. Just as Jesus no longer can talk about “his own life” after giving us the Eucharist, so a married couple no longer can talk of “self,” but only of the gift of “what God has joined together.” What is my flesh for? The life of others?

Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, free my heart from all its attachment to sin and selfishness. Grant me a desire to know your will. Purify my respect, love and appreciation for the sacredness of my body and that of others, the sacred unity of marriage, and the sacred gift of your flesh in the Eucharist.

Resolution: I will spend one hour in adoration reflecting with Christ on the gifts of life, love, marriage and the Eucharist, all seen more clearly in “his flesh.”

30 posted on 02/24/2017 7:51:54 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 33, Issue 2

<< Friday, February 24, 2017 >>

Sirach 6:5-17
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Psalm 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34-35

Mark 10:1-12
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HOPE FOR EVERY MARRIAGE

"They answered, 'Moses permitted divorce and the writing of a decree of divorce.' But Jesus told them: 'He wrote that commandment for you because of your stubbornness.' " —Mark 10:4-5

Jesus related divorce to stubbornness. Stubbornness in this context could be sin, pride, selfishness, refusal to repent, unforgiveness, contraception, lust, bitterness, resentment, prayerlessness, isolation, etc.

When Jesus prohibited divorce, He implied that married couples need no longer be oppressed by stubbornness. The name of Jesus is above stubbornness, sin, pride, etc. (see Phil 2:9) Jesus has set us free from the stubbornness of sin. Married couples can be united in love and reconciled, if they will put their marriages in the hands of Jesus. Jesus can reconcile, heal, and renew even the worst marriage. Jesus is the only Hope for married couples, and the only Hope they need.

If possible, join hands with your spouse; don't be stubborn; pray together; give your life and marriage to Jesus now.

Prayer: Father, may all the married people reading this pray daily with their spouses.

Promise: "Lead me in the path of Your commands, for in it I delight." —Ps 119:35

Praise: Although divorced, John and Maria reconciled and re-married, this time including God in their marriage.

31 posted on 02/24/2017 7:54:52 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Mary, Mother of Life: Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic or Pro-Life Caucus)
WAU.org ^ | December 2011` | Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR

Mary, Mother of Life

Our Lady of Guadalupe

By: Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, miraculously imprinted on St. Juan Diego’s cloak, speaks a message about life. First, it shows that Mary is carrying Christ within her.

She is wearing a dark cord with two tassels hanging down from her waist, called a cinta, which was worn only by pregnant women. And photographs of the image, studied by scientists, reveal a slight protrusion of the abdomen, indicating Our Lady is carrying the Christ Child in her womb.

An interesting symbol of life on the image is a particular four-petaled flower called the “Flower of the Sun,” which is placed directly over Mary’s womb. To the Aztecs, who worshipped the sun, the appearance of this sun flower heralded the birth of someone great who would inaugurate a new era. Mary’s Son would be the Son of life. In fact, Mary described herself to St. Juan Diego as the mother of all the living.

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe communicated a sense of dignity to each person and of the sanctity of human life. This brought an end to the practice of human sacrifice among the Aztecs. Mary told the people about a God who sacrificed his own body and blood so that all people could live. And within ten years of Mary’s appearance, nearly nine million Aztec people embraced the Catholic faith.

Through her appearance as Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary teaches us respect for the dignity of human life in all its manifestations—for the unborn, for the disabled, for the elderly, and for the terminally ill. That is why we pray to Mary to restore the sacredness of life, especially under her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Mary truly deserves to be called the mother of life. Let us ask for her prayers so that we may help to restore the God-given dignity of every human life that has been degraded by abortion, euthanasia, or assisted suicide. Furthermore, let us ask her prayers so that all may come to the fullness of life that her Son promised when he said, “I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

32 posted on 02/24/2017 7:56:23 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

33 posted on 02/24/2017 10:28:03 PM PST by ResisTyr (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God " ~Thomas Jefferson)

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