Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Marriage of the Virgin”
by Pietro Bardellino, c. 1800

 
Readings for Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-16
 
At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter.
But the word of the Lord came to him,
“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord;
the Lord will be passing by.”
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the Lord —
but the Lord was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the Lord was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?”
He replied, “I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts.
But the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant,
torn down your altars,
and put your prophets to the sword.
I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.”
The Lord said to him,
“Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus.
When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram.
Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel,
and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah,
as prophet to succeed you.”
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Commentary on 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-16
 
Unsuccessful in bringing the people back to authentic worship of God, Elijah the prophet flees to the same holy mountain where Moses was given the Law.
 
“Though various phenomena, such as wind, storms, earthquakes, fire (Exodus 19:18-19), herald the divine presence, they do not constitute the presence itself which, like the tiny whispering sound, is imperceptible and bespeaks the spirituality of God. It was fitting that Elijah, whose mission it was to re-establish the covenant and restore the pure faith, should have returned to Horeb where the covenant was revealed to Moses and through him to the Israelite people (Exodus 3:1-4, 17; 33:18-34:9). Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ at the time of his transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:1-7; Luke 9:28-36).” [4]
 
Following God’s revelation, Elijah is sent toward Damascus, where he will be instrumental in bringing Israel back to the worship of God by appointing (anointing) new leaders, including his own successor, Elisha.
 
CCC: 1 Kgs 19:16 436
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:7-8a, 8b-9abc, 13-14
 
R. (8b) I long to see your face, O Lord.
 
Hear, O Lord, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
 
Your presence, O Lord, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
 
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 27:7-8a, 8b-9abc, 13-14
 
Psalm 27 is an individual lament. In this selection from it, we hear the psalmist asking God to reveal himself to his faithful. He calls to the Lord, imploring him to hear the desperate prayer. The psalmist expresses faith in God who is the refuge of the faithful, longing to find the ultimate safety and bounty of God’s heavenly kingdom. In the final strophe the singer expresses faith and hope that God will reveal himself in the end and for all time.
 
CCC: Ps 27:8 2730
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Gospel: Matthew 5:27-32
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.
 
“It was also said,
Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful)
causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
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Commentary on Mt 5:27-32
 
This can be a very controversial Gospel. This passage provides the original intent of Jesus, as he once again challenges those who cling to the letter of the law and do not see the spirit.
 
“The Old Testament commandment that a bill of divorce be given to the woman assumes the legitimacy of divorce itself. It is this that Jesus denies. (Unless the marriage is unlawful): this 'exceptive clause,' as it is often called, occurs also in Matthew 19:9, where the Greek is slightly different. There are other sayings of Jesus about divorce that prohibit it absolutely (see Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18; cf 1 Corinthians 7:10, 11b), and most scholars agree that they represent the stand of Jesus. Matthew's 'exceptive clauses' are understood by some as a modification of the absolute prohibition. It seems, however, that the unlawfulness that Matthew gives as a reason why a marriage must be broken refers to a situation peculiar to his community: the violation of Mosaic law forbidding marriage between persons of certain blood and/or legal relationship (Leviticus 18:6-18). Marriages of that sort were regarded as incest (porneia), but some rabbis allowed Gentile converts to Judaism who had contracted such marriages to remain in them. Matthew's 'exceptive clause' is against such permissiveness for Gentile converts to Christianity; cf. the similar prohibition of porneia in Acts 15:20, 29. In this interpretation, the clause constitutes no exception to the absolute prohibition of divorce when the marriage is lawful.” [5]
 
CCC:  Mt 5:27-28 2330, 2336, 2380; Mt 5:28 1456, 2513, 2528; Mt 5:29-30 226; Mt 5:29 1034; Mt 5:31-32 2382; Mt 5:32 2380
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Reflection:
 
“But the body and the spirit are inseparable. Ἐὰν ὁ ὀϕθαλμός σου σϰανδαλίζει σε: ‘If your eye sets a trap for you’. Evil intentions are, quick to press different parts of our body into slavish service. The heart conceives an evil intent and must have instruments to execute it. Our will is cunning, and it makes anxious accomplices of our bodily parts. The body is no neutral tool; it is active, it takes sides and shows its deep spiritual roots by actively plotting with a self-indulgent and tyrannical will.” [6] Teaching about Adultery (Mt 5:27-30) by Fr. Simeon
 
Many members of our faith community and, indeed, other faith communities as well, do not understand the Church’s intractable stance on the importance of the sacraments.  Time and again we see resistance to sacramental preparation programs.  Parents requesting infant baptism are usually required to take a preparation course; children approaching the sacraments of reconciliation, Eucharist and confirmation get special classes; couples requesting the sacrament of matrimony are required to take classes; and, of course, the reception of holy orders has a rigorous formation program associated with it.  The only sacrament that does not have a special program of instruction is the anointing of the sick and that is because it is closely related to reconciliation for which training is presumed to have taken place.
 
Given how scrupulously we prepare the community of faith to receive these special graces from God, is it any wonder that, when a sacrament has taken place and is later denied or rejected by the recipients, we must take special pains to ensure that a mistake was not made? (God does not always come as we expect, does he, Elijah?)  When a couple who have had the sacrament of matrimony validly witnessed by the Church later say they are divorcing, the Church must make sure that the indelible bond of the sacrament was never there, and that, in spite of our best efforts, the bond forged by God was not present.
 
The annulment process can be a painful one, although those who go through it usually find it brings closure and peace.  The process of gaining a Certificate of Nullity takes time and effort.  It is part of the discipline of Catholicism and is viewed by many as too much effort to be an impediment to their ongoing relationship with the Church.  It is easier to just switch denominations than it is to go through the process.  It is also easier for couples to just go to a justice of the peace and get a civil contract of marriage, rather than go through the preparation required by the Church in order to have the covenantal and sacred bond witnessed by her.
 
The river of sacramental grace that flows from Christ through his bride, the Church, is a free gift.  It does, however, require faith and the recognition that God has asked us to behave in certain ways.  Our prayer today is that each of us be faithful to what God has asked of us and follow the teachings of the Lord who opened the gates of salvation for us.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Marriage of the Virgin” by Pietro Bardellino, c. 1800.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] NAB footnote on 1 Kings 19:12.
[5] NAB footnote on Matthew 5:31-32.
[6] Leiva, Erasmo. Fire Of Mercy, Vol. 1. Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.