Never Alone
(27th Ordinary Sunday: Genesis 2:18-24; Hebrews 2:9-11; Mark 10:2-16)
God created man in his own image and likeness. In today’s reading from Genesis, the man’s words, “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” carry the same meaning. A deep inner connection is the foundation of healthy intimacy.
God lives in the mysterious union we call Trinity. In the Prologue to John’s Gospel, we read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Therefore he knew, “It is not good for the man to be alone,” and created the best possible companion for him.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says that the Law allowed divorce “because of the hardness of your hearts.” It was not at all what God had in mind in Genesis.
The Beautiful Lady at La Salette came weeping, because her people had hardened their hearts. By their words and actions they had created such a separation between themselves and Jesus, that we may call it a divorce! And yet, as we see in the second reading, he wants a relationship with us, so much so that he was willing to lower himself and even die for our sake.
It is not good for us to separate ourselves from the love of God. This truth is at the core of the La Salette message. And as La Salette we might add, “If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection in us” (Gospel Acclamation). With Mary as our guide, we can have loving relationships with everyone around us, as we live out our Catholic faith and try to be an example of the message of conversion and reconciliation.
In the first reading, the man gave names to all the creatures that God made as possible companions for him. This implies a certain power over them. When we name a child, or even a pet, we acknowledge it as ours. At the same time, however, we establish a relationship with it, and accept responsibility for it. So, too, with all of God’s creation.
At the end of today’s Gospel, Jesus welcomed the children. “He embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.” May we always experience his loving touch and allow him to place his nail-pierced hands on us as we seek to perfect a loving relationship with him, never to be separated.
Wayne Vanasse, and Fr. René Butler, M.S.