19th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Friday - Divorce and Accompaniment

When the Pharisees approached Jesus and asked him a question about marriage, they were not seeking to learn, like we Catholics seek to learn from Jesus about God and how to live. They were looking to trap him.

Remember, earlier in the Gospel, John the Baptist was arrested and killed for his teaching on marriage. John had claimed that King Herod’s “marriage” to the wife of his brother Philip was unlawful. 

To ask Jesus about marriage was to invite him to criticize the same king and suffer the same consequence. It was a trap.

But the Lord speaks truth anyway. Not only is it unlawful to marry someone who is already married, it is impossible. Divorce, in the biblical sense, the severing of the marriage bond, is impossible. It is impossible to sever the marriage bond of two people whom God has joined.

And this is the consistent, unchanging teaching of the Catholic Church for two thousand years. 

Our current Catechism, in number 2384 states “Divorce is a grave offense against the natural law. It claims to break the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death. Divorce does injury to the covenant of salvation, of which sacramental marriage is the sign. Contracting a new union, even if it is recognized by civil law, adds to the gravity of the rupture: the remarried spouse is then in a situation of public and permanent adultery.”

Now, the Catechism in number 1649 recognizes “that are some situations in which living together becomes practically impossible for a variety of reasons” such as in the case of abuse. “In such cases the Church permits the physical separation of the couple and their living apart.” But, “the spouses do not cease to be husband and wife before God and so are not free to contract a new union.”

And there are cases in which some marriages, assumed to be valid at the time of the wedding, are later investigated to be null due to a number of invalidating circumstances. In these cases annulments are able to be granted.

What should we, attending daily Mass, take away from this teaching? Maybe we do well to consider: what can we do to help Catholics lives out in fidelity to God this teaching on marriage? What can I do for the “divorced” Catholics in my life? 

My own parents, by the way, had their marriage declared null. The annulment process is often the road fallen-away Catholics need to walk in order to return to the Sacraments. 

Likely, like John, like the Lord himself in the Gospel today, we are called to speak the truth with love, patience, compassion, and courage. But not just to speak  the truth, but to accompany our loved ones, walking with them side by side, doing whatever way we can to help them live for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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That all Christians may seek to be faithful to the Lord’s teachings and commandments concerning marriage and the family, that Christian families may be filled with love and joy.

For all married couples, that they may be faithful to the Gospel in every dimension of their married life and give all an example of God’s ever-faithful love.  

That the children of our parish and school may be blessed to know the grace of faith-filled families, that they may be shielded from the sins and errors of our culture.

For Pope Francis and for all the bishops and clergy of the Church: that they will be faithful to the preaching the truth of the Gospel especially in the face of secular pressure and persecution.  

That the sick, lonely, elderly, homeless, widowed, and all those experiencing trials or suffering of any kind may be strengthened by God’s love and know His comfort and peace.  

For those who have died, for all deceased spouses; that they may know the eternal peace and joy of the kingdom of heaven.  

8th Sunday after Pentecost (EF) 2021 - The Dishonest Steward and the Motu Proprio

 

What do we do with the time that we’ve been given? What do we do with the blessings with which we’ve been blessed? And what does it matter?

The Lord answers these questions in the Gospel today. In the Gospel parable, this steward has been dealing dishonestly with his master’s accounts, and when he is found out, he sort of scrambles to settle the accounts of his master.

The honest listener to the Lord’s parable would have to admit his resemblance to that dishonest steward.  We’ve all been given this great patrimony to administer, we’ve been given natural gifts from God, intellect, creativity, physical and emotional strengths, not to mention the great supernatural gifts that flow from God’s grace. And yet, the honest Christian admits the dishonest misuse of our blessings. 

And like the steward in the parable we will have to make an accounting for how we used or misused our time talent and treasure. The hour for rendering an account will come for each one of us, and we do well to ensure that we are doing all that we can to atone for squandering the gifts of God. 

While certainly not praising the wasteful stewardship of his master’s good,  the Lord praises a particular aspect of the steward’s conduct: his shrewdness. He deals shrewdly—wisely—with his master’s debtors, and for this the steward is praised. 

How are we to use our time in the master’s service? How are we to use the gifts we’ve been given? Christians need to be wise, shrewd, and clever.

Elsewhere, the Lord says that his disciples are to be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. I think of the Lord’s own shrewdness in dealing with the Pharisees. He was crafty and clever in exposing their errors and hypocrisy. And so should we. Or the early Christians, who faced terrible persecution. Shrewdly, they gathered in secret when the government outlawed their worship. They studied their faith, they passed on the faith to the children and neophytes, they evangelized not just the commoner, but also the imperial courts, the aristocracy, and finally the emperor. That’s clever.  They didn’t just evangelize by their words either. They became known for their charity toward the poor. They made beautiful music, beautiful art to lift the soul, to attract souls to God.

I think this Gospel is so very fitting in light of the this week’s disheartening Motu Proprio issued on Friday, which depending on how our bishop reads it may or may not limit our ability to celebrate the beautiful mass of the ages in this diocese. I’ve only been celebrating the EF for two years, I can’t imagine how some of you must be feeling. Not only from the possibility of the mass being limited, but a sense of injustice, misunderstanding and betrayal from church leaders. What has happened to accompaniment? What has happened to pastoral sensitivity?

I’d like to share with you some encouraging words from the great Fr. Zuhlsdorf, which you may have already seen. They gave me comfort. He  wrote, “To those of you who have put your heart and goods and hopes into supporting and building the Traditional Latin Mass, thank you.

Do not for a moment despair or wonder if what you did was worth the effort, time, cost and suffering.  It was worth it.  It still is.

By your efforts you made it possible for many people to come close to an encounter with Mystery.  That is of inestimable value and eternal merit. By your efforts you supported many priests who deepened their appreciation of who they are, as priests, at the altar." And that includes me.

But I’d like to add, and this is inspired from the Gospel, that there is an opportunity here, for great shrewdness. The mass will continue to be made available in this diocese. Make use of the time we’ve been given. Be shrewd and be clever, in inviting souls to share its beauty and goodness.

We’ve in a sense been wounded, and there is sadness. But be careful. Whenever sadness is not handed over the Lord, it can become poisonous.  Somehow, this is an opportunity to bring souls to Christ. To build up the church and strengthen ecclesial communion.

If the Holy Father is concerned that this form of the mass is a form of division, let’s show him the opposite. Show our bishop your strong, solid, orthodox faith that supports him in his role as chief shepherd of the diocese. Invite the bishop to get to know you, to see the good spiritual fruit that flows from this form of the mass. Be clever, be kind, be aware that people are watching to see how we react. Be innocent as doves in word and deed. 

Knowing this group just for a few months now, I know, this is a very resourceful group of faithful, crafty catholics. As clever as they come. So keep calm and worship on for the glory of God and salvation of souls.