27/08/2006 - XXI SUNDAY in ORDINARY
TIME - Year B
First Reading Joshua 24:1-2; 15-17; 18b Psalm 33/34
Second Reading Ephesians 5:21-32 Gospel John 6:60-69
It has become "fashionable", among today's youth, to "prove"
one's "love" to one another, and therefore, often, couples live together,
prior to committing to marriage. What is tested is not love, but the loving
feeling or, perhaps, their selfishness, in order to see if they are compatible!
The sentimental feelings and the selfishness (actually each wants to see if
the other is satisfying enough!) are not enough for love to mature: when, and
if, they marry, often, they are still not capable of giving themselves to the
other. Those who choose to live together, will remain uncertain and insecure,
and will live in tension, because he/she will know that, at any moment, his/her
partner may leave, with relative ease. Under this uncertainty, though he/she
may not admit it, he/she will feel conditioned and somewhat blackmailed: "I
must please my partner; otherwise, he/she will leave"! And so, he/she will
not have peace or rest. Those who live this way will find it difficult to bring
to maturity their own ability to love. In the "traditional" engagement,
for a period of time, they look for one another, they desire one another and
they train themselves to wait, though it may be difficult and, not without suffering.
This practice is a trial in perseverance, which also, helps in the maturity
of one's own ability to give him/herself in love; by living together, this will
b missing. To what point will they know to listen to one another, to reciprocally
obey each other and come to a unified decision? Love is also shown in these
matters, and it needs some time to develop and express itself. From a spiritual
point of view, deciding to live together means planning your own life, without
the blessing from God and the Church; even more, without blessing of any kind
and from any community of brothers of faith! The family that has not celebrated
the sacrament of matrimony can only count on its own strengths: they are, of
course, reduced and uncertain, if they cannot count on the blessings and graces
of God. If these have been consciously rejected, selfishness and sin are at
the base of their cohabitation. The young Christian knows that he must travel
against the current, even in this aspect of life. He will seek to form a family
with someone who shares his/her faith, in order to enjoy fully their union for
the many years that they will live together: the unity of faith is seen and
enjoyed right from the beginning of their engagement, lived with confidence
and obedience to the Lord, including the dominion of their own sexual instincts,
and in communion with the Church! The Christian knows that he must accompany
his/her own spouse to the doors of heaven: he/she will not begin this path by
going the wrong way!
Marvellous is the answer given to Joshua by the people whom he moved to a decision.
One cannot come before God, the God who loves man, and enjoy his mercy and protection
without having taken a position for Him. "If you are unwilling to serve
the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve"! Our life is always an obedience:
either we obey God, or we obey our own desires moved by passion which we, then,
deceive ourselves into believing so important, as if they were divinity. We
are free to choose whom we wish to obey. If we don't obey God, we will automatically
obey some form of selfishness, which comes from the enemy of God! "Far
be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods!" And
the people refer to their own history, remember the great experiences of their
own fathers in order to be strengthened in their decision to have faith in the
God of the alliance, who demonstrated great love by freeing them from the slavery
of Egypt! The memory of its own history moved them to decide on one faith, one
obedience based on the Word of God. How important it is, today, for us as well,
to revisit the history of our family and of our own people. In it, the marvels
of God are hidden and, in it, His love is revealed: their memorial helps us
to keep firm our adherence to Him.
Even the Gospel passage helps us to re-live a moment of decision: many of Jesus'
disciples decide not to follow Him further. They want to understand, before
believing, they want a path which easy and shared by all; but instead, if we
wish to be follow Jesus, we must be ready to live with Him alone, to be misunderstood
and, possibly even, scorned. Jesus does not discourage us: He is ready to remain
alone, so as not to water down His proposals. He does not adapt the Gospel to
the will of the people: it is the people that must convert to the Gospel!
St. Paul, as well, sees the family life of Christians as growth of such a firm
decision. The believer, who marries, lives his love and his faithfulness to
the Lord in his marriage. In so doing, the marriage becomes a place of the revelation
of the God of love and of mercy. The love of the husband for the wife manifests
the love of Jesus for the Church, and the answer from the Church is revealed
by the free and sweet submission of the wife to the husband. The indissoluble
relationship Jesus-Church is concrete and visible in the indissoluble relationship
husband-wife. They were not united before the passion, not by the good feelings,
alone; not even by the social contract: they were united and faithful because,
in them, the union to Jesus and the belonging to the Church lives and grows.
Marriage is a place where the decision to serve the Lord is fulfilled every
day and is visible to all: it is the mount on which the presence and the sanctity
of God shine!