matrimony

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Saturday, 22 November 2014 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 20 : 27-40

At that time, some Sadducees arrived. These people claim that there is no resurrection, and they asked Jesus this question, “Master, in the Law Moses told us, ‘If anyone dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife, and any child born to them will be regarded as the child of the deceased.'”

“Now, there were seven brothers; the first married a wife, but he died without children; and the second and the third took the wife; in fact, all seven died leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. On the day of the resurrection, to which of them will the woman be a wife? For all seven had her as a wife.”

And Jesus replied, “Taking a husband or a wife is proper to people of this world, but for those who are considered worthy of the world to come, and of resurrection from the dead, there is no more marriage. Besides, they cannot die, for they are like the angels. They are sons and daughters of God, because they are born of the resurrection.”

“Yes, the dead will be raised, as Moses revealed at the burning bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. For God is God of the living, and not of the dead, for to Him everyone is alive.”

Some teachers of the Law then agreed with Jesus, “Master, You have spoken well.” They did not dare to ask Him anything else.

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/19/saturday-22-november-2014-33rd-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-cecilia-virgin-and-martyr-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Friday, 7 February 2014 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are represented with two contrasting model of kingship in Herod and David, both technically kings of Israel. The readings today showed how the faith and diligence of David in the first reading taken from the book of the prophet Sirach can be contrasted with the wickedness and evil nature of Herod and his reign.

Sirach showed how David as the chosen king of the Lord over His people Israel, dutifully carried his works as the king, without ever in a major way, deviating from the way of the Lord. He led the people of God towards Him and in his actions he brought the Lord to everyone’s heart, that modelling upon his actions, the people may also follow suit and be obedient to God.

David was the model king, who followed the way of virtue, and remained firm in the Lord’s path and favour till the end of his life and reign. He led by example in praising the Lord and showing the people how to follow the Lord. That is why the reign of David was remembered fondly by the people as the Golden Age of Israel, because God blessed Israel and its people tremendously due to David.

In contrast, Herod and his reign was often looked down by the people and remembered as a time of mismanagement, gluttony and greed. Herod did not reign like David, because instead of following the Lord as David had done, Herod, who was the son of Herod the Great, followed his father in style of governance and in his lifestyle.

If you all remember, Herod the Great was the one who ordered the massacre of infants under the age of two in Bethlehem, because he could not stand having a rival king beside himself, when he was told of the coming of the Messiah, the King of Israel and the King of all kings in Jesus. He acted with impunity and depended solely on his human judgments and emotions in dealing with things.

His son, the one mentioned as king Herod in today’s Gospel, was not far from the ways of his predecessor. King Herod here lived a life of luxury and debauchery, engaging in practices deemed wicked in the eyes of the Lord, one of which was mentioned in the Gospel today, that is taking his own brother’s wife as his own.

The people of Israel were allowed to marry the wife of their deceased brother providing that the brother had died without leaving a child to continue his legacy. But Jesus came to reveal the truth about the Lord’s will for mankind, as written in the Book of Genesis, that man is united to woman in a holy bond of matrimony, where no man can separate that bond.

Thus, even the old law about divorce and remarriage had been rewritten by the Lord Himself, as He formed a new covenant with His people. But what Herod had done was in violation of even the old laws revealed to Moses. Herod married his own deceased brother’s wife despite of them having a daughter, the same daughter mentioned in the Gospel today, and there might even be other children born of that union. Hence, Herod had committed adultery with his brother’s wife.

And his other doings, which include that day when he was allured by his own stepdaughter’s beauty and performance during the feast he held. He was so allured by worldly desire and pleasure that he made an oath that he would certainly regret later on, and which caused him to be guilty of murdering God’s holy messenger, John the Baptist, the herald of the Messiah.

Such indeed was the sin of the king of Jesus’ time, as compared to the rightful David. From the two, we can see the comparison, and realise that first, power is not everything, and human power in particular. Power and worldly pleasures and all its temptations can corrupt us and turn us away from God and His ways. For the price of temporary pleasure and false happiness in this world, if we immerse ourselves in corrupt power, we will end up in eternal suffering and rejected by God.

Instead, brothers and sisters in Christ, we all should follow the example of David the faithful king, in how he followed the Lord faithfully to the end of his life. If we put our trust in God, even with all the challenges in life and all the oppositions we may have, we do not have to worry, because God stands with us, and in the end, if we remain faithful, we will be rewarded with eternal glory in heaven.

May God bless us with strong faith, and one which is rooted deeply in Him, just as His servant David had done. May the Lord our God continue to protect us and guide us towards Him, that we shall always be in His grace. Amen.

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Friday, 16 August 2013 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White

Matthew 19 : 3-12

Some Pharisees approached Jesus. They wanted to test Him and asked, “Is a man allowed to divorce his wife for any reason he wants?”

Jesus replied, “Have you not read that in the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and He said : ‘Man has now to leave father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body?’ So, they are no longer two, but one body. Let no one separate what God has joined.”

They asked Him, “Then why did Moses command us to write a bill of dismissal in order to divorce?” Jesus replied, “Moses knew the hardness of your hearts, so he allowed you to divorce your wives; but it was not so in the beginning. Therefore I say to you : whoever divorces his wife, unless it be for prostitution, and marries another, commits adultery.”

The disciples said, “If that is the condition of a married man, it is better not to marry.” Jesus said to them, “Not everybody can accept what you have just said, but only those who have received this gift. There are eunuchs born so from their mother’s womb. Some have been made that way by others. But there are some who have given up the possibility of marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who can accept it, accept it.”