“It is not good for the man to be alone.”

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This coming Sunday's readings are all about the importance of community in our lives and, in particular, the community that is family! We hear in Genesis about God's recognition that "it is not good for the man to be alone" and God's work to go about finding a suitable partner for him. And, when God makes the woman, the man exclaims: "This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh."

And so, when we move into the Gospel, we hear Jesus speak about His vision for marriage and the reality of divorce in the world. God's hope for the world is, of course, that all men and women who start a family together remain together and find ways to make a life together in order not to be alone! However, we also recognize that this is not the reality for many in our Church and in our world. Jesus' statements here are a stark reminder of the seriousness of the bond of Matrimony and why the Church takes marriage and divorce so seriously. This holy sacrament is not something to be entered into lightly or without proper discernment. While we have things such as the process of annulment, which acknowledges that a marriage happened on a human level but investigates whether a sacramental bond ever existed, Jesus reminds us in no uncertain terms that "what God has joined together, no human being must separate."

So, let us pray today for the families of our parish. While the realities of the world often complicate situations and lead to difficult conversations and experiences within families and with the Church, the goal isn't to create difficulty but to uphold the sacredness of Holy Matrimony. May our parish's families be infused with God's grace, that the Lord who brings healing to the sick and the broken may also bring healing to the relationships and hearts of our families, so that they may be communities that reflect the love and goodness of God!

Want to prepare your heart and mind for Sunday's Mass? Click here to find the readings.