St John the Evangelist Parish

October 6, 2024

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Years ago, as a young pastor, I met with a middle-aged couple who had been divorced and civilly remarried. They were frustrated that an annulment had to precede a Church marriage. Sympathizing with their plight, I promised to walk with them along their journey. Once, as we sat in my office, the man said to me, “Why is the Church so difficult on marriage?” I replied, “Actually, Jesus’ teaching is what’s difficult.” He furrowed his brow and asked what I meant.

We opened the Bible and read today’s gospel passage from Mark 10:12 together. In it, Jesus says, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery with her…” My two friends sat in silent astonishment. Surely, Jesus understands the complexities of human life and sexual love. The words hung thick and heavy in the air. How could the merciful Lord be so seemingly unrealistic in his expectations, especially with so much divorce and remarriage in our world?

I didn’t know what to say. So, we kept reading. Next, Jesus says, “Let the children come to me.” The innocence of children allows them to receive and give love, to trust unconditionally, and to believe in love that endures. Statistics, broken hearts, or dysfunctional relationships don’t yet jade most children. Children remind us of the world to come. The couple and I began to talk about child-like trust in Jesus and his teaching, and we continued to move forward. Regarding the Church’s demanding teaching on marriage, it’s best to approach it as trusting children, whatever situations we find ourselves in.