27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. By Tobe Eze

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B.
FIRST READING

Genesis 2:18—24

SECOND READING
Hebrews 2:9—11

GOSPEL
 Mark 10:2—16

THEME: COMPANIONSHIP FIRST.

According to Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Ugwu (Fr. Natty Reggae), “marriage is between two managers that manage themselves very well”. In marriage, man and woman manage each other for they are different people with different strengths and weaknesses. They were born in different places and brought up differently. Even if they did courtship for 10 years, it is not enough to know all about themselves. Life changes with age or time. This is why man and woman who are in a marriage or who are planning to go into marriage should bear in mind that they are different persons coming to be joined together. Understanding is the key to good management of marriage. Continue Reading.............

The number one purpose of marriage according to the first reading is companionship. It is not good for a man to be alone, I will make for him a helper. God didn’t say, I will make him an incubator. I will make him a child bearing machine. Intention in ethics has direct and indirect intentions. Direct intention is the primary target in doing something while indirect intention is not the primary target but it is known and it is unavoidable. So, procreation is an indirect intention here. Companionship is the primary target here.

In order to show us the type of love that should exist between husband and wife he came down took flesh as in the second reading and died for his bride the Church. We should be able to love our companion in season and out of season. Where there is that type of love, talking about divorce that is the topic of the gospel will not exist.

There are two states one can stay in life as vocations. It is either married or single. Coming to single, either for men cleric or vow of single life, women vow of single life. Today’s readings are interested in the married life. Is it lawful for one to divorce? That is the question the Pharisees should have asked not only for men to divorce. Aside that, marriage is a union of two that are joined together to be one and Jesus warned that no man should put asunder in what God has joined together. When you hear annulment of marriage, it is different from divorce. The Catholic Church and God have no room for divorce. Any valid wedding cannot be divorced. You can only annul invalid wedding.

There are things required from two persons joined together to form a family. They should not lack among them: love, sincerity, availability, caring, playful, cheerful, and prayerful and many other things. Where love lacks, misunderstanding comes in to destroy the union. Where sincerity lacks, insincerity comes in to remove trust. Where availability lacks, Adam’s experience may repeat itself. It was because Adam was not available that the devil succeeded in deceiving Eve. Your partner maybe deceived if you are not available. Where caring lacks, solace maybe found outside the matrimonial home and it destroys. Where playing lacks, love diminishes. It is not always good to be official in everything as husband and wife. Where cheerfulness lacks, agony and regret come in to scatter the marriage. Where prayers lack, devil comes in to rule. In other to maintain our companionship, we have to apply those things listed above and so many others and remember that it is companionship first in a union of man and woman. THANKS AND HAPPY SUNDAY.