Homily: Fifth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Fifth Thursday of Ordinary Time (Genesis 2:18-25)

There has always been a question in the church about the purpose of married life. For centuries the expressed purpose for marriage was for the procreation of children. This purpose became the ethical reason for all sexual activity. But this is not the teaching of the church today.

The Catechism of the Catholic church describes two reasons for the marriage and the sexual act within marriage. One reason is marriage provides a relationship of life and love for the two people who commit to each other. The other reason for marriage and sex is the procreation of children.

If we want to go back to the beginning of time we see that God created man and placed him in the garden. The man should have been happy. The first human had security. All material needs were provided for. But there was major problem. The first human was lonely.

God tries to take care of that loneliness by creating creatures which he gave to the man and the man named. The creatures were formed out of the same soil that the human was. This affirms that humans have a connection to all living things. That is why we should treat every living thing with concern and awe. Despite the fact that there is this connection between humans and other living things the man in Genesis is still not satisfied.

Adam needed someone who was of the same species. Adam needed someone who was an intellectual and emotional equal. For that reason, Eve was created. She is made from the essence of Adam (his rib). Because of this there is an emotional connection. We see that played out in our lives. Men fall in love with women. There is a need to reconnect to the original unity that was part of being a human person.

It is interesting that Jesus refers to creation when he is asked about marriage and divorce. He believes that marriage is as much a part of creation as the sky above our heads and the earth beneath our feet. Marriage is a building block of human society and is part of God’s plan for the world.

Reflection Questions:

1.    Do I feel the sacrament of marriage is something inspired by the Spirit? Why or why not?

2.   How does one achieve a stable family life? Do the vows of marriage offer the best chance for healthy family life?

 Dear Parishioners,

I visited classrooms at the school today to talk about the Sacrament of Marriage. Fr. Matthew and I are covering the ten commandments with the students at Seton. The children were all familiar with the story of Adam and Eve. The main thing they remembered was that Adam and Eve were disobedient.

          I tried to point out the other elements of the story that are over looked and how Jesus believed that marriage was divinely inspired. I also reminded the students that God made the world, and he made it good.

          We reflected on the fact that there are animals and birds that are monogamous. The children were fascinated by the fact that Eagles for instance mate for life and if their mate dies they do not unite with any other eagle. Fidelity is a wonderful thing to reflect on. We are reminded that God is always faithful to the relationship we have with him.

          May Our Lady watch over all those suffering in Turkey and Syria today.

          Fr. Mark