The Two Become One
There is no audio/podcast for today’s reading & meditation.
Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Matthew 19:3-12 - Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.” They said to him, “Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?” He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.” His disciples said to him, “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” He answered, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“So they are no longer two, but one…”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
Spouses are meant to be one! They are meant to be in unity! But in the world today, the unity of spouses is forgotten and ignored. Jesus tells His listeners that in “the beginning [this] was not so.” It was God’s intention that marriage would look very different from what it looks like today. Jesus refers back to the first marriage, that of Adam and Eve, to show the original unity between man and his wife. But before He states that the two become one, He first chooses to state that “a man shall leave his father and mother.”
This is a very rich passage (one about which John Paul II has written beautifully in his Theology of the Body), but we will cover only one little part of it. If a husband and wife are to say “yes” to the great unity God intends for them, they need to say “no” to many other things. This is part of the meaning of man leaving his father and mother. If we want great unity with our spouses, we can’t pack our schedules full of unneeded activities, groups, or events. We must choose between the unity Christ has in store for us, and everything else. In prayer, consider what stands in the way of greater unity in our marriage and family?
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
Like Pier? Share it with others (via links below) / Subscribe to it (below) / Support (the mission)
