It was not so

Sisters and brothers in Christ, marriage is the visible reality of an invisible reality. Namely, the love between a man and a woman models the sacrificial, agape love of Christ and the Church. As Christ gave of himself completely for the Church; a husband and a wife are called to do the same in the covenantal bond of marriage. Yet, just as "the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so", God allows us - of our own freewill - to stray from His love because of the hardness of our hearts; however, God's plan from the beginning as for us to be with Him always.

This Saturday, I have the blessed opportunity co-lead the Men's Retreat with Fr. Charlie. Men, in fulfilling their responsibilities as the breadwinner and head of their household, often forget their important role as the faith leader in their families. Men too often depend on themselves - their own strength, intelligence, and abilities - and forget about their relationship with God. Some even believe that they do not need their heavenly Father in their lives. But that is folly and nothing can be further from the truth. Yet, God will allow men to fall away from Him, but from the beginning, God made man for Himself and never stops calling man to Himself.

Please keep us in your prayers. Most of all, please pray for the 64 men that have signed up for the retreat, that they open their hearts to the Lord so that He can mold them into the men He has made them to be - made courageous and for others.

. . .

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.”