Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 18, 2023
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.”
During our pre-Cana journey, I remember my husband and I wrestling with the idea, “So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” We knew that we would still go to two separate jobs, have individual friendships, experience singular triumphs and failures, hold unique perspectives, and remain two distinct physical bodies. Yet, somehow, we are supposed to become “one flesh”—what does that even mean?
The paradox of being two humans striving to become one will always remain but I’ve realized a big part of becoming “one flesh” means each partner humbling themselves on a routine basis. Being “one flesh” means making decisions together and not with just my wants in mind. Being “one flesh” means giving of my body through tasks like folding laundry, carrying our child, and offering to give up sleep when our children wake up early.
“Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?” After reflecting on the first portion of the passage and the personal humility required in marriage, I was struck by how I do not sense the above request coming from a “one flesh” perspective.
This is an act decided by the man and imposed on the woman in an ancient world where men held most of the societal and monetary capital. We must then ask, are those charged with power in that society protecting the most vulnerable or harming them? Are those men seeking divorce acting from the one flesh they became through marriage, or are they driven solely by their self-interest?
Choosing and living as “one flesh” brings challenges and joy. It constantly reminds me to consider another’s perspective as intimately as my own. Divorce may look different today than in Moses’ time, but this passage challenges single, married, divorced, or widowed to consider what becoming “one flesh” is and how we can prepare for it, participate in it, and reflect it to a world in need of love.
Prayer
Lord, you teach us to hold the covenant of marriage in the highest dignity. Bless all husbands and wives in their promises of love and fidelity to one another. Help all couples experiencing difficulties. Assist all members of your Church to support and encourage one another in our vocations. Amen.
Saint of the Day

St. Helen did more than perhaps any other female saint (aside from Mary) to spread the good news and establish the faith around the world.
She had humble beginnings—she was the daughter of an inn-keeper in ancient Rome. In about 270, the Roman general Constantius Chlorus met her at her family’s inn and married her. When he was made caesar, he was influenced to divorce her; by that time, Helen had already given birth to a son, Constantine.
When Constantius died, Helen’s son, Constantine, was acclaimed caesar by the army. Later, he was declared emperor, and in 313 issued the famous Edict of Milan, which ceased the persecution of Christians and promoted their toleration.
At about this time, Helen converted to the faith. Though she was 63 when she joined the Church, she had great zeal—it seemed as though she were making up for lost time. She wore simple, plain clothes to attend Mass at churches in Rome and supported the poor liberally with the resources at her disposal.
When Constantine’s power spread eastward, Helen visited Palestine to see the places where Jesus lived and died. She wanted to find those places and objects that were sacred to Christians and to preserve them for later generations. She is credited with finding the “true cross” on which Jesus was executed, and she built churches in Bethlehem, on the Mt. of Olives, and over the tomb of Jesus.
She spent the remainder of her life in the Holy Land—praying and supporting the Church there. She continued to live humbly, and when she met pilgrims, she showed them the greatest reverence—even serving them at table and washing their hands.
She used her position of power to support the poor and those who were suffering—wounded soldiers, mine workers, the imprisoned. She built churches and adorned many more. She died in 330.
The relics of St. Helen rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, as does a fragment from the true cross that she discovered (shown here in the small round window at the center of this wooden cross). She is depicted there in stained glass.
St. Helen, you discovered the true cross and used your power to support the Church, pray for us!