Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 1, 2019
Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
“”Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?””
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “”What did Moses command you?””
They replied,
“”Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.””
But Jesus told them,
“”Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
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,
no human being must separate.””
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”
We had been married for less than 24 hours when my brand-new-husband lost his passport inside the airport an hour before takeoff, throwing our honeymoon into limbo. In the midst of the panic, I remember thinking, “So, this is marriage.” We would journey together, as one flesh, or not at all.
In the gospel reading today, Jesus points to the reality of what it means to live as husband and wife. No matter our feelings at any given moment, the reality remains that we are “no longer two.” Living into that reality can be immensely joyful. When my husband puts my coffee in the “good” thermos because he knows I teach freshman that day, it is easy to forget that we ever existed apart from one another. Often, however, it is painful to die to oneself and let go of the desire for independence. At the airport that day, it was tempting to desire a life unaffected by the failures and triumphs of those around me, where my husband’s mistakes would not cost me my honeymoon. Such a life, of course, does not exist.
The truth is, married or not, no one is ever truly independent, despite what our culture might say or what our hardened hearts might desire. While husbands and wives are called to a special unity with one another, all of us are members of the Body of Christ. As members of the same body, we share in each other’s joys and sorrows and accompany one another on the journey to heaven. At its best, this is what the sacrament of marriage offers to the Church: a glimpse of what it would look like to live into the reality of our interconnectedness and to embrace the call to love others as ourselves.
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. David was a Welsh bishop who was the founding figure of the Christian Church in Wales.
David was born in the late fifth or early sixth century. His legend—the story of his life—was written down in the eleventh century by a Welsh monk. According to this biography, David was born in Wales, the grandson of a king. He is credited with founding monasteries and churches throughout Wales and Southern Britain. St. David's Cathedral stands today on the site of one of these monasteries. He defended Christian orthodoxy against the Pelagian heresy.
Once, when David was preaching, a dove landed on his shoulder. The people interpreted this as a sign of God's favor for him and the truth of his words. They popularly elected him archbishop over the whole region.
David lived a strict, ascetic lifestyle. His monastic rule demanded that the monks not only work in the fields but also pull the plow themselves, rather than oxen or horses. He and his monks refrained from meat or beer, eating only water and bread with salt and herbs.
Traditionally, the day of St. David's death, March 1, is known as St. David's Day. A phrase from his last sermon has become a common Welsh proverb—"do ye the little things in life." The Cathedral, named after David, where he was buried somewhere between 589 and 601, was raided by Vikings in the Middle Ages and plundered significantly. In 1275, a new Cathedral was built, and some of David's relics were restored. In 1120, St. David was officially recognized as a saint by the Roman Church. He is the patron saint of Wales and a patron saint of vegetarians.
St. David, bishop of Wales and faithful monk—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. David of Wales is available for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Last accessed February 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
