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document.write('<h3>Scripture Reflection for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time<br />October 4, 2009</h3><p><strong><em>by <a target="_blan');
document.write('k" href="http://www.parishwebmaster.com/services/authors/deacon_james_corder.htm"><font color="#000000">Deacon James Corder</font></a></');
document.write('em></strong></p><h3>Reading I: <a target="new" href="http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/genesis/genesis2.htm#v18">Genesis ');
document.write('2:18-24</a><br />Reading II:<a target="new" href="http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/hebrews/hebrews2.htm#v9">Hebrews 2:9-11<');
document.write('/a><br />GOSPEL:<a target="new" href="http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/mark/mark10.htm#v2">Mark 10:2-16</a></h3><h3>Je');
document.write('sus Gets Real About Marriage</h3><p>Jesus says some pretty intense statements on marriage from the Christian perspectiv');
document.write('e. What does he mean? Should we take him literally, or should we get into the heart of the message?</p><p>Today we are ');
document.write('reminded of the importance of the Sacrament of Marriage. What does this have to do with those who are not married? Read ');
document.write('on and find out! </p><p><blockquote><em>"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his w');
document.write('ife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh." </em></blockquote><h3>The Two Become');
document.write(' One</h3><p>The notion of marriage is described in the Old Testament as two people being made one. That God has designe');
document.write('d all of creation with the idea that women and men are designed by God to be joined. </p><p>But then Jesus takes the Ol');
document.write('d Testament idea and adds to it. He declares that the ideal of marriage is lifelong. </p><p><blockquote><em>"Therefore ');
document.write('what God has joined together, no human being must separate." </em></blockquote><h3>Divorce</h3><p>Jesus addresses divo');
document.write('rce in this reading, however, we must take this reading and remember what Jesus teaches us throughout the Gospels. The m');
document.write('essage of Jesus is always love and compassion first and foremost. Jesus is telling us the way that marriage is supposed ');
document.write('to be. The truth is we all know people who have struggled through the devastation of divorce. </p><p>Divorce is a tough');
document.write(' solution to a very desperate problem. It should always be the last resort. We all know the truth is that there are marr');
document.write('ied people who should not be together. The difficulty is telling the difference between a relationship that needs work a');
document.write('nd a relationship that is simply dead. The health of a relationship is like a person\'s health -- the important thing is ');
document.write('determining if the marriage is ill or terminal. </p><p>It would be silly for someone to give up on their body if they w');
document.write('ere just suffering from a cold or the flu. Yet sometimes that is the way people treat marriage. They decide to give up, ');
document.write('because they don\'t feel good. They walk away because married life can get difficult.</p><p>There are many distractions ');
document.write('throughout the history of a marriage. You ask anyone who has been married for a long time and see if they won\'t tell you');
document.write(' that there has been "relationship illness" more than a few times. They will also tell you that it changed for the bette');
document.write('r because they gave their marriage time and attention. </p><p><blockquote><em>"Because of the hardness of your hearts h');
document.write('e wrote you this commandment." </em></blockquote><h3>Preparing for Marriage</h3><p>One of the most important things th');
document.write('e Catholic Church does is prepare people for marriage. The idea is that we prepare for the marriage and not so much the ');
document.write('wedding. The mindset is that the wedding is not the end of the planning, but rather the beginning of a life together. </');
document.write('P><p>When a couple is contemplating marriage there are some things they can do for a reality check. For example, the co');
document.write('uple can discuss it with family and friends to see what they think of the idea. While one person may have a bias for or ');
document.write('against your proposed spouse, the truth is that when you ask all of your family and friends, you will get a good balance');
document.write(' of honesty. Romeo and Juliet themes are great in plays and movies, but the reality is that we need family and friends t');
document.write('o support us as single people, and need them even more to support us in marriage. </p><p>We believe that two people bec');
document.write('oming one speaks of the importance of meeting as many people as possible. Try your very best to not get too serious with');
document.write(' one person, but rather try very hard to meet many other people. See many different types of personalities and character');
document.write('istics. </p><p>The more people you meet, the better chance you have of finding the right person for you. The trick is t');
document.write('o not get so involved with anyone until you have decided that this is the man or women you want to marry. Being too invo');
document.write('lved (living together, being sexually active, or sharing finances) clouds the issues and makes it difficult to freely en');
document.write('ter into marriage.</p><h3>Don\'t Forget God</h3><p>Christian marriage means that God is part of the relationship. God i');
document.write('s the third part of a good marriage (hmm, a trinity of persons -- very biblical). Anyway, don\'t count God out. We also n');
document.write('eed to pray. What is God\'s plan for you? Make sure that your will and desire is consistent with God. </p><p>Jesus is ve');
document.write('ry specific on the ideals and attitude of the Christian marriage. Let us pray that we can follow in the plan that God ha');
document.write('s for each and every one of us. The commitment is intense but the rewards are worth it. </p><p><blockquote><em>". . . f');
document.write('rom the beginning of creation, God made them male and female." </em></blockquote><hr><h3>Life Applications:</h3><p>How');
document.write(' do you feel about divorce in general?<br />Do you think that most people are adequately prepared for marriage?<br />What mo');
document.write('re can the church do to help couples that are struggling with their marriage?</p>');
document.write('<hr><p>Copyright 2009 <strong><em>by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.parishwebmaster.com/services/authors');
document.write('/bio_jcorder.htm "><font color="#000000">Jim Corder</font></a></em></strong><a href="http://www.ParishWebmaster.com/" ST');
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