Friday – 10th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Matthew 5: 27-32

The Heart of the Matter

Renewing Marriage Vows, Cana

 

Today’s Gospel is filled with all sorts of stark images and language – plucking out your eyeball, cutting off your arm.  It’s the sort of imagery that seems destined for a very gory movie, not suitable for children. And it makes you wonder! If we really took it to heart, the world would be filled with a lot of one-eyed, one-armed individuals!

We are reminded that sin begins, not with our actions, but with our thoughts, our desires.  Years ago, George Carlin had a comedy sketch about sin.  Basically, he said, if you were planning to go downtown to kill someone, save your bus fare; you’ve already committed the sin.  A bit stark but there is truth here – sin exists when we deliberately intend to do something we know is wrong.  But that also means that virtue begins with our intentions as well.  Good begins in our heart, with what we plan to do.  Whether we are talking about sin or virtue, intentions matter!

And then Jesus speaks on marriage and divorce.  Again, intentions matter!  Marriage demands that we really think long and hard before the ceremony.  And when difficulties arise, and they will, we choose to work together to resolve them, not run away at the first sign of a problem. 

Throughout our marriage, Ginger has had one single word for this union of ours – STUCK!!!  We are stuck together.  Can I tell you a secret?  I don’t feel stuck at all.  I feel united; I feel loved.  I feel that both of us years ago deliberately intended to do something good – to step away from ME and work on becoming US!  Through it all, it has been about our intentions, not merely our actions.  Through it all, we have worked to make our actions reflect what is in our hearts!.  Every day we are STUCK!  Lovingly, gratefully, intentionally STUCK!  And that is the Heart of the Matter!

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 13, 2025 at 4:11 PM

    I really like the idea of being “stuck” in marriage! We’re like glue for each other, through good and bad.

    ReplyDelete

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