Daily Readings - Sun Oct 06 2024

⁷And then the Lord God formed man from the clay of the earth, and he breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul¹⁵Thus, the Lord God brought the man, and put him into the Paradise of enjoyment, so that it would be attended and preserved by him¹⁸The Lord God also said: "It is not good for the man to be alone. Let us make a helper for him similar to himself.¹⁹Therefore, the Lord God, having formed from the soil all the animals of the earth and all the flying creatures of the air, brought them to Adam, in order to see what he would call them. For whatever Adam would call any living creature, that would be its name²⁰And Adam called each of the living things by their names: all the flying creatures of the air, and all the wild beasts of the land. Yet truly, for Adam, there was not found a helper similar to himself²¹And so the Lord God sent a deep sleep upon Adam. And when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and he completed it with flesh for it²²And the Lord God built up the rib, which he took from Adam, into a woman. And he led her to Adam²³And Adam said: "Now this is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh. This one shall be called woman, because she was taken from man.²⁴For this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh

Hebrews

Chapter 2

⁹Yet we understand that Jesus, who was reduced to a little less than the Angels, was crowned with glory and honor because of his Passion and death, in order that, by the grace of God, he might taste death for all¹⁰For it was fitting for him, because of whom and through whom all things exist, who had led many children into glory, to complete the authorship of their salvation through his Passion¹¹For he who sanctifies, and those who are sanctified, are all from One. For this reason, he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying

Mark

Chapter 10

²And approaching, the Pharisees questioned him, testing him: "Is it lawful for a man to dismiss his wife?³But in response, he said to them, "What did Moses instruct you?⁴And they said, "Moses gave permission to write a bill of divorce and to dismiss her.⁵But Jesus responded by saying: "It was due to the hardness of your heart that he wrote that precept for you⁶But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female⁷Because of this, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife⁸And these two shall be one in flesh. And so, they are now, not two, but one flesh⁹Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate.¹⁰And again, in the house, his disciples questioned him about the same thing¹¹And he said to them: "Whoever dismisses his wife, and marries another, commits adultery against her¹²And if a wife dismisses her husband, and is married to another, she commits adultery.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of relationships, marriage, and God’s plan for humanity. In the first reading from Genesis, we hear the beautiful account of creation, where God forms man and woman and establishes the union of marriage. Adam recognizes Eve as “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” and the text emphasizes that the two become “one flesh.” This passage reminds us that marriage is not merely a human institution but a divine gift, rooted in God’s design for companionship and mutual support. The second reading from Hebrews shifts our focus to Jesus, who shares our humanity and sanctifies us through his Passion. It highlights the deep solidarity between Christ and his people, emphasizing that he is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters. Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus teaches about the indissolubility of marriage, rejecting the idea of divorce and calling us to fidelity and perseverance in relationships. These readings are deeply connected. The Genesis account provides the theological foundation for Jesus’ teaching on marriage, showing that the union of man and woman is part of God’s original plan. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees in the Gospel is not just a legal or cultural commentary but a return to the divine intent for marriage as a lifelong, unbreakable bond. The passage from Hebrews, meanwhile, reminds us that our relationships with one another—whether in marriage or in the broader family of faith—are transformed by Christ’s work of salvation. Through his Passion, Jesus has sanctified humanity, enabling us to live out our relationships in a way that reflects God’s love and fidelity. In our daily lives, these readings call us to reexamine our commitments and relationships. Marriage, as depicted in Genesis and reaffirmed by Jesus, is a sacred vocation that requires patience, forgiveness, and self-giving love. For those not married, the readings still speak to the importance of fidelity and perseverance in all relationships. We are reminded that every relationship—whether familial, marital, or communal—is a reflection of God’s love and a means of growing in holiness. Let us ask for the grace to live out our relationships with the same fidelity and love that Christ has shown us, trusting in his plan and design for our lives.