27th Sunday of Year B (Mk 10:2-16) When life's plans don’t work out

Recently in our diocese we lost three priests. They all left for different reasons, which is sad. Each time that happens it makes all of us priests question our vocations and it brings up questions as to whether we will be able to persevere. Marriages often don’t work out and I’m sure when you know a couple who have just split up, it probably brings up fears and questions about your own marriage too. But just because Religious life, or married life, doesn’t always work out as we had hoped, it doesn’t mean we give up on them. We still do our best to hold onto the values that are important and to teach our children the same thing. Over 80% of people still believe in the value of marriage, which is good to know and thousands of young people are continually inspired to dedicate their lives to God in Religious life. Two of my family are divorced and I’ve already done my best friend’s wedding twice. I also know of many priests who have left the priesthood.

It is interesting that they had the same issues 3,500 years ago in the time of Moses. When Jesus is questioned about this, he makes the point that this was not God’s intention, but that doesn’t mean we give up when things don’t work out. The Lord never gives up on us, no matter how badly things turn out.

You know the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. He meets her in the middle of the day, on her own, which means that she was being shunned by other women. It would be normal for her to be with other women early in the morning, when it is cool. Jesus tells her he knows that she has been married five times and is now with someone else. But instead of being judgmental of her, he reaches out to her, gives her hope and courage. That is always what the Lord does. Jesus is always the one to give us courage. Satan, who hates and wants to destroy God’s creation, always discourages. He is the one who tells us we are useless, we are hypocrites and there is no point in going on. Jesus called him ‘the Accuser’. He constantly accuses us and points out our faults. If you are surprised to hear me talk about Satan, look at the Scriptures. Jesus frequently mentioned him. His existence is real and he works to destroy us and make us despair. Jesus is always the one to encourage us and who tells us not to be afraid.

366 times in the Bible are the words, ‘Do not be afraid.’ God is always encouraging us and is with us no matter what happens. In fact, He is always the one to reach out to us and assure us that He is still with us just as much as before.

 

When Jesus was asked directly about this, He said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her.’ It is not what God intended, but even when it happens, the Lord works with us, to help us move on. That is also what an annulment is about. It is the Church’s way of allowing a person to move on, by dissolving the previous sacramental marriage. An annulment doesn’t say that a marriage never existed. What it says is that all the elements for the sacrament of marriage were not there and therefore that marriage can be dissolved. You could say it is the merciful side of the Lord’s teaching, to allow people to begin again.

I am often asked if it is wrong to receive Holy Communion if someone is divorced. Being divorced is not a problem with regards to receiving Communion. The problem is when someone is then in a second relationship. If someone is in a second relationship without having the first one dissolved, or annulled, then technically they are committing adultery. That’s why we try to help people to get an annulment, so that they can move on.

One of the reasons Pope Francis often unnerves people, is because he reaches out to people who are in the ‘grey’ area, which is exactly what Jesus did. He hasn’t changed any Church teaching, but he is reminding us that things are rarely black and white and reaching out to people is what we are meant to be about, because that is what Jesus did.

I often think of one of the times when Jesus was so critical of the Pharisees (the religious leaders of the time) and he said, ‘Oh you Pharisees; you place great burdens on people’s shoulders, but you don’t lift a finger to move them’ (Mat 23:4). In other words, it is easy to just state  God’s law, but we must also help people when things have gone wrong.

The Lord is always the one to encourage us and He never abandons us, no matter what happens.