August 16, 2013

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Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time 
Lectionary: 417

Reading 1JOS 24:1-13

Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,
summoning their elders, their leaders,
their judges and their officers.
When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people:
“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
In times past your fathers, down to Terah,
father of Abraham and Nahor,
dwelt beyond the River and served other gods.
But I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the River
and led him through the entire land of Canaan.
I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac.
To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.
To Esau I assigned the mountain region of Seir in which to settle,
while Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.

“Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and smote Egypt with the prodigies
which I wrought in her midst.
Afterward I led you out of Egypt, and when you reached the sea,
the Egyptians pursued your fathers to the Red Sea
with chariots and horsemen.
Because they cried out to the LORD,
he put darkness between your people and the Egyptians,
upon whom he brought the sea so that it engulfed them.
After you witnessed what I did to Egypt,
and dwelt a long time in the desert,
I brought you into the land of the Amorites
who lived east of the Jordan.
They fought against you, but I delivered them into your power.
You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them,
the two kings of the Amorites, before you.
Then Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab,
prepared to war against Israel.
He summoned Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you;
but I would not listen to Balaam.
On the contrary, he had to bless you, and I saved you from him.
Once you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho,
the men of Jericho fought against you,
but I delivered them also into your power.
And I sent the hornets ahead of you that drove them
(the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites,
Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites)
out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow.

“I gave you a land that you had not tilled
and cities that you had not built, to dwell in;
you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves
which you did not plant.”

Joshua gathered all of Israel and reminded them of all the things which God had done for them.  

Responsorial PsalmPS 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22 AND 24

R. His mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever;
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his mercy endures forever;
Give thanks to the LORD of lords,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
Who led his people through the wilderness,
for his mercy endures forever;
Who smote great kings,
for his mercy endures forever;
And slew powerful kings,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
And made their land a heritage,
for his mercy endures forever;
The heritage of Israel his servant,
for his mercy endures forever;
And freed us from our foes,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.

God is merciful to those who love Him and keep His commandments.   Love God with all your heart and soul and do what is right.  

GospelMT 19:3-12

Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying,

“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?”

He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning

the Creator made them male and female and said,

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.

Anyone who is married will recognize that this is true.  A husband and wife become so attached to each other that we fell like one being.  We also know that when a man and woman come together to consummate their marriage, a child is frequently conceived.

Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.” 

When a man and woman are joined is holy matrimony, it is a holy contract between them and God.  And since it is Divine, it should not be broken by mortals.

They said to him, “Then why did Moses command

that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?”

He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts

Moses allowed you to divorce your wives,

but from the beginning it was not so.

The Jews wondered by Moses had permitted the Jews to divorce.  Jesus said it was because the Jews themselves would have it no other way.  But God did not make it so in the beginning:

Malachi 2:16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

I say to you, whoever divorces his wife

(unless the marriage is unlawful)

and marries another commits adultery.”

So, Jesus condemned divorce and remarriage.

His disciples said to him,

“If that is the case of a man with his wife,

it is better not to marry.”

The disciples objected and said it was better not to be married.

He answered, “Not all can accept this word,

Jesus did not deny this statement.  He merely said that many could not accept this truth.  The Protestants are a case in point today.

but only those to whom that is granted.

Those to whom this is granted are Catholic Priests who have made vows of celibacy in order to pay complete attention to God and His needs.

Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so;

some, because they were made so by others;

These who were born or made incapable of marriage must remain in a celibate state all their lives.

some, because they have renounced marriage

for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.

These, who make a vow of celibacy for the Kingdom, are the priests of God most high.  Catholic Priests who minister to God by serving His flock.

Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”

Most people can't accept this Teaching.  That is why Protestants and secular people object so strongly to the celibate Priesthood of the Catholic Church.