3 Oct 2021
Softness of Heart
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Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female.†“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. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’
Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.’
People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
03 October 2021 @ 4:56 am
Dear Euan, My name is Nick Punch O.P., I did visit Cambridge many years ago and stayed at the Priory when you had a mixed community of students staying there, I am originally an Australian Dominican and was Provincial at the time. I cannot think of the name of the Dominican who invited me, I know Simon Tugwell was one of them, Gaudion Marshall another. and a Canon Lawyer. I loved the experience. And in the same way, I loved your comments today. I have loved celebrating weddings, and celebrated many! What marriage does demand is a “soft†heart, there is strength in softness, a femininity. You spoke of Jesus’ softness as he went to the Cross. These are powerful things, and I am grateful to you for mentioning them, they will come into my homily! I am now in USA a member of the Thomas More Center, preaching team. We are mixed members, two Dominican men, one Franciscan woman! We all listened and really liked what you said! We are also retired! I was born in England, Cobham, Surrey. My cousin Fionnoula is Principal of a Dominican school, and she lives in Watford.
04 October 2021 @ 4:05 am
Thank you for this wonderful reflection!