CHURCH OF SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER , NARROWSBURG , NY AUGUST 23, 2015 21 ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME FATHER DENNIS M. DINAN Dear Parish Family, relationship in which persons give themselves At the beginning of his Pontificate, L’Osservatore completely to another. One initiates; the other Romano , the Vatican newspaper, published a weekly responds; but, both give 100%. In such a relationship, column from who we now call Saint John Paul II’s a spirit of love is formed between the persons. In the already existing writings. These were centered on Blessed Trinity, God the Father initiates all love, marriage and it was originally seen as a catechesis on eternally! He gives himself completely to God the Son. the Book of Genesis . These were later published by the God the Son likewise responds to this with the gift of Daughters of Saint Paul under the title Original Unity himself to the Father (we see this on the Cross, fixed in of Man and Woman . Later, these were seen as the time, but this is an eternal act!). The Holy Spirit exists beginning of a total 129 lectures given by Pope John as the Spirit of Love that exists between them. Paul II during his Wednesday audiences in Rome This then is the model for all love and relationships. between September 1979 and November 1984. These However, let’s concentrate on marriage! Adopting the addresses were later compiled and published as a role of God the Father, the husband is now the person single work entitled The Theology of the Body called to initiate love in the relationship by giving According to John Paul II . The Theology of the Body himself completely to his bride. The woman responds covers such topics as the bodily dimension of the by giving herself completely back to her spouse. This human person, the nature of human sexuality, the can be such that a spirit of love can, and hopefully will human need for communion, and the nature of exist between them, a spirit that can be seen and marriage. known by others, such that this love touches all aspects Teens, parents, catechists, and youth ministers and persons in their lives. It is a “sign” for others. It is should be aware of a segment of this developed the only true “sign” in the world that Jesus gave us to specifically for teens (see www.tobforteens.com). show his love for us. We hear this expressed in today’s Supported by many dioceses now, the Diocese of La Second Reading because Paul sees Christian marriage Crosse has a brief introduction on its website stating: as taking on a new meaning symbolic of the intimate “The Theology of the Body is an exciting and new relationship of love between Christ and the church. understanding of the human person and God’s plan for Christian Marriage is not something that can be humanity that is founded upon Scripture and the dictated by Civil Law. It is a Divine Institution, teachings of the Church. It is a new language that takes designed by God after his own life. us beyond the ‘thou shall nots’ we often associate with I have repeatedly wondered how often Saint Paul’s Christianity to a fresh, new approach to the gift of words must go unheeded, resulting in disheartening human sexuality; a gift that will satisfy the deepest disproportionate relationships! So first, let me ask the longings of the heart.” We can approach this with the question: do you ever remember reading or hearing, confidence of John Paul II who in 2000, at he dawn of “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the the new millennium, challenged the youth of the world church and handed himself over for her” (Eph 5:25)? to carry on the faith, “If Christ is presented to young Did you hear it today at Mass? It is a profound people as he really is, they experience him as an instruction! As Jesus was willing to die for his Bride, answer that is convincing and they can accept his the Church (you and me)—husbands, must be willing to message, even when it is demanding and bears the die for their brides—willing to lay down their lives— mark of the Cross” (Novo Millennio Ineunte 9,3). give themselves up for them! It follows three verses Enough introduction! According to the spousal after, “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands” analogy we find in the Scriptures: briefly, Christ’s (Eph 5:22). But, how many people stop right there and mission is to “marry” us. He invites us to live with him do not read on, as if Saint Paul was saying that marriage in an eternal life-giving union of love, the greatest, could be one-sided, or favor one side—the man’s over most fulfilling relationship we can ever have. This is the woman’s? They don’t even finish the sentence, “as what the union of the sexes is meant to proclaim and to the Lord.” Pope John Paul II called this “mutual foreshadow—the eternal union of Christ and the submission.” He was saying: “Be that ‘sign!’” Nothing Church collectively and individually. Pope John Paul more is being asked of either spouse than Christ is instructed us that, being made in the image and asking them: humble submission to God’s will, likeness of God, we were created to live like God and although for men to lay down their lives! Yikes! It sure love like God. Being made in the image and likeness of comes across as a tall order! However, before any of us God, we were created for spousal relationships . Saint can truly act as we are called here with another, we first Maximilian Kolbe once remarked that because of the must be able to submit ourselves to Christ! way God lives and loves, there must be a spousal This idea, which can go unseen, becomes obvious relationship in God. We are talking about a if we go back and read the first verse of the reading, which began, “[Brothers and Sisters:] Be subordinate In all of this, we cannot forget the motive which to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph 5:21). arises out of the relationship between the members of We could call this the “preface” to the rest of the the Church and Christ. For that reason, Saint Paul reading. Notice: it is calling each spouse to be flavors his exhortations with the words “as to the submissive to each other—not for any reason at all— Lord,” or some comparable phrase. This acts as a but for one, and only one reason: out of reverence for reminder for us; because, like a cursor (arrow on a Christ. Saint Paul is not asking anything of either computer screen), he points to the motive once during spouse that is not already expected in Christian the address to wives and twice for the husbands. discipleship. The above was the explanation. However, the Rudolf Schnackenburg, an honored Catholic bottom line of Pope John Paul II’s teaching is that we Biblical Scholar of the last century, prefaces his were created for marriage. We were created to live in a Commentary for this passage by saying, “Marriage, the spousal relationship. We were created to give normal and at the same time exemplary case of the ourselves to another. This also includes priests, closest co-existence of Christians, presents itself religious and single people. Just because we do not especially as a representation of a Christian life lived marry, does not get us off the hook. We too must enter according to the will and instruction of the Lord.” He into a spousal relationship , but in our case, it is with says this because this whole section of Chapter 5 is the Lord. We too must give ourselves in our vocation introduced with the words, “Do not continue in in the same way spouses offer their “gift of self.” God ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the created us all in such a way that if we do not give Lord” (Eph 5:17). We heard that last week. It followed ourselves away, we will never find fulfillment or the sentence that I emphasized in my homily, “Watch happiness. This can’t be found in other “things.” Yet, carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but God is preparing us for the greatest happiness. This as wise” (5:16). This all must be seen, he says, in the was foretold long ago by the Prophet Hosea. In context of “the mystery [of] Christ and the Church.” fulfillment, Jesus wants us to respond to the words the He also makes it clear that, although Saint Paul begins Holy Spirit spoke through him, “I will espouse you to singularly addressing women to be subordinate, he has me forever … and you shall know the LORD” (Hos 2: extended it as a principle for the entire Christian 21-22). congregation. We must understand that a home at that Last week, we mentioned that Pope Francis, in his time, according to Aristotle, was supposed to have latest writing, Laudato Si : “On Care for Our Common three relationships to be complete: husband and wife, Home,” mentioned that the Sacrament which is the father and children, servants and masters. Even though “Eucharist joins heaven and earth; it embraces and we won’t cover all of it, Saint Paul has this in mind. So penetrates all creation.” He insisted also that, “The we must read deeper! world which came forth from God’s hands returns to Since the entire exhortation is pointing to mutual him in blessed and undivided adoration: in the bread of subordination in reverence , we must ask the question, the Eucharist, ‘creation is projected towards “What is reverence ?” We can start simply with the divinization, towards the holy wedding feast, towards dinosaur , a Thesaurus , and find some synonyms: unification with the Creator himself.’” (236).