First reading Ecclesiasticus 6:5-17
A faithful friend is a sure shelter
A kindly turn of speech multiplies a man’s friends,
and a courteous way of speaking invites many a friendly reply.
Let your acquaintances be many,
but your advisers one in a thousand.
If you want to make a friend, take him on trial,
and be in no hurry to trust him;
for one kind of friend is only so when it suits him
but will not stand by you in your day of trouble.
Another kind of friend will fall out with you
and to your dismay make the quarrel public,
and a third kind of friend will share your table,
but not stand by you in your day of trouble:
when you are doing well he will be your second self,
ordering your servants about;
but if ever you are brought low he will turn against you
and will hide himself from you.
Keep well clear of your enemies,
and be wary of your friends.
A faithful friend is a sure shelter,
whoever finds one has found a rare treasure.
A faithful friend is something beyond price,
there is no measuring his worth.
A faithful friend is the elixir of life,
and those who fear the Lord will find one.
Whoever fears the Lord makes true friends,
for as a man is, so is his friend.
Responsorial Psalm 118(119):12,16,18,27,34-35
Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.
Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes.
I take delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.
Open my eyes that I may see
the wonders of your law.
Make me grasp the way of your precepts
and I will muse on your wonders.
Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.
Train me to observe your law,
to keep it with my heart.
Guide me in the path of your commands;
for there is my delight.
Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.
Gospel Mark 10:1-12
What God has united, man must not divide
Jesus came to the district of Judaea and the far side of the Jordan. And again crowds gathered round him, and again he taught them, as his custom was. Some Pharisees approached him and asked, ‘Is it against the law for a man to divorce his wife?’ They were testing him. He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ ‘Moses allowed us’ they said ‘to draw up a writ of dismissal and so to divorce.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘It was because you were so unteachable that he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’ Back in the house the disciples questioned him again about this, and he said to them, ‘The man who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.’
_____________________________________________
Faithful love
In this gospel passage, Jesus introduces us to the ideal conjugal love, where men and women are seen as equal, both created in the image of God and possessing the same capacity for love and the need to be loved. Jesus parallels marriage with God’s unconditional and eternal love for humanity. The Sacrament of Marriage offers the actual grace, especially during the difficult moments couples may have. However, this kind of love is only possible when the love of the spouses is rooted in the love of Christ, which is sacrificial and prioritizes the needs of the other.
‘A loyal friend is like a safe shelter; find one, and you have found a treasure… it is like a medicine that keeps you in good health.’ (First reading) The book of Sirach highlights the richness of true and authentic friendship, nourished by selfless and loyal love. We can say that Jesus embodies this kind of friendship, which is why He tells us: “I do not call you servants; I call you friends.’ (John 15:15) He is our shelter and the treasure we have found, serving as the foundation of every expression of love.
Reflective question:
Is my love rooted in Christ’s love?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
