Enduring Relationships

AUGUST 13, 2010
FRIDAY 19TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR II

EZEKIEL 16:59-63
MATTHEW 19:3-12

The Bible is a one single long story of enduring relationship: of commitment, loyalty, fidelity and grace. Right from the beginning God has declared: Relationships are forever.God has united us in creation and He will keep us united till the end of times. We are to live united even in the age to come.

The scripture passages for our reflection this week has a continuous theme: enduring relationship. The other day and the day before we heard Jesus reminding us of fraternal correction (gaining your brother/sister who falters) and forgiving the offender to the last breath of your life (seventy times seven). We are made for each other, we cannot afford to severe relationships, however hurting they may be. God does not lose confidence in us. Nor shall we.

The most sacred of all relationships and the most intimate, too, is found in the family, especially between a husband and wife. St Paul finds the marrital covenant as high and profound as the covennant of christ with His Church.There is no greater delight God can have than seeing a family united in love and fidelity.
The soul-touching narration of Ezekiel, in the first reading, of Yahweh's fidelity to His covenant with Ephraim is a mirror of marrital faithfulness. Yahweh loved Ephraim not because he is lovable. Yahveh cared for Ephraim not because he is gentle and obedient. Yahweh stood by Ephraim even when he was arrogant, unfaithful, rude and showed the ugly side of his life.God respects the covenant He has made with us no matter how we might humiliate Him and reject Him. The culmination and concretization of the fidelity of God to His covenant with us is found in the offering of His Son on the Cross. God will go any extent to keep us with Him. He never breaks the relationship, not even when we tend to seperate ourselves and turn away from His offer of love. This shall be the model we follow in human relationships as well.

Fidelity to relationships and marrital covenant has never been easy. From the time of creation, through the Biblical times and to the present age people struggle with the "permanance of relationship" in marriage. This is why people around us today speak of stipulating the marriage covenant not for life, but for a period of time, say one year, five years or ten years, which could be renewed upon evaluation. Relationships if they work, until they work, and as long as they are satisfactory! Our world is fragmented and everything, even love seems to be so fluid. But for us, Christians, there is one principle that cannot be compromised: stick to the relationships, be committed, be loyal and faithful. For this is the first and last commandment God has given us: Be faithful in love. What God has united, let no man put assunder!

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