Posted by The WORD in other words (2009) by Frater Jong Biton, SVD – Divine Word Seminary, Tagaytay City
Friday 10th Week in Ordinary Time
In our country, issues of unfaithfulness in marriage are seemingly easy to handle because our society frowns upon separation, and our legal system does not allow divorce. Seldom do we hear troubled couple resort to legal separation as a remedy because it only allows separation in bed and board but it does not dissolve the marriage. The only way to be totally separated is to have the marriage annulled which requires a more tedious legal process.
If there is anything good about our laws, it is the fact that it clearly reflects a very catholic maka-pamilya culture and trait, which upholds the indissolubility of marriage. But alas, Filipino couples nowadays simply separate without going through the legal processes, not only because we are not a legally conscious minded people, but that our society has become more permissive to couples separating for many a-seemingly valid, nay, flimsy reasons with painful consequences.
Jesus in our Gospel today touches not only on mere legalisms or any outward signs of a sexual sin, like adultery, or any sin for that matter, but right at the very core where our sinfulness starts – in the heart of our hearts. He tells us that while we loathe an adulterous act, our evil desires or the inner thoughts can be as morally bad.
It is therefore not surprising for Jesus to suggest tearing out the eyes and cutting off the hand that causes us to sin. Not to be taken literally, such teaching reinforces the idea that anything that causes us to sin, eyes and hand included, should be rid off. Now perhaps, we can stop awhile and examine our attitudes, thoughts and actions. We rise or fall, win heaven or hell with what we brood or think over, and do. Jesus forewarns us, but the choice is always ours. Otherwise, we altogether lose our souls in hell.
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