Marriage is a union between man and woman. Marriage is the most common
thing found in all religions, cultures and races. The advent of social media
and other mediums of communications in the past centuries have helped the humanity
to compare one’s religion, custom, practices and beliefs with others to learn
new things from others as well as correct one’s wrong beliefs, customs and
practices. But the concept of marriage existed in all cultures and places even
before the invention of any communication tools. If one practice that is
understood uniformly and practiced commonly in all places means; it is
marriage. This shows that marriage is part and parcel of human existence. In
the Second reading of today (Eph 5:21-32) St. Pauls compares the relationship
of husband and wife with the relationship of Jesus with His church. He exhorts
the Ephesian husbands to imitate the qualities of Jesus and His church for
wives. St. Paul stresses the understanding of husband and wife as one body and
one flesh. In Eph 5:31 St. Paul reinstates what Jesus had said with regard to
marriage, “For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will
live with his wife. The two will become one” (Mt 19:5). The institution of
marriage is not a human invention but a divine institution. Marriage gives
continuity to humanity and gives way to participate in the creative work of
God; in procreation we are cooperating with God to bring new creature into the
world and into heaven thereafter.
In Judaism marriage was celebrated for seven days. On the seventh day
bride and bridegroom enter into bedchamber to consummate their marriage. Thus,
marriage reaches its fulfilment only in consummation. A woman who dies without
marriage seems to be unblessed in the community of Israel (Eg: Sarah in the
book of Tobit, Daughter of Jephthah in the book of Judges). Man and woman
remain virgin to present oneself to the other as pure in marriage. The duty of
father in Israel is to give one’s daughter as virgin to the bridegroom in
marriage. Today the word ‘virgin’ is treated to be evil. Anyone who keeps the virginity
is mocked and ridiculed as not adopting to the signs of times. This mockery has
separated marriage and consummation (sex) as two different things. Sex is part
of creation. We are created to have sex so that we become co-operators with God
in creation. But this co-operation is done within marriage. Sex is part of
marriage and vice versa. The modern world tells the youth to experience
everything in youthful years. But in reality every age has got its own deeds.
Mixing up of deeds of old age with teenage and deeds of infancy age with youth
brings disorder. The community of Israel was faithful to keep the order of life
and celebrate the most important part of life; marriage, in rightful manner. In
this context, the gospel (Jn 6:53, 60-69) of today invites us to enter into
consummation with Jesus. As Christians, brides of Jesus and members of Jesus’s
church we are invited to enter into intimate relationship with Jesus – to be united with Jesus as husband and wife
are united with each other in bedchamber. Jesus comes into us in the Eucharist,
to relate with us, to enter into union with us. He exhort us to eat His flesh
and drink His blood (Jn 6:53) to get hold on to Him as the source of life.
St. Peter proclaims that he cannot go anywhere except Jesus as He alone
has the eternal life (Jn 6:68). This proclamation is the expression of peter’s
union with Jesus. His experience with Jesus has made him to realize Jesus as his
husband (source and protector of life). In the first reading, people of Israel
shout out with joy to Joshua, YHWH as their only God. They make this proclamation
out of their experience with YHWH in wilderness, where they had deep
relationship with Him and seen His mighty works. The relationship that exists
between husband and wife on the day of marriage grows deeply day by day as they
live their life of union with one another. In their old age they will look back
and rejoice over their fidelity. This rejoicing comes out of their lived
experience. So, we can rejoice in the Lord if only we start our relationship
with Him and persevere in it unceasingly. We believe in the presence of Jesus
and receive communion. But in receiving Him continually we grow in our
relationship with Him. We have to consummate with Jesus in the Eucharist, to
get hold on to Him as our source of life. Many start their relationship with
Jesus but only few persist (Jn 6:60-66). Let our belief in Jesus not remain as
wonderful idea that we hold on in life, but have deep root in Jesus. Our faith
in Him should have its base in our relationship with Him. A marriage that has
wrong or no consummation ends in destruction and betrayal. Similarly, our
marriage with Jesus without consummation would lead us to ruin, bring disorder into
life and tempt us to fall away from Him. Let us consummate our marriage with
Jesus by frequent reception of the Eucharist.
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