Rigidity Separates… Love Unites…

"[A] man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh" (Mk. 10:7-8). These words of Jesus are often echoed in wedding ceremonies, and over time, they have become my favored gospel passage for matrimonial unions as a priest. Within it, we discern two distinct relational dynamics intertwined with the covenant of love.

On one hand, there exists a path that leads away from love, stemming from the hardness of our hearts, as Jesus illuminates. To grasp the essence of this hardness, let us envisage two brittle bricks colliding. The more they clash, the more they splinter, their rigidity turning to dust. Now, contemplate two granite stones in a collision—producing resounding echoes and ominous sparks, with the harder prevailing while the weaker crumbles. Because our hearts, akin to these stones, are rigid, Jesus agrees that Moses instituted laws regulating divorce to mitigate the wreckage inflicted by such separations.

On the other hand, envision two marble stones colliding. Marbles possess the unique trait of polishing each other upon friction, rendering their surfaces lustrous and reflective. Through this process, they mirror one another, blurring the distinction between self and other. It is in this mutual reflection that Jesus envisions the transformation of two into one flesh, fostering enduring love. When that happens between two persons, one begins to see himself/herself in the other. Not only one sees oneself in the other, but one begins to see the other not as ‘the other’, but as oneself. It is when, as Jesus proposes, they become “no longer two but one flesh” (Mk. 10:8), leading to love that endures.

Putting together, while hardness of heart breeds separation, a degree of malleability in our hearts fosters unity. The greater the moisture within, the more pliable, reflective, and enduring our capacity to love. Let us, therefore, strive to embody God's love within the sanctity of marriage, family, and our daily interactions, preserving the divine moisture without allowing it to be dry and hard.

Let us introspect:

1. How calloused is my heart presently?
2. What is the humidity level within the climate of my heart?
3. To what extent am I committed to nurturing enduring love?
4. What actions and adjustments can I undertake today to infuse greater love into my commitments?