ADULTERY -- FOR ADULTS ONLY?
Friday in the Seventh Week of the Ordinary Time
Mark 10:1-12
It sometimes puzzles me why adultery is called “adultery”. Is it because only adults can commit such a sin? Is it because such a moral offense can be committed only against an adult? Think for a while, why is adultery called “adultery”?
One of the canonical forms required by the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is free consent. Consent is free when it is an informed decision arrived at without any coercion or deception. The Catholic Church holds that a marriage contracted without free consent is an invalid marriage. Even if the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony has already been celebrated and nuptial vows have been actually exchanged between the bride and the groom, the marriage apparently contracted is null and void right from the start. This is really what so called “Church annulment” of marriages is trying to say when it declares a marriage to be null and void.
Adults, as compared to children and adolescents, are presumed to be fully capable to giving free consent. While this may not sound very theological and canonical, infidelity in a validly contracted marriage may be regarded as a sin against the integrity of one’s adulthood. You may find this amusing, but give it a thought. Adultery is violating the sanctity of your adult life and all the faculties and privileges you enjoy as an adult.
St. James (Jas 5:9-12), complimenting well the Gospel today, teaches us a valuable lesson in giving our consent as adults. We have to mean what we say. We must always be sincere with our consent. ‘Yes’ is ‘yes’ and ‘no’ is ‘no’ for an adult. Otherwise, we bring judgment upon us.
Fidelity is the antithesis of adultery. One does not need to be an adult to be faithful. But one has to be an adult to commit adultery. Yet still, one does not have to be married to be adulterous. Did not Jesus say, “Anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery in his heart?” It appears that it is not marriage that defines adultery. It is fidelity to the Lord who transforms us from adolescents to adults. Fidelity to the Lord dictates that we remain always true, honest, and sincere whether we are children or adults, single or married, man or woman.
Mark 10:1-12
It sometimes puzzles me why adultery is called “adultery”. Is it because only adults can commit such a sin? Is it because such a moral offense can be committed only against an adult? Think for a while, why is adultery called “adultery”?
One of the canonical forms required by the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is free consent. Consent is free when it is an informed decision arrived at without any coercion or deception. The Catholic Church holds that a marriage contracted without free consent is an invalid marriage. Even if the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony has already been celebrated and nuptial vows have been actually exchanged between the bride and the groom, the marriage apparently contracted is null and void right from the start. This is really what so called “Church annulment” of marriages is trying to say when it declares a marriage to be null and void.
Adults, as compared to children and adolescents, are presumed to be fully capable to giving free consent. While this may not sound very theological and canonical, infidelity in a validly contracted marriage may be regarded as a sin against the integrity of one’s adulthood. You may find this amusing, but give it a thought. Adultery is violating the sanctity of your adult life and all the faculties and privileges you enjoy as an adult.
St. James (Jas 5:9-12), complimenting well the Gospel today, teaches us a valuable lesson in giving our consent as adults. We have to mean what we say. We must always be sincere with our consent. ‘Yes’ is ‘yes’ and ‘no’ is ‘no’ for an adult. Otherwise, we bring judgment upon us.
Fidelity is the antithesis of adultery. One does not need to be an adult to be faithful. But one has to be an adult to commit adultery. Yet still, one does not have to be married to be adulterous. Did not Jesus say, “Anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery in his heart?” It appears that it is not marriage that defines adultery. It is fidelity to the Lord who transforms us from adolescents to adults. Fidelity to the Lord dictates that we remain always true, honest, and sincere whether we are children or adults, single or married, man or woman.
posted by Fr. Bobby @ 4:00 PM
1 Comments
1 Comments:
Lord Jesus, heal us that we will always be faithful to you. Bless us that we will see you in everything we do.
God bless po.
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