Dear Parishioners:
Today's Mass speaks of the origins of the human family: how God created man and
woman so that they may live out their lives side by side. The imagery used is
so beautiful, as the Book of Genesis paints a picture of the birth of Woman as
springing forth from the very side of man. Is it any wonder that as human
beings we feel so much more complete when we have found our "other
self" in the person to whom we give our hand to for life in marriage?
Throughout the Bible both in the New and the Old Testaments we see the image of
Bride and Bridegroom as a reflection of God's relationship to his people.
In fact one book within the Bible" The Song of Solomon" or also
called, "Song of Songs" is a beautiful love poem filled with
intensely sensuous imagery of a man and woman's love and longing for each
other. As Catholics, our tradition is to see this "love play" between
the man and a woman in the poem as an analogy of the love play between God and
his people. How he beckons us, how he longs for us how we are desirous to him.
The Church takes this analogy even to the highest level and called the
sacrament of Marriage a "mirroring" of God's loving Covenant with his
people. Finally, we are reminded that when God says "Yes" he means "YES"
forever! He never goes back on his word. God remains faithful to us in good
times and in bad, in sickness and in health and even death cannot do us part!
Deacon Michael Soentgerath