Other Sunday and Holy Day Readings
27th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Cycle B)
Readings:
Genesis 2:18-24
Psalm 128:1-6
Hebrews 2:9-11
Mark 10:2-16
Abbreviations: NABRE (New American Bible Revised Edition), NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), RSVCE (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The words LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name, YHWH (Yahweh).
God reveals His divine plan for humanity in the two Testaments; therefore, we read and relive the events of salvation history in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Church's Universal Catechism teaches that our Liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of the Readings: Unbreakable Fidelity
Fidelity is one of the hallmarks of true love. The First
Reading tells us that God sanctified fidelity in marriage between one man and
one woman. In the institution of marriage, a man and a woman become God's
partners in perpetuating humanity, and in the Sacrament of Matrimony, man and
woman become "one flesh" (Gen 2:23; Mt 19:5; Mk 10:7). "Flesh" in the Bible can
mean the whole person; therefore, to become "one flesh" refers to more than the
physical union. It also indicates the total oneness of two persons, the "fruit"
of which is children.
The Responsorial Psalm reminds us of the importance of the spiritually healthy practice of fearing to offend God. Scripture tells us that "fear of the Lord" is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Prov 1:7a; 9:10a). We offer Him a reverent fear and respect because of His sovereignty over humanity and His goodness and justice. The foundation of true religion is acknowledging our One True God's supreme authority over us and the reverence and obedience we owe Him. As Christians, we demonstrate love and fidelity to God through obedience to His commandments in all our pursuits (1 Jn 2:3-6). God rewards us by blessing us in our human relationships, especially in marriage and families.
The Second Reading begins the first of seven Sundays when we read from the New Testament Letter to the Hebrews. The inspired writer (which most Fathers of the Church identified as St. Paul) gave what was probably a sermon addressed to the Jewish Christian assembly in Jerusalem that was copied and distributed as a letter to other Christian faith communities. The inspired writer wanted Jewish Christians to understand why Jesus established a new covenant and for them to grow in the fidelity of unity with Gentile Christians. In today's passage, he describes what Jesus did for all Christians by submitting Himself to "taste death" on a Roman cross for the cause of our eternal salvation. He consecrated Christians in His Blood and united them as brothers/sisters in the family of God as, throughout the generations, they continue to "taste" the gift of His life in the Eucharist.
The First Reading and the Psalm prepare us for the Gospel Reading. The Responsorial Psalm pictures the ideal marriage as God intended, with a man and his wife becoming a lifetime blessing for each other and to the fruit of their union, their children. In the Gospel Reading, Jesus defines marital union as God intended when He instituted it by officiating at the marriage of Adam and Eve, and He defines divorce as a violation of divine order. Jesus's address on marriage continues with a teaching on the fruit of marriage, which is children, as He commands that children must be allowed to come to Him. Children are precious to God, and Jesus uses children as a metaphor for the attitude Christians should have in their relationship of humility, fidelity, trust, and love with God, their heavenly Father.
The First Reading Genesis 2:18-24 ~ The Origin of the Institution of Marriage
18 The LORD God said: It is not good for the man to be
alone. I will make a suitable partner for him." 19 So the LORD God formed out
of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and he brought
them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of
them would be its name. 20 The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds
of the air, and all wild animals, but none proved to be the suitable partner
for the man. 21 So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was
asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 The
LORD God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, 23 the man said: "This one, at last, is bone of
my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called 'woman,' for out of
her man this one has been taken." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and
mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.
For the first time in the Genesis narrative, in verse 18, God judges something "not good" (lo tov in Hebrew), whereas in the prologue, every aspect of the Creation event was "good" and the seventh day as "very good" (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25 and 31). What God judged as "not good" (verse 1) was that man should be alone. God formed the animals from the dust of the earth in the same way that He formed man (Gen 2:7, 19), but He did not animate the animals with His breath/spirit. The difference between the souls of animals and the souls of man is that humankind possesses an immortal soul from the very breath of God (Gen 2:7).
Notice that the sequence differs from Genesis 1:24-27. The prologue account in Genesis Chapter 1 does not conflict with Genesis Chapter 2 (especially verses 7 and 19). Chapter 1 is a summary, and the added details in Chapter 2 suggest that the creation of man and the beasts may not be chronological but probably simultaneous. God is not limited as we are in our works; the chronological unfolding of time is a condition in which man lives. Since God created man out of the same matter as the animals, no one can claim that man's creation was in any way divine; God did not create Adam as a man-god. Man's immortal soul, a gift of the breath/spirit of God (Gen 2:7), animates him, and his adoption as a divine son through his covenant relationship with God infuses him with grace and makes him a partaker in the divine life of the Most Holy Trinity.
19b and he brought
them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of
them would be its name.
God paraded the animals
before Adam as he named each of them. Thus, God blessed Adam with stewardship
over the creatures of the earth (Gen 1:27-30), and in naming them, Adam was
asserting his authority over them.
20b but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
The word translated as
"suitable/suited to" in verse 20 is in Hebrew negdo, a term more
literally rendered as "equal and adequate." The word translated "partner" in
Hebrew is ezer, which means "aid or help," from the prime root azar, "to
surround," as in "to protect, aid, help, succor" (IBHG, Vol, I, page 6; Genesis,
Waltke, page 88). God's plan was to provide a "partner/helper" for
Adam in the gift of an "equal/adequate" companion. God determined there was no "suitable
partner/helper" equal to man among the animals. However, viewing each animal
with its mate, Adam needed to realize that an animal was not a "suitable"
companion for him, and he was not complete without his female counterpart.
God made men and women uniquely different in their sexuality, but He created them both in His image and likeness to be equal as human persons. Their shared vocation was to serve God, subdue the earth and its creatures, and perpetuate humanity. Adam's realization that he needed a partner/helper (after naming the animals) prepared him to receive and appreciate his gift of the virgin bride who, as a resident of the garden Sanctuary, God obligated him to guard and protect (see Gen 2:15-17; CCC 369 and 371-373).
22 The LORD God then
built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man.
In verses 21-25, God made the man fall into a deep sleep and created his partner. In describing
the creation of the woman from Adam's rib, Genesis 2:22 does not use the word
"create," bara, nor does the text employ the word "made," asah
(Gen 1:7, 16, 25, 31; 2:2, 3, 4).
Instead, in the Hebrew text, God "built" the woman
from Adam's rib. In Hebrew, this word is banah, the same Hebrew term
used to describe the building of altars of sacrifice and incense for Yahweh's
desert Sanctuary, and also the Temple in Jerusalem (i.e.,
Gen 12:7-8; 13:18; 22:9; 26:25;
Ex 17:15; 24:4; etc.;
1 Kg 2:26; 3:2; 5:19/5; 8:17-19, 20; etc.).
Commenting on the unusual selection of this word, St. Augustine (354-430) saw the "building" up of Eve from the body of Adam as prefiguring Christ's unity with the Church as part of His Body. Augustine wrote: "Built is the very word the Scripture uses in connection with Eve: 'He built the rib into a woman.' So, too, does St. Paul speak of 'building up the body of Christ,' which is his Church. Therefore, woman is as much the creation of God as man is. If she was made from the man, this was to show her oneness with him; and if she was made in the way she was, this was to prefigure the oneness of Christ and the Church" (City of God, 22.17, with references to Ephesians 4:12 and 5:32).
St. Jerome (c. 347-420) also recognized the prefiguring of Christ and His Church in the Genesis 2:22 passage: "'God took a rib from the side of Adam and made it into a woman.' Here Scripture said 'built.' The concept of building intends to denote the construction of a great house; consequently, Adam's rib fashioned into a woman signifies, by apostolic authority, Christ and the Church" (Homilies 66).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses the unique link between the creation of Adam's bride, brought to life when "built" from his side, and the Bride of Christ, the Church, brought into being from the pierced side of the Savior. Quoting Lumen gentium 3 and Sacrosanctum concilium 5, the Catechism teaches: "The Church is born primarily of Christ's total self-giving for our salvation, anticipated in the institution of the Eucharist and fulfilled on the cross. 'The origin and growth of the Church are symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of the crucified Jesus.' 'For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth the wondrous sacrament of the whole Church.' As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam's side, so the Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross" (CCC 766).
23 the man said: "This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called 'woman,' for out of her man
this one has been taken." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.
In verses 23-24, Adam
immediately comprehended God's gift of the woman was not only like him but also
part of him. He recognized that he was incomplete without her, and he gave her
the title "out of man," the meaning of the word "woman." Later, he named her
"Eve" (mother of all the living) in Genesis 3:23. Thus, in the presentation of
the gift of the virgin bride to Adam as his partner in life, God has instituted
marriage and defined it as a spiritual and physical union between one man and
one woman.
In Jesus's teaching about the Sacrament of Marriage in Matthew 19:3-6 and Mark 10:2-12 (in our Gospel Reading), He quoted from Genesis 2:24. Jesus said: "6 But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. 7 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate" (Mk 10:6-9). God is the author of marriage, and any attempt to redefine the nature and institution of marriage is to act in opposition to the will of God.
Responsorial Psalm 128:1-6 ~ Blessed are Those Who Fear the Lord
Response: "May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives."
1 Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his
ways! 2 For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be and
favored.
Response:
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses
of your home; your children like olive plants around your table.
Response:
4 Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. 5 The
LORD bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days
of your life.
Response:
6 May you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!
Response:
To "fear the LORD" (literally, "fear Yahweh") in verse 1 is the spiritually healthy practice of fearing to offend God. The inspired writer of the Book of Proverbs wrote that fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Prov 1:7a; 9:10a), referring to reverent fear and respect for God because of His sovereignty over humanity and His goodness and justice. Acknowledging God's supreme authority over us and the reverence we owe Him is the foundation of true "religion," a word that means "to tie, fasten, bind, or to gather up, treat with care" (Catholic Dictionary page 364). The practice of our religion is the tie that binds us in our covenant relationship with our God as we "walk in His ways" (verse 1b)
We "walk in His ways" by keeping His commandments as an expression of our love and fidelity (1 Jn 2:3-6). The blessing in verses 2-4 is for happy family life and peace between parents and children. The reverence shown to God by following the obedience of faith will result in God's blessings that will safeguard all the covenant people and give each member the hope of a long life with the joy of living to see their children's children (verses 5-6).
The Second Reading Hebrews 2:9-11 ~ Christ Our Brother
9 but we do see Jesus "crowned with glory and honor"
because he suffered death, he, who "for a little while" was made "lower than
the angels," that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 For
it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing
many children to glory, should make the leader to their salvation [made] perfect
through suffering. 11 He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated
all have one origin. Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them "brothers"...
In verse 9, the inspired writer states that the Son of God was, for a little while, made lower than the angels by becoming a man. Then, he reassures the faithful by saying that Jesus is now crowned with glory and honor because he submitted to death so that His experience of death could benefit all humanity by God's grace. The phrase "taste of death" uses the primary verb geuomai (pronounced ghyoo'-om-ahee), meaning "to taste" and, by implication, "to eat" or figuratively as "to experience." The Letter to the Hebrews introduced the concept of 2:9b in the exordium in Hebrews 1:1-14. In that passage, the inspired writer announced that the Son was exalted because He suffered death, and unlike the rule of an ordinary king, which ended with death, Jesus began His reign with His self-sacrificial death. Thus, Christ's suffering and death opens the path to glorification. This theme continues, and the inspired writer (believed by many to be Paul) develops it further in the letter's next section.
In His mission to free humanity from the judgment man rightly deserved for sin, Jesus willingly tasted death from God's "cup of wrath" (Is 51:17; 35:15-18; Jer 25:15-16; 51:7-8; Ez 23:32-34). Jesus uses similar imagery concerning His impending death in Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42, and John 18:11. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that God the Father might "let this cup pass me by," meaning that He might not drink of the cup of God's wrath, filled with the bitter "taste" of death. Yet, He submitted Himself to God's will and prayed: "My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!" (Mt 26:42). In his commentary on Hebrews, St. John Chrysostom states that the use of this expression in Hebrews 2:9 is deliberate. He writes: "... it is very precise. It does not say 'that by the grace of God he might die,' for the Lord once he tasted death delayed there only for a moment and immediately rose ... All men fear death; therefore, to enable us to take death in our stride, he tasted death even though it was not necessary for him to do so" (Homilies on Hebrews, 4). In their writings, the Church Fathers have always linked the words "tasting death" in association with Jesus's suffering as affirming that Jesus willingly accepted His Passion in atonement for the sins of humanity and that he accepted death without ceasing to be the Lord of life.
Jesus used the same Greek word in association with death in Matthew 16:28 when He said, "Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom" (repeated in Mk 9:1 and Lk 9:27). The same word appeared again in John 8:52-53 when the Pharisees challenged Jesus, saying, "Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, 'Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.' Are you greater than our father Abraham who died?"
St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that using the imagery of "tasting death," the inspired writer is referring to the Passion of the Christ in three ways:
The Navarre scholars wrote: "Jesus did indeed, by the will of the Father, experience or 'taste' death. His death is described as being like a bitter drink which he chose to take in sips as if savoring it" (Navarre Commentary on Hebrews, page 68). St. Paul wrote that Jesus "drank the cup of God's wrath" for us so that He could free us from the penalty of eternal death and the wrath of God, the price we deserve to pay for our sins (Col 2:13-14 and Phil 2:6-11). However, there is a cup that we drink and food that we taste that has the power to give us the courage to face death unafraid. We can bravely face death because we drink from the cup of Jesus's precious Blood and taste the Bread from Heaven, which is His Body, in the Most Holy Eucharist, uniting us physically and spiritually to the life of Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is our "food for the journey" to eternal life!
10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom
all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader to
their salvation perfect through suffering.
God the Father glorified Jesus because He willingly suffered
and offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice for the sins of humanity (1 Pt 1:18-19).
His triumph over sin and death seals the redeeming value of His sacrificial
death. This victory gave Jesus, in His humanity as the Son of man, and His
divinity as the Son of God, true dominion over the earth (as St. Paul declared,
quoting Psalm 8:6 in Ephesians 1:19-23). What this means to us is what Paul
wrote to the Christians at Philippi in Philippians 3:20-21: But our
citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the
power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself. Jesus's
Resurrection and Ascension to Glory is the anticipation of the future glory of
God's sons and daughters of the New Covenant (see CCC#1002-3).
The point of Hebrews 2:10 is that Jesus did not need to be made more perfect than He already was. However, by suffering and dying on the Roman cross to fulfill the will of God, Jesus became the one perfect Savior, consecrated through His obedient suffering. By being "perfect" as our unblemished sacrifice and heavenly High Priest, He can consecrate His people, making access to God possible by each of these two consecrations. He is then, by His suffering, responsible for the entry of human beings into the perfection of the glory of God. The literal verb "made perfect" is frequently used in the Letter to the Hebrews to denote the various effects of Christ's work on the relationship between man and God (i.e., see Heb 5:9; 7:28; 10:1; 11:40; 12:23).
11 He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated
all have one origin. Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them "brothers" ...
Jesus can consecrate human beings because He has become one
of us. We are His blood brothers and sisters, united as one family in the Blood
Jesus shed on the holy Altar of the Cross and in His Body and Blood that we
consume in the Eucharist.
The Gospel of Mark 10:2-16 ~ Jesus Teaches on Marriage and Divorce
2 The Pharisees approached and asked, "Is it lawful for a
husband to divorce his wife?" They were testing him. 3 He said to them in
reply, "What did Moses command you?" 4 They replied, "Moses permitted him to
write a bill of divorce and dismiss her." 5 But Jesus told them, "Because of
the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the
beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. 7 For this reason, a man
shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two
shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 Therefore
what God has joined together, no human being must separate." 10 In the house
the disciples again questioned him about this. 11 He said to them, "Whoever
divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12 and if
she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." 13 And
people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the
disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he became indignant and said to
them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God
belongs to such as these. 15 Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the
kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." 16 Then, he embraced them and
blessed them, placing his hands on them.
Crowds of people continued to follow Jesus, receiving His gifts of healing, while the Pharisees continued to challenge Him. The Pharisees approached Jesus again to "test" Him, just as Satan had tested Jesus (Mt 4:1-11; Mk 1:12-13; Lk 4:1-13). But, as in the other times they tested Jesus, the purpose was not to learn His true identity but to show their superiority and discredit Him with the people (Mt 12:13; 16:1; Mk 8:11; Lk 11:52-53). Ironically, in their attempt to reveal to the people that His true identity was not the Messiah, they reveal their true identity as "children of Satan" who stand in opposition to God's plan for humanity's salvation.
2 The Pharisees approached and asked, "Is it lawful for a
husband to divorce his wife?" They were testing him.
They hoped to maneuver Jesus to say something they could use
against Him. For example, suppose He rejected divorce for any reason. In that
case, they could perhaps put Him in the same position as John the Baptist, whom
Herod Antipas condemned to death for criticizing Antipas' and Herodias'
divorces from their spouses and their unlawful marriage (Mk 6:17-19). Or, if he
approves of divorce without restrictions, they can accuse Him of being like the
heathen Gentiles.
3 He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?"
4 They replied, "Moses permitted him to write a bill of divorce and dismiss
her." 5 But Jesus told them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote
you this commandment."
In verse 3, the Pharisees referred to the pronouncement Moses
gave concerning divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, in which he permitted a man to
divorce his wife for reasons of "unfitness." The problem of allowing divorce
in cases of "unfitness" could be widely interpreted. Jesus knows that the Pharisees interpret the decree in
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 as a commandment; therefore, He corrects them by telling
them that it was not a command but a concession because of the "hard hearts" of
the Israelite men. Jesus does not disclose in what ways the men of Israel
demonstrated hard hearts when Moses permitted divorce, but it may be that Moses
allowed divorce to prevent a much greater sin. For example, possibly men who
did not want to support an elderly wife were taking matters into their own
hands, and elderly wives were dying from "accidents."
6 "But from the beginning of creation, 'God made
them male and female. 7 For this reason, a man shall leave his father and
mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.' So
they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate."
Jesus quotes two passages from the Book of Genesis in verses
6-9. The first is from Genesis 1:27, God made them male and female; the
second is from Genesis 2:24, a man shall leave his father and mother and be
joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. Then Jesus defined
marriage as God intended when He instituted marriage by officiating at the joining
of Adam and Eve, saying: "So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore
what God has joined together, no human being must separate."
Jesus turned their test against them by quoting from Sacred Scripture and asking them if they did not know the passages from Genesis 1:27 and 2:24. He asked them if they were willing to dispute what God had commanded in those passages and interpreted those verses to mean there can be no division/divorce when God has joined a couple in marriage. In His declaration, "... what God has joined together, no human being [man] must separate," Jesus unequivocally affirms the sacred nature and the indissolubility of the marriage covenant between one man and one woman. He also affirms God as both the Creator of man and woman and the author of the institution of marriage (see CCC 1614).
Notice in Jesus's definition of marriage that He rejects all other forms of unions as not of God: polygamy, same-sex unions, incest, and free unions (co-habituating) cannot be defined as marriage and are offenses against the dignity of marriage (see CCC 1645, 2357-59, 2387-88, 2390-91, 2400).
10 In the house, the disciples again questioned him about
this. 11 He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her; 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries
another, she commits adultery."
The Old Covenant law already addressed cases of adultery for
men and women, but the penalty for adultery wasn't divorce; it was death
(Lev 20:10). Jesus's teaching on divorce was clear: divorcing one's spouse (unless
the marriage was unlawful under the Holiness Code of Leviticus 18:6-18) and
remarrying was the sin of adultery and a violation of the Ten Commandments
(Ex 20:14; Dt 5:18).
In the Christian Church's first council in Acts chapter 15, the Apostles instructed faith communities in their Apostolic decree to avoid unlawful marriage (Acts 15:19-20), referring to marriages that were deemed incestuous. However, in the Church's power to "bind and loose" and "retain or forgive" (Mt 16:19; 18:18; Jn 20:22-23), Jesus has given the Church the authority to make decisions in such matters as in the annulment of marriages that never should have taken place because of fraud, deceit, or indecency (see CCC 1603, 1610).
Mark 10:13-16 ~ Jesus and the Children
13 And people were bringing children to him that he might
touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he became
indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them,
for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Amen, I say to you, whoever
does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." 16 Then, he
embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them.
It is fitting that Jesus's pronouncement on children should
follow immediately after His teaching on marriage. This event is the second
time Jesus used a child as an example of faith, trust, and vulnerability. In
Mark 9:36-37, He used a child in Peter's household to symbolize faith and trust
and instructed the disciples on their obligation to assist the lowly.
People brought their children to Jesus so He could lay His hands upon them and give them His blessing. In trying to protect Jesus, perhaps so He could have more time to heal the seriously afflicted, the disciples were turning away parents who brought their healthy children to Jesus. Instead of protecting Him, they deeply offended Jesus. This episode is the only time in the Gospels where Jesus was described as "indignant," using the Greek word aganakteo, a term indicating "outraged at an offense," "moved with indignation" (IBGE, vol. IV, page 125; Thayer's Greek Lexicon, page 3). The tender affection Jesus showed all children illustrates what an extraordinarily loving man He was during His earthly ministry.
In verse 14, Jesus made a surprising statement to His disciples concerning children when He told them no one must prevent children from coming to Him because the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like them. It is a statement that affirms the Church's baptism of infants and children. He followed that statement with a definitive "Amen" in verse 15, saying that a child is the model disciple and whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. Then, eight verses later in Mark 10:24, Jesus will call His disciples "children." St. Paul wrote that everyone who comes to Christ in faith to receive the Sacrament of Baptism becomes a "child" in the family of God. As children, the baptized enter Christ's Kingdom without status or earthly ambitions. In their total dependence upon God, they exemplify not only the disposition that makes an entrance into the heavenly Kingdom possible but the desire to receive salvation as a pure and unmerited gift of God's grace (see Rom 8:16-17; Gal 3:26-27 and CCC 1243-44).
16 Then, he embraced them and blessed them, placing his
hands on them.
Jesus not only blessed the children by laying His hands on
them but also embraced them in His loving affection. His actions demonstrate
that to enter the Kingdom requires a loving relationship with Jesus Christ, who
is ready to bless and embrace God's adopted human children.
Jesus commanded that children be allowed to come to Him (Mt 19:13-15; Mk 10:13-14; Lk 18:15-17). This command, together with references to the baptism of whole households (Acts 16:15; 33; 18:8) and children (including Jesus) entering the Sinai Covenant soon after birth (Lev 12:1-8; Lk 1:59; 2:21-24), formed the ancient Church's doctrine of infant baptism (see Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 2.22.4 and Origen, Homilies on Leviticus, 8.3). Origen (185-254), Augustine (354-430), and other Church Fathers taught that infant baptism was a tradition received directly from the Apostles (Origen, Homilies on Romans, 5.9; Augustine, On Genesis, 10.23.39). Other Church Fathers considered it parental abuse to delay infant baptism, a Sacrament necessary for salvation (i.e., Saints Irenaeus, Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Ambrose, John Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine).
Catechism References (* indicates Scripture quoted or
paraphrased in the citation):
Genesis 2:18-24 (CCC 1605*);
2:18 (CCC 371, 1652);
2:19-20 (CCC 371, 2417*);
2:22 (CCC 369*, 1607*);
2:23 (CCC 371);
2:24 (CCC 372, 1627*)
Hebrews 2:9 (CCC 624, 629*); 2:10 (CCC 609*)
Mark 10:11-12 (CCC 1650*); 10:11 (CCC 2380*); 10:14 (CCC 1244, 1261); 10:16 (CCC 699*)
Catechism references on infant baptism (CCC 403, 1231, 1233, 1250-52, 1282, 1290)
The fidelity of the baptized (CCC 2044, 2147*, 2156*, 2223*, 2787*)
Fidelity, a fruit of the Spirit (CCC 1832*)
Conjugal fidelity (CCC 1602*, 1603, 1604*, 1605*, 1606, 1607*, 1608*, 1609*, 1610*, 1611*, 1612*, 1613*, 1614*, 1615*, 1616*, 1617*, 1643-1651, 2331*, 2332-2334, 2335*, 2336*)
Divorce (CCC 2331*, 2332-2334, 2335*, 2336*)
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