FRIDAY 5TH FEBRUARY 2021
MEMORIAL OF ST. AGATHA
Hebrews 13:1-8
Mark 6:14-29
MARRIAGE IS TO BE HELD SACRED
Most young ladies out there think of the day they will get married. They imagine themselves living with a man as couples. Nevertheless, people do not just think of themselves as married, they also imagine the type of person they want to be with as well.
When you meet a young lady and ask of the type of person she would like to get married to, it used to be descriptions like hardworking, tall, handsome, caring, loving, fear of the Lord, etc. This is not the case in our time today. Every young lady wants to get married to a man who has a good job, a car, a house and other material things. I had jokingly asked a friend, "what of love and fear of God"? and she answered, "who fear of God help"? She continued by saying, when there is money, love will come. This attitude has led to many broken homes as marriages collapse due to financial difficulties. Many ladies are still single today because they have been looking for their Mr Perfect.
The story in the gospel reading of today is not far from the situation already described. Herodias was married to Philip who had no inheritance from his father King Herod the great. When Herod Antipas the brother of Philip came to visit him, Herodias saw that Antipas was more influential and wealthy than her husband, she therefore divorced or left her husband and followed Herod Antipas.
It was this scenario that John the Baptist preached against that made Antipas arrest him and by the evil plans of Herodoas, got him beheaded in the gospel reading of today.
The author of the first reading of today advises us to put greed out of our lives. Crave for material things can destroy us. Marriage is not to be defiled, there is no need to look outside for comfort, this can destroy our home and our relationship with God. God help us to be content with who we are and what we have. Amen.
Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP
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