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Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel text
Mt 19:3-12
Mt 19:3-12
They said to him, “Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?” He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so."
Gospel's Commentary
Today some Pharisees want to set a trap for Jesus. But when it comes to divorce, there is no room for joking. Hardness of heart—that is, selfishness—ends up approving divorce. A noble heart does not need divorce!
—Since Jesus does not allow us to take marriage lightly, He gives us a standard that raises the bar: if a husband does not love his wife—or vice versa—with a noble and generous heart, he is also committing adultery; he is taking advantage of the other person.