(Gn.2:18-24; Ps.128:1-6; Heb.2:9-11; Mk.10:2-16) "This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." The beauty and blessing of marriage, the marvel it is, and how it reaches unto heaven. "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him." This is the loving thought of our Lord God while looking upon the man He has created. And so from the body of the man God creates woman. How indelibly one are these two, in origin, in destiny, and in the eyes of their Creator. Inseparable should they be: "one flesh." And if it were so, if these lived as He intended, the blessings sung of by our psalmist today would be upon all: "Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table." Then would we reflect the glory of God and His love for His Church and its children. Then would we "see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of [our] life." The love of man and woman, of husband and wife, is truly as the love of God for His bride, the Church. Hear what St. Paul says of the Christ, who has come to bring "many children to glory": "He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated all have one origin." Does he not say Jesus has become as our brother, made perfect through suffering – "flesh of [our] flesh"? Does the Lord not thus wed Himself to us by the incarnation and death of His only Son? And look at Jesus in our gospel, surrounded by children waist deep. He has just spoken of the sanctity of marriage and now He clearly conveys its blessed fruits, both for husband and wife on earth, and for Him and His Church. He declares of the children He has called to Himself, "The kingdom of God belongs to such as these," and then "He embrace[s] them and bless[es] them," wedding them unto His heart. As woman is born out of the side of man, as she is flesh of his flesh, so the Church is born out of the pierced side of the Lord, from the blood and water that flow there, becoming one with His blessed Body. And let all men and women know, every husband and wife understand, that their marriage is blessed alone by God and finds its life in Him. It is He to whom they are truly wed, and their offenses against one another offend only Him. If you seek to separate from one another, you work to separate yourself from God; for as He is love, so He is every marriage, and to Him you are beholden to bear fruit in His name. Great will be the blessing upon your home if you cherish your oneness in Him – great as the blessings upon His Church, which in His love He does now form. Make all your love one with Him. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Marriage" from The Innocent Heart, first album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, bring life forth in our midst through the children you bless. YHWH, let us be joined to you in the sacrificial flesh of your Son. Bone of His bone let us be, one with Him forever. As you join together man and wife on this earth, so join us to you in Heaven. O let us never be divorced from love of one another or from you, dearest LORD! Then we shall be blessed; then we shall remain in your presence and know your arms around us. O let us have the faith of a child and come humbly before you to hear your Word of truth spoken of by your Son, and so let us share in His salvation. Let us never harden our hearts against your good will for our lives and we shall prosper in your peace. We are taken from you, O LORD, and must be united with you again. But if we do not love one another and bear fruit in your Name, if man and wife do not stand as the paragon of your love, what shall become of the human race?