all new in jesus?
"I now say to you, whoever divorces his wife (lewd conduct is a separate case) and marries another commits adultery." —Matthew 19:9
Jesus came into the world and freed all human beings from sin by His death on the cross. He destroyed the devil's works (1 Jn 3:8) by rising from the dead. Jesus gave us all the capacity of becoming sharers in the divine nature (2 Pt 1:4). Jesus made us adopted sons and daughters of God. "This means that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old order has passed away; now all is new!" (2 Cor 5:17)
Jesus has radically transformed everything, including all relationships. For example, marriage is no longer subject to divorce but is indissoluble. Those who have been united by the Lord in marriage cannot be separated (Mt 19:6). God has created an objective, unbreakable bond in marriage.
In Jesus, those single for His kingdom are not cursed or merely unmarried (Mt 19:12). Now single life in Jesus can be the greatest vocation of all, the vocation of Jesus, the most definitive sign of God's heavenly kingdom (Lk 20:35ff).
Jesus has also revolutionized relationships with parents and children and especially with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Are you letting Jesus make all things new in all your relationships? (see 2 Cor 5:17) Are you accepting God's grace to unfold your Baptism? Are you letting Jesus be Lord of your relationships by letting Him do anything He wants in your relationships? Let all your relationships be immersed in the newness of Jesus.
Prayer: Father, may I not be B.C., but A.D. to the full.
Promise: "I will reestablish My covenant with you, that you may know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be covered with confusion...when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord God." —Ez 16:62-63
Praise: St. Hippolytus wrote many commentaries on Scripture. He and St. Pontian died in exile as martyrs.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Richard L. Klug, January 16, 2004
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 26, 2004