Lesson Twelve - MatrimonyQ. 1005. What is the Sacrament of Matrimony?

A. The Sacrament of Matrimony is the Sacrament which unites a Christian man and woman in lawful marriage.Q. 1006. When are persons lawfully married?

A. Persons are lawfully married when they comply with all the laws of God and of the Church relating to marriage. To marry unlawfully is a mortal sin, and it deprives the souls of the grace of the Sacrament.

Last week we went over....● The Levitical Priesthood prefigured Ministerial priesthood of the New Testament● Like Baptism, Holy Orders confers an indelible spiritual character

The Irish have a wedding ring that is called a claddagh. It depicts hands folded in prayer around a heart of love beneath a crown of fidelity. These symbols reflect the basic virtues needed for marriage and for living out the expectations of the Sacrament of Marriage.

God is the author of marriage; it is not a purely human institution. The second creation account affirms that man and woman were made for each other to be a loving communion of persons. God did not want man to be alone, and hence created woman. He blessed their love and told them to ‘be fruitful and multiply.’ Marriage creates two benefits, spousal love and parental love.

The union of husband and wife in marriage is a covenant. The Old Testament often used marriage imagery to reflect God’s covenant with His people. Faithful marriage illustrates how God relates to us, and God’s faithful relationship to us is a model for marriage.

The Irish ring that shows fidelity, love, and prayer demonstrates the spiritual abilities for working through the challenges to married life in present day society. Religious faith will support fidelity, union with the Holy Spirit will enhance love, and praying for each other will not only save marriages, but make them exuberant.

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Mark Chapter 14:32-16:20

Up to this point, Jesus has spoken calmly of His coming passion. Something different happens in the garden however. We see Jesus’ human vulnerability. Mark shows us His Heart, and His human struggle to surrender to the will of the Father. This is a crucial time in the passion narrative, when Jesus, fully aware of the cost, embraces the Father’s will for His agonizing death. Mark shows us the relentlessness of Jesus’s passion, and how He endures rejection and abandonment by His disciples, by the leaders of His people, and then by all humanity, who are represented by Pilate and the crowd.

● Mk 14:32-42: The Agony in Gethsemane - After the Last Supper, Jesus takes His three closest disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane with him - the three that have witnessed the raising of Jairus’s daughter, and the Transfiguration. Now they will witness His human fragility. It is significant that all three have pledged to share in Jesus’s sufferings. The Greek verbs that describe Jesus as troubled and distressed are forceful, and can also be translated as alarmed, distraught, and in anguish. It brings to mind the Psalm in which the innocent man cries “My heart pounds within me, death’s terrors fall upon me.” (Ps 55:5-6) In the moment of agony in the face of His impending death, Jesus seeks human solace and support from His friends, asking them to keep watch - to stay awake - the disposition needed in the time of testing. Jesus advances away from the three Apostles to pray. In his moment of decision, He is alone with the Father. His inner torment causes Him to collapse to the ground, and He prays out loud which was customary in those times. By telling us the words of His prayer, Mark gives us a privileged glimpse into the relationship between the Son and the Father. We see Jesus’s acknowledgment that the entire passion is in the Father’s control, and His plea that, if it were possible, that the Father might somehow rearrange His plan to spare His Son such horrific suffering. Jesus uses the word Abba, the Aramaic word for ‘dad’ or ‘daddy.’ Although God is referred to in the Old Testament as the Father of Israel, there is no evidence anywhere of anyone prior to Jesus using this particular, and intimate term, for the Father. This term of affection shows that Jesus’s obedience does not come from resignation, but is an act of

unbounded trust, commitment, and love for His Father. He affirms that all things are possible to God and pleads for the cup to be taken away from Him - the cup signifying His passion. It also recalls the cup He spoke of at the Last Supper - the ‘blood of the covenant that will be shed for many,’ indicating that His sufferings will be transformed into a source of immeasurable blessing. Even though ((p. 98)) Jesus is aware of His saving role in God’s plan, he recoils in trembling and horror from His approaching death. He has faced temptations throughout His ministry to be a type of Messiah other than the suffering Messiah willed by the Father. Now, in the culmination of His anguish, He doesn’t give into any temptation but surrenders unconditionally to the Father, reversing the whole history of human rebellion - ‘not what I will, but what you will.’ He returns to the disciples and find them asleep; the opposite of the vigilance He has asked of them. On a human level they are no doubt overcome by the lateness of the hour and perhaps the distress of witnessing Jesus’ ordeal. Spiritually they are oblivious to what it is happening and therefore unable to respond properly. Jesus addresses Peter, the leader - ‘could you not keep watch for one hour?’ The time frame mentioned shows that His prayer was not instantaneous, but a prolonged struggle that to confirm the way of the cross was really what the Father was asking of Him, and to bring His human will into perfect submission with the Father. He tells them to pray that they not undergo the test, which echoes the sixth petition of the Lord’s prayer: “Lead us not into temptation.’ The disciples are to pray that God would protect them from a trial greater than their human weakness can bear. This is also addressed to His future disciples, that they should be on guard against temptations that could cause them to fall away, and to overcome temptation by prayer. He tells them that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak - the flesh signifies the weakness of human nature which easily inclines toward sin, and the spirit is our aspiration toward God and capacity to relate to Him. This word of warning is also a word on encouragement, implying that His victory is the prototype for all Christians in their struggle with against the flesh. The scene is repeated three times, which highlights its importance. This threefold failure to do as Jesus asks, like Peter’s threefold denial, will humble them and convince them of their need to rely on God through prayer. This is a crucial part of their formation as future leaders of the Church. People sometimes ask why the Son of God collapsed in anguish, when so many Saints have since been recorded going to their deaths calm and composed. Jesus did not merely experience the dread of suffering, but the full weight of human sin and its alienation from God. Jesus entered into the depths of the human condition to transform in from within. It was not Jesus’ death that God desired, but the redemption of humanity by the fire of divine love enkindled in the human heart of Jesus; the love that led him, voluntarily, to the cross. CCC 473, 2607, 2620, 2701, 2849

● Mk 14:43-52 - Betrayal and Arrest- Jesus has affirmed His resolve to align His will to His Father’s plan, and the hour of His passion arrives without delay.

Throughout the Gospel we have seen Jesus teach with authority and power. Now His role seems to switch to a passive one, but we know that He is submitting to the Father and accomplishing His most powerful work. Mark reminds us again that Judas was ‘one of the twelve’ to highlight the immensity of the betrayal. He arrives with an armed crowd, probably made up of temple police and others hired by the Sanhedrin - the religious authorities who were the driving force behind the passion. There is an eerie air of deliberateness in Judas’s actions. He seems to want to ensure that the arrest will go smoothly, and that Jesus will be led securely away. The sign he has arranged, a kiss, is normally a greeting of affection and respect. Here is causes One who has laid healing hands on so many, to have hands of violence laid on Him. One of the bystanders draws his sword and cuts off one of the attacker’s ears. Jesus rebukes the violence surrounding Him and asks why they are treating Him as a criminal. We see Jesus’s prophecy of abandonment by His closest companions come to ((p. 99) fruition - “they all left Him and fled.” They who were called to be with Him in His darkest hour have fled. We will not see His disciples again, except for the women disciples, until the resurrection. This account of the arrest ends with an incident that is only recorded in Mark. Who is this young man who is wearing only a linen cloth on a presumably chilly night in April? Tradition suggests that this is Mark himself, and that it was his house in which Jesus had celebrated the Last Supper. Linen was a fabric of the wealthy, and the lack of undergarment suggests that the youth had dressed quickly to follow Jesus to the garden. He could have been hiding in the shadows listening to Jesus’s anguished prayers. While all the rest flee, he actually follows Jesus, but gives into fear when he is seized. This may be an allusion to the prophecy in Amos: “the most stouthearted of warriors shall flee naked on that day, says the Lord.” (Amos 2:16) No one can bear the divine wrath that is crashing down on Jesus and He goes to His passion totally alone. Another young man in white will appear at the empty tomb and announce the resurrection to the women. Perhaps it is symbolic of this unknown disciple’s restoration to dignity and faithful discipleship. CCC 1851

● Mk 14:53-65 - Trial Before the Sanhedrin - This secret convening of the Sanhedrin is for the sake of secrecy because of Jesus’s popularity with the people. We see that Peter is following at a distance, which symbolizes his current discipleship. He desires to be loyal but remains hesitant and at a safe distance from Jesus. Mark is honest about Peter’s failings, even noting that Peter provides for his own comfort, warming himself by the fire, while his Lord faces the hostile Sanhedrin. We know that the trial is rigged from the beginning, since the Sanhedrin has already decided that Jesus must die. Jewish law required two witnesses for any criminal prosecution and attempt to out on an appearance of legal propriety, but none of their false witnesses can get their testimonies to agree. We see by the example of the witness who said that Jesus would ‘destroy the temple with His hands and in three days build another,” that

they are trying to twist things Jesus actually. Jesus did prophesy that the temple would be destroyed, and He did hint that God would raise up a new temple, but nowhere did Jesus suggest that He Himself would destroy the Jerusalem temple. Seeking to ensnare Jesus with His own words, the high priest tries to demand that He speak - “Have you no answer?” Jesus knows that trying to rebut the false accusations will be futile and stays silent. This is reminiscent of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah - “though he was harshly treated….submitted and opened not his mouth.” Receiving no reply, the high priest tries a more direct approach - “Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?” Jesus’s response is the first and only time in the Gospel that He affirms His messianic identity and divine sonship. He also may be alluding to His own divinity since “I am” is the Greek equivalent of the divine name. It is the hour of full revelation because there is no longer any danger of the messiahship being misunderstood. His messianic vocation - to lay down His life for many - is about to be fulfilled. He continues with a prophecy, invoking two Scriptures He has invoked before to point to His exaltation by the Father: Psalm 110:1 speaks of the Messiah’s enthronement at the right hand of God and Daniel 7:9-14 speaks of a Son of Man coming before God’s throne on the clouds of heaven and being given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. Jesus interprets these verses to refer to His coming in judgement at the end of age. Those who now stand in unjust judgement over Him will be judged by Him. Jesus ((p. 100)) knows that this answer will clinch His death sentence. This is God’s plan however, and through His cross and resurrection He will be established in His sovereign majesty at God’s right hand. Tearing garments is normally a sign of grief or distress, but here it serves as a theatrical gesture of dismay by the high priest. Witnesses are no longer needed, and the charge of blasphemy can be handed down not only for the misuse of God’s name, but for any claim to prerogative rights that belong to God alone. To the high priest Jesus’s claim to be the Messiah and the Son of God, enthroned with divine authority is a sacrilege and an insult to God. The biblical punishment for blasphemy is death by stoning. The Sanhedrin concurs with the high priest. Once the sentence has been rendered, there is no longer anything to prevent the physical abuse of Jesus. It implies that those who are spitting on Him are members of the Sanhedrin. They blindfold Him and strike Him, demanding that He prophesy and identify who delivered each blow. Ironically, the fact that Jesus is being mocked is a fulfillment of His prophecy; meanwhile, in the courtyard below, His prophecy of Peter’s denial is being fulfilled as well. CCC 443, 585, 593, 659, 663

● Mk 14:66-72- Peter’s Denial - Peter has shown some courage in following the arresting party all the way to the courtyard but continues to lie low and not be noticed. A servant girl sees him in the firelight and recognizes him as one of Jesus’s disciples. In contrast to Jesus, who has just affirmed the truth of His identity before an assembly of powerful people, Peter denies the truth when

confronted by a woman of no status or authority. Being with Jesus is the very first task of a disciple, and Peter now refuses the association. Jesus taught His disciples that they were to deny themselves and follow Him. Here, Peter does the opposite. Peter’s speech has given him away - Galileans spoke with an accent. More people agree with the maid’s accusation and Peter panics, reiterating his denial in the strongest possible terms. To curse meant to call down God’s wrath upon one if one is lying. More appallingly it could imply that Peter was calling down curses on Jesus, as Christians would later be pressured to do under threat of death. To swear is to confirm his denial with an oath. He can’t even bring himself to mention Jesus’s name, referring to Him only as “this man.” He has moved from evasion, to outright repudiation, to perjury. The sound of the cock crowing reminds him of Jesus’s prophecy of his denial, and his own rash boast. He is shattered with the realization of what he has done, and leaves the scene weeping tears of grief and remorse. A note of something remarkable - there is only one source that could have given the account of Peter’s behavior at the trial - Peter himself. Neither Peter, not Mark who records the account, show the slightest inclination to whitewash the reputation of the first leader of the Church. This serves as both a warning and a source of profound encouragement to later disciples who are tempted to fall away. They must heed Jesus’s warning: “Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.” But if we fail, we look to Peter. Just as he was forgiven and restored, there is mercy there for all of us as well. CCC 1429

● Mk 15:1-5 - Jesus Before Pilate - The Sanhedrin has no power to impose the death penalty, and their plan of action soon becomes clear - they are going to turn Jesus over to the roman ruler with a political accusation. The Roman workday began at dawn, which meant that the Sanhedrin could carry out their plan without delay. Jesus has offered no resistance, but they bind Him to make Him look like a dangerous criminal in need of restraint. Jesus, the beloved Son of God destined to rule over the whole world, is questioned by an earthly procurator who rules over a small province. He asks Jesus “Are you the king of the Jews?” This is a title that has not been mentioned before in the Gospel. (p. 101)) The implication is that when the Sanhedrin reported their allegations to the roman government, they put a political spin on it. Their own accusation of blasphemy would be useless to bring to Pilate, because he would have no reason to get involved in a religious dispute. However, the Roman Empire dealt harshly with any challenge to its authority. To claim to be a king would be considered high treason, punishable by death. Pilate, however, is a politically experienced ruler and seems to sense that the charge is invented. Jesus’s reply to Pilate - you say so - is neither an outright affirmation nor a denial. Jesus is actually the king of the Jews, but not in a way that Pilate understands. We will see this title throughout the passion narrative; the true nature of Jesus’s kingship is revealed in the laying down of His life for the redemption of His people. The chief priests are desperate to secure Jesus’s

condemnation, and heap other charges upon Him, which Mark does not specify. Jesus’s refusal to answer speaks volumes more than any self-defense. He knows that the outcome is already determined, not only by the Sanhedrin, but by God Himself. These Jewish and Gentile rulers are unknowing instruments in God’s plan of salvation. The prisoner’s refusal to defend Himself makes no sense to Pilate, who regards Jesus’s response with a sense of awe.

● Mk 15:6-15 - Jesus is Handed Over to be Crucified - Here we hear of a custom where Pilate releases a prisoner to the Jews for the Feast of Passover. Mark doesn’t tell us if the crowd that came forward and asked for Barabbas to be released was recruited by the chief priests, or whether it had been gathered in support of Barabbas. Likely it was made up of Jewish nationalists who are there to lobby Pilate for the release of a prisoner, as well as the chief priests, their guards, and hired ruffians. Pilate’s question has a tone of sarcasm and contempt and he seems to intend to taunt the Sanhedrin. Mark explains that Pilate knew that Jesus had been handed over out of envy - the chief priests are jealous of Jesus’s popularity and see Him as a threat to their power and influence. Clearly, they are not acting out of loyalty to Rome. The Jews are trying to use Pilate as their henchman, but having interrogated Jesus himself, Pilate finds that Jesus presents no political threat whatsoever. There is no reason to infer that Pilate is acting out of compassion or a sense of justice, most likely he simply has no wish to be drawn into the scheming of the Sanhedrin. Pilate’s attempt fails however, when the chief priests incite the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead. Pilate’s next move is unwise - asking the crowd how he should handle Jesus. He may have been hoping to play the nationalists against the chief priests or may have wished to shift responsibility for the execution of an innocent man off of himself and onto the crowd; either way it backfires. The crowd responds with the shrill cry of ‘crucify Him!’ This is the first-time crucifixion is mentioned in the Gospel, although Jesus has previously hinted at the type of death He would die when he characterized His disciples as ones who would take up their cross and follow Him. Crucifixion was Rome’s standard punishment for violent criminals and was the most painful and shameful form of execution known. Their cry gives an air of chilling indifference. Their utter rejection of Him continues His progressive isolation during the passion narrative. But He continues on to lay down His life for all, including this crowd. Pilate protests again, asking what evil He has done, but the crowd just shouts all the louder. They have become more like a frenzied mob and Pilate, fearing uncontrollable violence, placates the people by releasing Barabbas and ((p. 102)) sentencing Jesus to death. It is important to note that Mark in no way releases Pilate from the blame for his decision. The Jewish leaders took the initiative in the proceedings, but Jesus’s fate is in Pilate’s hands. Pilate is convinced of Jesus’s innocence, but hands Him over to death in a heinous act of cowardice. We see the symbolic

significance in this scene by looking at the name of the released prisoner. Barabbas means ‘Son of the Father’ in Aramaic - he is guilty of rebellion; the opposite of sonship but goes free. Jesus, the true Son of the Father, is innocent but condemned to death in place of Barabbas. Jesus had prophesied that His death would be a ransom, making atonement for many who deserved to die. Barabbas is the first of many rebels to be ransomed by Jesus. We see that Pilate sends Jesus to be scourged before the crucifixion. The instrument for scourging was a whip of rawhide, braided with bone or metal. The victim would often be lashed until his flesh hung in shreds. CCC 572, 591

● Mk 15:16-21 - The Mocking of the King - Jesus was mocked by the Sanhedrin earlier, and now He is mocked by the Gentiles. The soldiers probably heard Pilate refer to Jesus as the King of the Jews, and use the opportunity to mock the exhausted, bruised and bleeding prisoner in their custody. We see them put on a charade of homage, with a purple cloak and a crown of thorns pressed onto His already aching head. Their sarcasm quickly turns to physical abuse as the soldiers buffet His head with a reed, and spit on Him. Once again, the Suffering Servant from the Old Testament is brought to mind: “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard, my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced.” (Isaiah 50: 6-7) Jesus is so weak from the scourging and cannot carry the cross all the way to Calvary. Roman soldier claimed a legal right to press Jews into temporary service, so they pull Simon of Cyrene from the crowd and force him to help Jesus carry the cross. Although Simon did not volunteer for the honor he was given, and perhaps even resented being made to do so, Mark hints that the experience may have changed his life. The mention of his two son, Alexander and Rufus, suggests that they became Christians and were known to the early Church. CCC 597-598

● Mk 15:22-32 - The Crucifixion - Mark has been preparing us for the grim scene he now describes. We see that here, at the moment of Jesus’s deepest humiliation, the titles thrown at Him in mockery come to light in their true meaning - His redemptive mission is accomplished through the pain and humiliation of the cross. The site of the crucifixion is Golgotha from the Aramaic word for skull perhaps for the rounded shape of the hill, or because of the many gruesome deaths that took place there. The wine drugged with myrrh was an Old Testament custom to to offer the condemned strong drink to lessen their torment. Jesus refuses this offer in keeping with His solemn pledge at the Last Supper: “I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.” He is resolved to endure the passion without any relief of pain. Mark sums up the climatic event of his Gospel in one stark phrase: “They crucified Him.” He notes the time precisely - it was nine o’clock in the morning. The placard affixed to the cross that specified the charge read simply “The King of the Jews.” This was another jab

by Pilate at the Jewish leaders who had brought the charge against Jesus. For readers of the Gospel, the phrase is weighted with profound truth - Jesus is indeed the King of the Jews. He reigns through the act of love in which He gave up His life, and those who believe in Him experience liberating kingship. The two revolutionaries, or robbers, that were ((p. 103)) crucified with Him were probably two of those that committed murder and were imprisoned with Barabbas. Jesus’s association with sinners that began with His baptism in the Jordan reaches its climax: He takes His place in the midst of those who are separated from God because of their sin. Jesus’s utter isolation is intensified by the threefold mockery He now endures; He is reviled by those passing on the road. In blaspheming Him they are blaspheming God, ironically the very offense Jesus was condemned for. He is railed at by the religious leaders who had orchestrated His death and have now come out to gloat over their success. They cry out that He had saved others but could not save Himself. But it is precisely through not saving Himself that He saves others. The final temptation of Jesus’s life, the culmination of the testing that began with Satan in the desert, as the religious leaders yell at Him to come down from the cross and save Himself. Finally, even the two revolutionaries next to Him abuse Him. Jesus experiences only scorn, rejection, and incomprehension from those He came to save.

● Mk 15:33-41 - The Death of Jesus- Jesus’s redemptive death has momentous repercussions in both the cosmos and the temple. During the last three hours of His agony, darkness envelopes the whole land, as though creation itself is mourning the abuse that God’s Son is enduring. This darkness cannot be explained by a solar eclipse because of its long duration, and also because an eclipse is astronomically impossible at the time of Passover, which is always at a full moon. In the Old Testament supernatural darkness is a prominent sign of judgement on “the day of the Lord.” Amos had prophesied that “on that day darkness would come at noon and God’s people would mourn as for an only son.” Jesus Himself said in the end times discourse that the sun's light would fail at the climax of the great tribulation. The culmination of Jesus’ sacrifice takes place at three o’clock, the customary hour for sacrifice. Jesus cries out twice in a loud voice. The only other places in the Gospel where we hear anyone cry out in a loud voice is when those tormented by demons. Jesus has been dismantling the powers of evil throughout His whole public ministry is now being unbearably oppressed by evil. Mark records Jesus’s cry of anguish in Aramaic and then provides the translation. These are the only words of Jesus on the cross that Mark records, and they are the most stark and astonishing words in the Gospel. Jesus, God’s beloved Son, screams with the desolation of a human heart unable to fathom God’s plan in its darkness and obscurity. What are we to make of this? It is significant that they words are from the liturgy of Israel. They are the opening verse of Psalm 22. According to Jewish custom, by inciting the first verse, Jesus is invoking the whole Psalm

which ends on a note of confidence in God’s victory. This should not, however, be used to soften the scandal of the crucifixion. Jesus has been deserted by His friends, taunted by His enemies, and insulted by those who are crucified with Him. He has been handed over by a disciple, then by His own people, then by humanity, and now by God Himself. This is the outcome of His stepping into the place of sinners at His baptism and His resolve to ‘drink the cup’ of divine wrath. But there is a profound paradox in His cry - “My God” is the language of the covenant that expresses the perfect human aptitude of trust in God. The following question “why have you abandoned me?” expresses the anguish felt by those accursed by God, who no longer belong to the covenant. Jesus experiences full force the alienation from God caused by sin, and it is there, in the extreme pain of forsakenness, he confesses complete ((p. 104)) confidence in the Father. It is His decision to not ‘save Himself,’ and to await salvation from God alone. Psalm 22 eventually turns into a Psalm of praise, and Mark sees it as fulfilled at the resurrection where the women are told to proclaim God’s mighty victory to the disciples. It is also fulfilled every time Christians gather for worship. Mark tells us that Jesus continues to be misunderstood as the bystanders think He is calling out for Elijah. The reason for the bystander holding up the wine-soaked sponge is unclear. It may have been in sympathy, or continued mockery. The comment of waiting to see if Elijah would come to save Him, is in the same vein of error as those who taunted Jesus: that His claims would only be validated if God miraculously intervened to save Him from His passion. But it is the fact that He remains on the cross that He reveals who He really is. His final breath is another loud cry of anguish, and then He breathed His last, surrendering back to God the human life He had been given. It’s His final act of self -abandonment to the Father. Immediately two dramatic events occur that signal a new stage in salvation history. The veil in the sanctuary was torn. There were two veils hanging in the temple signifying God’s inaccessibility - the outer veil at the entrance to the sanctuary, and the inner veil curtaining off the most sacred chamber, the Holy of Holies. Mark is probably referring to the inner veil, beyond which only the high priest could go once a year, on the Day of Atonement. The fact that it was ripped from top to bottom signifies that God Himself tore it, removing the barrier between Himself and humanity. Jesus, by His obedient death, has entered into God’s presence as high priest on behalf of all humanity, giving access to the Father. This shows the end of the old covenant worship since the earthly temple who be replaced by the ‘new temple not made with hands,’ of which Jesus will be the cornerstone. This new temple, the Christian community, will be a house of prayer for all people - Jews and Gentiles alike will have immediate access to God. We also see the centurion (a Gentile) in charge of the execution of Jesus respond to His death with a profession of faith. He ‘sees’ Jesus give up His life on the cross and he believes. This could have been prompted by Jesus’s loud cry, since normally a victim of crucifixion died of suffocation. This centurion is

the first fruit of Jesus’s sacrifice. Mark identifies three of the women who were at the crucifixion, perhaps because they were known to the early Church. These women exemplify true discipleship - they had followed Jesus and ministered to Him; this may have included preparing meals, washing clothing, and other humble acts of service for Jesus and His disciples. Mark’s concluding comment here implies that Jesus had as many women disciples as He did men, showing that He accorded them dignity and esteem. CCC 444, 599-603, 2605

● Mk 15: 42-47 - The Burial of Jesus - Mark’s account of the burial establishes two crucial points: that Jesus was truly dead, and that despite being crucified like a criminal, He was given a reverent burial. Normally the Romans would leave a crucified body hanging for scavenging animals so that disgrace would continue even after death. Therefore, it took great courage for Joseph of Arimathea to approach Pilate and request Jesus’s body; he risks both the ire of the Sanhedrin and the danger of being associated with an enemy of the state. Pilate allows Joseph to take the body of Jesus, and he wrapped it in a linen cloth that he had purchased and lays Him in the nearby tomb. The stone being rolled in front not only protects Jesus but emphasizes the finality of death. Mark makes careful note of the women disciples who witnessed the burial. CCC 641 ((p. 105))

● Mk 16:1-8 - The Resurrection - A full day has now passed since the burial. Mark doesn’t tell us what the disciples were doing, but on Saturday evening when the Sabbath was over, we see the three women who had witnessed the death and burial come to anoint Jesus’s body. Their faithfulness is in contrast to the disciples who are conspicuous in their absence. The women arrive at the tomb early Sunday morning as the sun is rising. The prophecy of His resurrection has eluded them, but they are faithful in coming to pay their respects. Their inability to roll back the stone is symbolic of how powerless human resources are against death. But when they look up they see the impossible has already been done, and the stone is moved. They enter and find an angel who reassures them and tells them that Jesus of Nazareth has been raised. The answer to the question on the cross is clear - God had not forsaken His beloved Son but has vindicated Him with a triumph far greater than anyone could have imagined - triumph over death itself, which He has destroyed from within. The women are given a solemn commission to tell the apostles what they have discovered. The call to Galilee recalls Jesus’s promise that after He was raised He would go there ahead of His disciples - to the place where the Gospel was first proclaimed and from which it would now spread to the whole world. It’s a reassurance to the Apostles that they have been forgiven for their failure and reinstated in their Apostolic Mission. The women are said to be seized with trembling and fear, which in context suggests not just fright, but holy awe at the overwhelming divine power of the resurrection. Despite the

angel’s direction they tell no one what they encountered. CCC 333, 652, 1166-1167, 2174

● Mk 16: 9-11 - Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene - It is clear that the Lord takes the initiative on appearing to those whom He chooses. It is significant the first person to whom He appears is a woman out of whom He had driven seven demons - someone who by human standards might be considered the most reliable of witnesses. Mary goes to the disciples with the news of the resurrection and finds them weeping and mourning. It has not yet entered their minds that God could have shattered the power of death itself. Not surprisingly they fail to believe her testimony. CCC 641, 643

● Mk 16: 12-13 - Jesus Appears to Two Disciples - The statement that the risen Lord appeared in another form suggests a mysterious ability to transform His bodily appearance. His risen body is not recognized until He makes Himself known. When theses disciples told the others that they had encountered Jesus, we again see that an eyewitness testimony is disbelieved. CCC 645, 659-660

● Mk 16:14-18 - The Apostles Commission - Finally Jesus appears to the eleven remaining disciples as they are gathered together, and reprimands them for their unbelief and hardness of heart. This reproach does not invalidate the Apostles commission but prepares for it. After being chastened for their own slowness to believe, now they are to proclaim the Gospel to every creature. The good news is no longer limited to God’s chosen people but is destined for all the world. Belief must be expressed and ratified with Baptism. Jesus promises supernatural signs and wonders that will accompany not only the apostles but ordinary Christians. CCC 75, 161, 183, 434, 670, 699, 748, 888-889, 897-900, 977, 1223, 1253-1257, 1507, 1673

● Mk 16: 19-20 - The Ascension - We conclude with an account of Jesus’s ascension. He is now explicitly called the Lord, the Old Testament title for God Himself. The resurrection ((p. 106)) has fulfilled His divine sovereignty. He is taken up to heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father, fulfilling his prophecy before the Sanhedrin at His trial. Jesus’s enthronement in heaven does not at all entail His absence, but rather speaks of a new presence. He remains present and powerfully at work in the Church until the end of age. CCC 2, 156, 659, 670

Video WorksheetHelpful Vocabulary

● Domestic Church - The name that Vatican II gave to the Christian family.

Video NotesWeek 12 - Matrimony: CCC 1601-1690

● CCC 1601-1620: Marriage in God’s Plan○ CCC 1603 - The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and

woman as they came from the hand of the Creator.■ CCC 1603; Gaudium et Spes 48, #1 - God Himself is the author of

marriage; Marriage is not a purely human institution○ CCC 1606-1608 - Marriage in the fallen state of human nature

■ Marriage in the Lord○ CCC 1614; Mt. 19:8 - In His preaching Jesus unequivocally taught the original

meaning of the union of man and woman as the Creator willed it from the beginning.

● CCC 1621-1637 - The Celebration of Marriage○ CCC 1621 - In the Body and Blood of Christ - they form but “one body” in Christ. ○ CCC 1623 - Spouses confer the Sacrament of Matrimony on each other○ CCC 1625-1637 - Matrimonial Consent

■ CCC 1625-1626 - Free consent is the basis for the Sacrament of Matrimony

■ CCC 1628 - The marriage is invalid if freedom of consent is lacking● The freedom of consent must be free of coercion or grave external

fear■ CCC 1631 - The faithful contract marriage according to the ecclesiastical

form■ CCC 1637 - Mixed marriages and disparity of cult

● CCC 1638-1642 - The Marriage Bond - Marriages is an objective reality○ CCC 1638 - A bond between the spouses arises from a valid marriage○ CCC 1641 - 1642: The grace of the Sacrament of Matrimony

■ CCC 1641 - This grace proper to the sacrament of Matrimony is intended to perfect the couples love and to strengthen their indissoluble ((p. 107)) unity. By this grace they “help one another to attain holiness in their married life and in welcoming and educating their children.” (Lumen Gentium 11 #2, 41)

○ Casti Connubii, On Christian Marriage, 23 Pius Xl, 1930 - This outward expression of love in the home demands not only mutual help but must go further; must have as its primary purpose that man and wife help each other day by day in forming and perfecting themselves in the interior life, so that through their partnership in life they may advance ever more and more in virtue, and above all that they may grow in true love toward God and their neighbor.

● CCC 1643 - 1654 - The Goods of Marriage○ Gaudium et Spes 48; Pope Paul Vl, 1965 - For the good of the spouses and their

offsprings as well as of society, the existence of the sacred bond no longer depends on human decisions alone. For, God Himself is the author of matrimony, endowed as it is with various benefits and purposes (Gen. 1:26, Wis. 2:23)

○ Three Goods of Marriage; St. Augustine, De bono conjugali, “On the Good of Marriage,” c. 410 A.D.

■ 1.) Sacramentum - the sacred commitment for life, indissolubility■ 2.) Fides - the virtue of faithful love■ 3.) Proles - children, the fruit of procreation

○ The Marriage Bond is Based on Free and Irrevocable Consent; Pope Paul Vl, February 9th, 1976 - A marriage exists from the moment the spouses give legally valid consent. Such consent is an act of the will of a contractual nature, which in an indivisible instant produces a juridical effect, that is, the marriage in facto esse, a state of life, and it cannot afterwards affect in any way the “judicial reality” it has created.

○ CCC 1644 - Couples called to grow continually in their communion through day-to-day fidelity

○ CCC 1646-1654 - Fidelity, faithful love - procreation and the education of children■ CCC 1649-1651 - Separation, divorce, invalid marriage

○ CCC 1652 - Children are the supreme gift of marriage and contribute greatly to the good of the parents themselves (Gaudium et Spes 50 #1; Gen 1:28; 2:18; Mt 19:4)

● CCC 1655 - 1658 - The Domestic Church - The Family of GodYOUR NOTES

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