Home
The
Community
at
Prayer
Reflection
by
Father
Paul
M.
Baca
October
4,
2009,
27th
Sunday
in
Ordinary
Time
Click
to
see
the
readings
The
readings
for
today,
the
first
one
from
the
second
chapter
of
Genesis,
and
the
gospel
reading
from
the
tenth
chapter
of
Mark's
gospel,
have
many
wonderful
messages
for
our
society,
but
I
found
it
unfortunate
that
during
the
60
years
of
my
priestly
life
they
were
always
applied
to
marriage
and
reflections
on
them
stopped
right
there.
I
am
a
firm
believer
in
good
marriages
as
a
way
of
life.
I
myself
come
from
a
strong,
healthy
marriage.
My
parents
were
married
on
October
24,
1910
and
they
were
married
for
over
63
years.
They
survived
a
failed
railroad
strike,
the
Great
Depression,
and
seeing
6
of
their
sons
serve
in
three
different
wars.
My
Mom
took
care
of
my
Dad
in
his
last
days
just
the
way
my
Dad
had
taken
care
of
all
of
us
for
so
many
years.
They
certainly
had
some
really
difficult
times
and
it
was
their
ability
to
better
than
survive
those
times
that
made
me
realize
that
good
marriages
don't
just
happen.
Of
course
I
remember
my
frustration
in
the
early
years
of
my
priesthood
because
apart
from
the
example
of
the
parents,
there
was
nothing
set
up
in
the
church
to
prepare
young
couples
for
life
and
marriage.
With
the
help
of
dedicated
husbands
and
wives,
I
started
what
we
called
the
Week
of
Marriage
Enrichment
Program
and
we
promoted
it
all
over
the
state.
I
myself
learned
a
lot
about
many
challenges
faced
in
marriage.
That's
what
made
me
realize
that
a
good
marriage
starts
with
the
ability
and
willingness
of
forming
life
enhancing
relationships.
I
have
never
read
anything
substantial
about
the
friendship
of
the
Apostle
John
and
Jesus.
I
am
sure
that
it
was
great
to
be
an
associate
of
Jesus,
the
teacher
and
healer.
But
what
really
stands
out
in
my
mind
is
the
fact
that
John
walked
with
Jesus
all
the
way
to
the
cross
and
there
undertook
the
care
of
the
mother
of
Jesus.
My
question
has
always
been,
Where
were
all
the
other
apostles?
I
am
aware
of
the
fact
that
in
life
we
have
associates,
co-workers,
neighbors
and
friends,
and
among
the
friends
we
have
those
special
people
that
will
walk
with
us
an
extra
mile
as
John
did.
Then,
there
are
those
who
want
to
be
known
as
our
friends
when
we
do
something
outstanding.
Then,
there
are
those
who
use
us
for
their
own
benefits,
for
example,
getting
jobs
for
them.
So
often
we
hear
the
cliche,
It
is
not
what
you
know
but
Who
you
know.
For
a
marriage
to
succeed
it
is
basic
that
both
the
man
and
the
woman
know
how
to
establish
a
mutually
life
enhancing
relationship.
This
means
that
they
have
to
be
there
for
each
other
through
thick
and
thin.
Through
life
I
think
that
one
of
the
greatest
blessings
we
can
enjoy
is
the
blessing
of
real
friends.
That
is
why
we
read
in
Genesis,
"It
is
not
good
for
the
man
to
be
alone;
I
will
make
a
suitable
partner
for
him."
God
created
us
as
social
beings
and
we
need
one
another.
We
need
people
we
can
trust
with
our
lives.
We
need
people
with
whom
we
can
enjoy
the
beauty
of
creation.
We
need
people
with
whom
we
can
work
in
harmony
and
get
the
job
done.
For
a
good
marriage
I
believe
men
and
women
need
to
start
as
children
to
learn
what
it
means
to
sacrifice
for
others,
not
to
be
self-opinionated,
not
to
think
myself
as
center
of
the
universe,
not
to
be
greedy,
selfish,
self-indulgent,
and
above
all,
not
to
be
insensitive.
What
is
interesting
to
me
is
that
all
of
this
is
included
in
what
Jesus
taught
us.
So
if,
through
life,
Jesus
is
our
best
friend
and
we
walk
with
him,
then
we
will
be
ready
to
take
our
place
in
whatever
vocation
and
way
of
life
we
choose.
Click
to
send
a
response