Last Sunday, Heartspace Davao held their monthly formation with Fr. Pachomius at Brothers of the Sacred Heart in Matina, Davao City. A highlight of the program was the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

The Gospel reading of the day was Mark 10:2-16, where the Pharisees tested Jesus on the lawfulness of divorce.

In his homily, Fr. Paco addressed the topic of marriage and divorce put forth by the Pharisees.

Divorce, he said, is an issue for everyone, regardless of personal status or circumstance. Time puts boundaries on who or what we are. Over time we change and become different. And when as a result we divorce ourselves from other people, it is always a tragedy.

People go in different directions when selfishness overpowers love. It is not because of differences. It happens when we decide we have no need of another person. Hardness of heart is not merely a marital issue. It is a spiritual issue.

At Heartspace, said Father, we are trying to moisten the hardness of our heart. It is not easy to have a soft heart. It is a place of vulnerability – a place where Christ goes, where God waits. The challenge of the Gospel is neither marriage nor divorce, but an invitation to examine our own heart, to be open and vulnerable and willing to change.