Montague and Marriage

Respecting God’s design for marriage

Acts of the Apostles 11:19-26

Those who had been scattered by the persecution that arose because of Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but Jews. There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however, who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of people was added to the Lord. Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the Church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

             I have a funny habit of giving people nicknames.  Actually, many people find it very annoying; too bad for them.  For instance, I like to call Fr. Andrew, our associate pastor, “The Boy Wonder,” because he’s really a rather exceptional priest.  Now, I secretly hope that people will start calling me “Batman.”  So far, no luck.

            Names are curious things.  Do you remember that saying, “A rose by any other name would still smell the same?”  It’s originally from Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet.”  Listen to a few lines the Bard lays on the lips of Juliet.  She says to Romeo:

“Tis but thy name that is my enemy;

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What is a Montague?  It is not hand, nor foot,

Nor arm, nor face, not any other part,

Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called.”

That’s what I keep telling Fr. Andrew: you still smell as sweet “were you not Fr. Andrew called.”

             But in the first reading today, we see that names do matter, especially when you want to call someone a Christian.  Acts 11 describes the early Christian community in Antioch.  The distinguishing quality of that community was it had overcome racial, ethnic and even religious differences to be united in Jesus.  This universal embrace of everyone earns the followers of Jesus, for the first time, the name of “Christians.”  You see, they had been called many things before that – the Way, the disciples, the holy ones, brothers, etc. – but now they would be called “Christians,” a name even better than Batman and Robin.

            The state of Arkansas is struggling with what name to use for the union of two people of the same sex.  Last week, Circuit Judge Chris Piazza overturned the state’s ban on same-sex marriages.  Yesterday, some Arkansas counties granted marriage licenses to gay couples, while others did not, Sebastian County being among those that didn’t.  I would strongly urge you to read Bishop Anthony Taylor’s message on this issue.  It is beautifully balanced, avoiding homophobia on the one extreme and unbridled freedom on the other extreme.

            Juliet may want Romeo to change his name from “Montague” but we cannot change the name and meaning of marriage.  Why?  Well, because we didn’t invent marriage; it was given to us by God, and He gave it to us as a gift.  Some things we can change: like whether we want capitalism or socialism, a parliament or a congress, the BCS bowl series or college football playoffs.  But other things we cannot change, like marriage as the union of a man and a woman.  If we do attempt to do so – because an “attempt” is all it will be – we begin to tug at the very fabric that holds humanity together, a fabric God himself has woven together with immeasurable love because it is a reflection of His love.  In saying this, we want to lose no love for anyone, like the early Christians, we desire to love everyone: homosexuals, heterosexuals and everyone in between.  But as St. John Paul II often reminded us: “there is no real love without truth, and there is no real truth without love.”  In taking this stand, I wonder what names people will give us now.

            Praised be Jesus Christ!