A Jesuit priest once shared with me, ‘Our first vocation in life is to be human.’ This insight has stayed with me since my first year as a novice. Before any other identity – whether male or female, married or single – we are first created as human beings in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:27).

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the sanctity of marriage, drawing on God’s original design for humanity: ‘From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female’ (Mark 10:6). This reminds us of our foundational calling as humans, created for relationship and to reflect God’s love and faithfulness.

The vocation of marriage invites couples to live out the virtue of fidelity. Just as God remains faithful to His covenant, so too are married couples called to mirror that commitment in their love for each other. Marriage is a reflection of God’s enduring love – sacrificial and unconditional. Couples are called to remain faithful, not just in times of joy, but through trials, embodying God’s love in their relationship.

While we recognise many of our brothers and sisters’ challenges in marriages, God’s grace offers healing. In a world where brokenness is becoming tangible, we are called to trust in God’s mercy and steadfast faithfulness.

Lord, thank You for the gift of marriage and for creating us in Your image. Grant us the grace to live out fidelity in our relationships, reflecting Your love in all we do. Strengthen us to remain faithful as You remain faithful to us. Amen.

by Sr. Theresa Maria Dao, spc