How can I, on this Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time—when the Gospel proclaims “no human being must #separate”—keep sight of our shared responsibility urged by the Laudato si’ Action Platform to treat all creation as not being separate, but interconnected, while also recognizing the separate contexts the Synod’s final document calls us to address, as I nurture new Aji Amarillo Chili sprouts in separate cells at The Glenn and gather with my separate families in Graham, Texas for Daniel’s fundraiser, all while praying for his miracle through the intercession of the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen❓
Gospel
Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
“”Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife❓””
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “”What did Moses command you❓””
They replied,
“”Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.””
But Jesus told them,
“”Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.“”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”
Lectio Divina on the Word “separate“
There are moments when I feel separate from the world around me, as if my struggles, my hopes, and my fears exist in isolation. Yet, I know deep down that no one truly lives separate from others. The Lord created us for communion, and even when my pain seems too personal to share, I am reminded that love binds us together in ways beyond our understanding.
At The Glenn, I carefully tend to the Aji Amarillo Chili sprouts, each one emerging in its own separate cell. Though they begin apart, their roots will soon intertwine as they grow, much like the ways our lives, though seemingly separate, are always connected. The earth does not recognize human-made divisions; rather, creation flourishes in harmony when nurtured with care.
Daughtry’s Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) expresses themes of separation, longing, and the desire for unity despite distance. The song captures the emotional weight of being separated from someone you care about, much like how this reflection explores the tension between feeling separate and recognizing the deep interconnectedness of faith, community, and creation.
Just as the lyrics express a hope that love can endure even when people go their “separate ways,” this reflection emphasizes that no human being must separate what God has joined—whether in relationships, faith, or the care of creation. Even when circumstances seem to pull people apart, love, hope, and prayer serve as the bridges that reconnect us.
This weekend, our separate families will come together in Graham, Texas, united by love and a common purpose: to support Daniel. Though distance, schedules, and circumstances may keep us separate in daily life, faith reminds me that love has no boundaries. In the face of suffering, we lean on one another, refusing to let hardship separate us from the hope that sustains us.
Churches and groupings of Churches are now called upon to implement, in their different
contexts, the authoritative proposals contained in the Document through the processes of
discernment and decision-making provided for by law and by the Document itself.
The Synod reminds us that while our communities may be separate, we must not allow our differences to prevent us from seeking unity. Likewise, Laudato si’ calls me to recognize that environmental, social, and spiritual concerns cannot be addressed in separate compartments—they are woven together in the fabric of God’s creation. To treat them as separate issues is to miss the bigger picture.
The 1995 movie Separate Lives explores division, identity, and the challenge of reconciling what seems separate. The film follows a man leading two very different lives, reflecting the struggle between unity and separation—both within oneself and in relationships.
Similarly, this reflection considers how separation can be an illusion, whether in faith, community, or the environment. Just as the film’s protagonist must confront the truth that his lives are interconnected, this reflection emphasizes that no human being must separate what is meant to remain whole—whether in marriage, creation, or the bonds of family and faith.
As I continue praying for a miracle for Daniel through the intercession of the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, I know that faith and action must never be separate. Love, hope, and prayer draw us together in ways beyond our comprehension, for in God’s eyes, we are one body, one family, one creation. And so, I hold fast to the words of Christ:
To seek only a technical remedy to each environmental problem which comes up is to separate what is in reality interconnected and to mask the true and deepest problems of the global system.
FROM PARAGRAPH 111 OF THE ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME