During the rite of marriage after the couple exchange vows the celebrant prays the words of Jesus: “what God has joined together, man must not separate.” That is the ideal. Reality, sadly, is that the bonds of marriage do at times unravel. Pope Francis has challenged the Church to hold onto our ideals while at the same time dealing with compassion with the reality of marriages that flounder. In doing so he could be remembering the word of Ezekiel describing God’s mercy. Even though Israel broke their covenant with God, divine love continues to find a way to welcome them back into the divine embrace. We can do no less. We must find a way to ensure that we never separate anyone from God’s love.