It is fascinating that the two places in the New Testament that Jesus’ followers complain about His teachings are related to the intimacy of holy communion: the communion of man and woman in Marriage and the communion of Christ and Church in the Eucharist.

The revolt was against Christ’s teaching that Marriage is exclusive and indissoluble (Mt 19:10) and that the Eucharist is truly His body and blood in which the Church as bride must partake (Jn 6:60, 66).

These truths are at the heart of both marriages – temporal (man-woman) and eternal (Christ-Church) respectively.

This revolt continues to this day, with the Catholic Church being the only authority on earth still officially following both these critical and related truths about the two intimate one-flesh unions.