GOSPEL
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.’
Jesus rebuked the cities where He had spent the most time, performed the most miracles, and poured out His greatest efforts—because despite all this, they still refused to change their lives and walk in the light of Christ.
Something similar can happen in marriage: Christ reveals to us the truth and beauty of married love, pours out His merciful, life-giving love through the Eucharist, and insists—gently but persistently—through the teachings of Saint John Paul II, calling us to a life of self-giving and welcome. And yet, many hearts remain hardened, unmoved by the grace the Lord lavishes upon us.
Jesus warns us that the judgement will be harsher for those who have received more light than for those who never knew it. So every gift we receive must lead to a response: first, the task of purifying our own hearts, and then of giving freely what we have freely received—wherever our Blessed Mother sends us.
Applied to Married Life:
Edward: Evelyn, every time we help out at a “Project for Marital Love” retreat, I can’t help but see how mediocre our love can be. We witness real miracles in the couples around us, and yet we remain stuck. We haven’t made that firm resolution to love each other in everything.
Evelyn: Edward, it’s the fourth time the leaders have asked us to help prepare a catechesis, and every time we’ve said no. Everyone says that preparing one, though it stirs things up, ends up uniting them more deeply—it forces them to live what they speak.
Edward: And we only manage to pray together as a couple when everything feels fine. But there are so many days we don’t bother.
Evelyn: That’s true. When we do pray together properly, it really helps me to understand you and to think better of you. I believe the Lord keeps giving us opportunities—even miracles—to push us to walk this path with humility and willpower. But we still choose half-measures, and we stay stuck in pride and stubbornness.
Edward: I love you so much, Evelyn. It pains me to hurt you… and to hurt the Lord. I’m going to call the group leaders and tell them we’ll prepare the next catechesis—and we’ll start praying together properly again. I need your help to persevere every day.
Evelyn: That’s such a beautiful thing to hear. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this husband you’ve entrusted to me.
Mother,
Thank you for never tiring of saying to us, “Do whatever He tells you,” so that we might be made new, like the finest wine at the wedding in Cana.
Blessed and praised be the Lord.