From the Gospel according to Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
Give Glory to God
Jesus, how do I do that in my marriage? Can good works be done without the light shining? Can good works be done and still not serve to give Glory to God? Yes, You know they can, my Jesus, because You know my heart. Many times I do things not really trying to love through them, not the way You would do them. In subtle ways, my self-love takes over and I seek myself. Then what seems good is nothing more than using the other person for my own benefit, doing things so I’ll be recognized. And then darkness comes: when I’m not recognized for how “good” I am, I get upset, even if it is only felt as sadness or discomfort in my heart.
But when I let myself be guided by You, when my heart lets itself be burned in the Furnace of Love that is Your Heart and is purified of self-love, then I see that it’s by loving my wife in every circumstance, when she’s well, when she’s not, when she asks for what I like, when she asks for what I don’t, when I give myself in those small details… that’s when You make that Light shine, the Light that comes from Your grace, and it lets us enjoy a small piece of heaven on earth. And our small works give Glory to God the Father, because they have the value of having been done not by us, but through the Son. How much light a marriage like this radiates in the middle of the world, a marriage that lives surrendered into the Lord’s hands. How much joy they carry in their hearts. I want that. And you?
Applied to married life:
Rose: For a while now I’ve been reading a daily Gospel reflection on a website. It’s made for married couples. Most of the time I feel like it’s not for me, like it’s not real.
John: Oh yeah, the Conjugal Love Project one. The dialogue part can be a bit cheesy sometimes, right? And other times it feels a bit too intense for me. It doesn’t always feel very real to me either.
Rose: Yeah… and since I don’t really have that kind of faith, the kind where you actually feel that “Love of God”. It sometimes puts me off. But today I met a couple who give off this peace, this different kind of happiness. The way they look at everyday things, at problems, it’s different. It’s like they reflect a different light, a different kind of joy.
John: Really? And who are they?
Rose: A couple from the parish. They’re in Conjugal Love Proyect. I only spoke with them for a little while, but the light they reflect really impacted me. I want that. I don’t know how they have it, I don’t know what they’ve done, but I promise you, it’s different. They’ve got something.
John: It can’t be that big a deal, can it?
Rose: I promise you, what I saw in them is something I’d love for us to live too. Do you want me to ask them about it next time I see them?
John: Yeah… it wouldn’t hurt to give our marriage a little push.
John: Oh yeah, the Conjugal Love Project one. The dialogue part can be a bit cheesy sometimes, right? And other times it feels a bit too intense for me. It doesn’t always feel very real to me either.
Rose: Yeah… and since I don’t really have that kind of faith, the kind where you actually feel that “Love of God”. It sometimes puts me off. But today I met a couple who give off this peace, this different kind of happiness. The way they look at everyday things, at problems, it’s different. It’s like they reflect a different light, a different kind of joy.
John: Really? And who are they?
Rose: A couple from the parish. They’re in Conjugal Love Proyect. I only spoke with them for a little while, but the light they reflect really impacted me. I want that. I don’t know how they have it, I don’t know what they’ve done, but I promise you, it’s different. They’ve got something.
John: It can’t be that big a deal, can it?
Rose: I promise you, what I saw in them is something I’d love for us to live too. Do you want me to ask them about it next time I see them?
John: Yeah… it wouldn’t hurt to give our marriage a little push.
Mother,
Lead us to the Heart of Jesus, to His Furnace of Love, so that He may purify our hearts and make our works give glory to God.
Praised be the Lord forever!
Praised be the Lord forever!