Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 10:1–9

 After this the   Lord appointedseventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.  He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
“When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.  Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
The Gospel of the Lord

 
Go, Start the journey!

Today’s Gospel brings us great news: the Kingdom of God has come to us! Yes, spouses, the Kingdom of Heaven has come to our marriage, to our families, to our lives—if only we are willing to receive it, if only we are willing to welcome it. Through  Project for conjugal love many of us have received this great news and are living it. We have discovered the greatness of our marriage and the covenant that Christ has made with us. This has changed our lives, and we are experiencing the joy of living marriage as God intended.

Now the Lord invites us to bring this Good News to other marriages. He says, Go, start the journey!” and sends us, spouses, two by two—those of us who have experienced that it is possible to anticipate Heaven on Earth by living a love of communion. The Lord wants to count on us—not because He needs us, for He is all-powerful, but because He is so good that He wants to make us part of His work. He wants us to go ahead, to show through our lives the Gospel of marriage to those who do not yet know it and to those He wants to reach. There are many marriages that have not yet discovered this beauty, and few of us who have. Are you in? What are you waiting for?

Applied to married life:

Emilia: Greg , do you know what I realized with today’s Gospel?
Greg: What, Emilia?
Emilia:  How lucky we are—that our marriage has not only grown and changed since the retreat, but through Proyect for conjugal Love we’ve found a place within the Church where we can give ourselves, and the best part is that we go together. The Lord sent His disciples two by two, and that’s how we go too.
Greg: It’s true, I hadn’t thought of it that way.
Emilia : Shall we offer to help with the next retreat? The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few…
Greg: The following week I was already invited to help with another retreat. You know I like to get involved in Church activities, but maybe two weekends in a row is too much.
Emilia :You’re right, but then we need to prioritize. Even when everything is good, we need to discern God’s will for us. And maybe, as today’s Gospel also says, once you find a house where you’re welcomed, stay there—don’t keep moving from house to house, from group to group. Picking here and there… maybe that’s a sign of immaturity. In the end, instead of being in many places, you’re really in none. Don’t you think? Here we can go together as a couple; the other option feels like it would separate us.
Greg: I hadn’t seen it from that perspective, but what you’re saying makes a lot of sense. Let me pray about it.
Emilia: if you want, we can pray together, since we are called to be one flesh.
Greg:  Yes, let’s bring it into our spouses prayer.

Mother,

You who offered your life so that Christ could reach all people, teach us to proclaim the Gospel of marriage and bring your Son to all who do not yet know Him. Blessed and glorious are you, Mother! Praised be the Lord forever!