From the Gospel according to Mark 10:28-31
or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Leaving Things Behind
Sometimes we act as if this passing world was our ultimate goal, and we place our hearts in material things and even in certain people. We need to become aware that everything is a mediation from the Lord; even we ourselves are a mediation for our spouse, helping them reach eternal life. That is our true purpose and what we should aspire to: to leave everything behind in order to live the Gospel within our marriage and thus reach Heaven together!
Applied to Married Life:
Ethan: Happy anniversary, Eli! My goodness, it’s already been eight years since we got married… time flies…
Eli: It really does… Just yesterday, during prayer, I was thanking the Lord for everything we’ve lived through together, and He showed me how our life has changed over these past years. Do you remember how, at the beginning, we put so many unimportant things ahead of our marriage? Our hearts were set on work, material possessions, or spending more time with friends than strengthening our union, and that caused us a lot of suffering. How good the Lord is, for He has been showing us that the only thing truly important is our marriage, and that in this way we can fight for it and build it together.
Ethan: I’m really beginning to understand what this sacrament is all about, and it seems so precious to me that now I see only God could have created it. I’m also beginning to understand that the differences we have bring us closer every day, and I see how, with your patience and affection, you help me grow closer to God. Now I truly see myself capable of reaching Heaven with you, hand in hand.
Eli: Ethan, when you speak to me like this, that’s when I discover your great heart, and it makes me fall even more in love with you, because I see the Lord in you!
Mother,