How do we, as spouses, stand for Christ? By living without fear of human opinion and by revealing the truth of our hearts through the sacrament of marriage, in the intimacy of Christ, who knows even the number of hairs on our heads. It is a truth that reveals what Christ asks of us in each concrete situation of our lives and leads us to stand for Him by acting through and with His love, not through sheer willpower, sentimentalism, or perfectionism. It is a truth that enables us to live with our own weakness and the weakness of others, with a hopeful spirit of surrender born of interior freedom and trust in our God, who died so that we might live.

Brought down to Married Life:

Mary’s brother (the brother-in-law of her husband, John) made a serious mistake that caused great pain within the family. Most of the relatives rejected him and felt it was right to cut him out of their lives. John and Mary also recognised the seriousness of what had happened, but God was asking something different of them: to stand for Christ by condemning the sin without ceasing to love the sinner.

They recognised that they too were not free from weakness. They saw in that family member a sin that had become visible, while many of their own faults remained hidden. They understood that, without God’s grace and mercy, they themselves had nothing to boast about.

For that reason, they continued to accompany him, even when others criticised them for doing so. Their sacrament of marriage was the school in which they learned to love with the Love of God, a Love that overflowed into the lives of those around them. The Eucharist sustained them, and there they found the strength to persevere. Jesus’ words, “Do not be afraid of men,” reminded them that they must act through and with the love of God. In this way, they learned to live immersed in God’s mercy, the mercy of the One who knows the truth of every heart and excludes none of His children.

Mother,

By your hand, we stand for your Son. Blessed and praised forever be He who redeemed us with His Precious Blood.