GOSPEL

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much.

From the Gospel according to Luke 12:39-48

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Then Peter said,

“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”

And the Lord replied,

“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself: ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

The gospel of the Lord.

 

The tip of the iceberg.

For those of us who have received the call to marriage, excuses for the difficulties we may be facing may not be valid. Marriage is an immense gift, and the more we discover about this wonderful vocation, the more it surprises and amazes us. We have received a great gift: a child of God entrusted to us as our mission in this lifetime and, a sacred bond in which Christ promises to be with us, sealed and made fruitful by the Holy Spirit. All in the image of God.

If God has entrusted us marriage; He has given us much. Excuses we make to avoid wholehearted commitment will not stand. Most of the time, these excuses are more in line with immaturity than with a matured love. What will we tell the Lord? That my spouse started first? That my spouse does not value me? Marriage is a work of supernatural art, and we have been given the necessary grace to build it. There is no room for excuses.

And for those who have received the mission of Marital love Project, this missionary project that is an incredible treasure for the salvation of marriage and the family. This project that is giving indescribable fruits. Nothing and no one shall stop us from giving ourselves fully to this project, under the service of Mary. There are so many marriages waiting to receive the good news, that there should be no excuse that prevent us from doing so.

 

Applied to married life:

Luke: Anna, I’m amazed by our marriage. It’s such a sacred mystery, image of God’s love, so divine, that now when I remember our old relationship based on earthly rules and parameters, it gives me shivers. It’s like we disregarded and defiled our sacrament. I feel so ashamed…

Anna: I feel the same way. Sometimes, when I think about it, I also feel ashamed… And I am certain we have yet to discover a more profound depth, as if now, we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. The resemblance between marriage and the Eucharist makes me tremble, how the Eucharist nourishes it, but marriage is a sign of the Eucharist. The meaning of the giving of our bodies… The liturgy of the body, as Saint John Paul II called it. I know I do not fully grasp the wonder of our mission as spouses and parents. To me, it’s still a value not fully appreciated.

Luke: I wish that when the Lord comes, He finds us working on him. Blessed be God.

 

Mother,

We have defiled the treasures that God has bestowed upon us, and that is our offense. We have paid a high price for having done so, but we regret it and desire to live our marriage with the dignity it deserves. Help us to see. Praise be to God for entrusting us with this most sacred mission.