GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

JN 12:24-26

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Amen, amen, I say to you,

unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,

it remains just a grain of wheat;

but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

Whoever loves his life loses it,

and whoever hates his life in this world

will preserve it for eternal life.

Whoever serves me must follow me,

and where I am, there also will my servant be.

The Father will honour whoever serves me.”

The gospel of the Lord.

Stingily?

There is a phrase from Saint Paul to the Corinthians that relates to this Gospel and that I think is excellent for marriage: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” That’s how conjugal love works: Do you give or do you give yourself? To the point that if I don’t give myself, I won’t bear fruit, and if I do give myself, I will bear much fruit.

But Saint Paul’s phrase doesn’t end there; it continues, and it’s great: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, God loves a cheerful giver.” Because we’ve all experienced giving “under compulsion,” while inwardly resisting, and that sooner or later takes a toll on the relationship. Don’t find joy in giving? That’s because I haven’t discovered the beauty and greatness of marriage. Do I want to live a beautiful and great marriage? Then I have to give myself with joy.

Applied to married life:

Alberto: I got married and started focusing on making my wife happy and on raising and educating my children well. I discovered how much it cost me. I discovered my selfishness. I continue to struggle every day to give myself completely and to stop being self-centred.

Susana: I married an austere husband. He made sure that no food was wasted and that we didn’t buy unnecessary things. At first, it bothered me that he complained, but then I realised that I was being frivolous and wasn’t able to appreciate what I had. So, I started letting myself be guided by him, learning to make the most of the blessings God gives us. Now, I don’t need as much as I used to, and little by little, I’m becoming freer.

Alberto: I have a strong temper, and I always need to be right. I realised that my wife suffered a lot because of this, as I often got angry. I started making an effort not to hurt her. I’m gradually gaining more control over my impulses, I’m mastering my actions, and being with her is making me gentler, giving me much more peace.

Susana: I had a very spiritualised faith. I loved being with the Lord, but then I’d come home and couldn’t tolerate my husband’s flaws. I realised that I wasn’t really following Christ but was seeking my own comfort in faith. So, I began asking for mercy and made an effort to love like Christ. Little by little, the Lord is freeing me from my spiritual pride.

Both: We thank God for our marriage because it constantly allows us to step out of ourselves and into the other, making us increasingly free to give ourselves to each other. Only by falling to the ground and dying can we bear fruit. Truly, marriage is a path to holiness.

Mother,

Today I become more aware that only by giving myself to my spouse will I bear fruit. The Lord wants from us a love like His: Incarnated. Praise be to the Lord.