Gospel

Jesus healed many people and multiplied the loaves of bread.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 
Mt 15:29-37

At that time: Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
  Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.’ And the disciples said to him, ‘Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said, ‘Seven, and a few small fish.’ And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

The Gospel of the Lord

Only If I Surrender

Jesus multiplies the loaves and fishes out of compassion for those in need. But He cannot act upon what is ours or what we lack unless we first give it to Him. Are we lacking love in our marriage?
Many people struggle with the idea of consecration because it means surrendering everything. But how can we expect the Lord to work in our lives if we don’t first surrender ourselves to each other?

 

Applied to Married Life:

Milton: There are many types of consecration, but did you know that Saint John Paul II speaks about how spouses are consecrated to each other through the Sacrament of Marriage?
Mia: Yes, but I’m not sure how to live that out.
Milton: Well, the way I see it, giving myself fully to you is the best way to consecrate myself to the Lord. Through total surrender to you, I best surrender myself to Him.
Mia: That’s so profound! I’m beginning to realise that the Lord won’t be able to multiply our love or transform it into His Love unless I surrender myself to Him through my total self-gift to you.
Milton: That’s such an insightful point. Just as in the multiplication of the loaves, He receives the bread we give and distributes it through the Apostles, He also receives our love when we offer it to each other and multiplies it, elevating it through us. What a beautiful thought! Shall we give it a try?
(And the Lord multiplied their love, moved by compassion because they lacked enough love to truly nourish one another and risked becoming exhausted.)

 

Mother,

Help us to surrender ourselves fearlessly to our spouse, so that the Lord may multiply our love. Praise be to Him forever.

Gospel

GOSPEL

‘Many will come from east and west to the kingdom of heaven.’
Reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 8:5-11

At that time: When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralysed at home, suffering terribly.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ But the centurion replied, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my servant, “Do this”, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he marvelled and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.’

The Gospel of the Lord

My Faith in Your Faith

What did the Jews value in the centurion? That he had funded the synagogue. That’s why they considered him worthy of Jesus’ attention. But what did Jesus value? The centurion’s humility, to the point that He was astonished by it.

In marriage, we might say it’s not about expecting our spouse to do great things for us. Instead, we should value, as Jesus does, their faith in Christ and in our Sacrament of Marriage. Do I find my joy in your faith?

 

Applied to Married Life:

Louise: I don’t know what to do anymore. Your pride is so big that you don’t even realise it, making decisions on your own or imposing them without considering me.
Peter: I’m sorry. You’re right—I don’t realise when I impose things on you. It’s true that I struggle with pride; I’m aware of that. I regret it every time I act, relying on myself and my own strength. But I ask the Lord to do whatever He needs to do to purify my heart so I can love you better. Please be patient with me, because I’m certain He’s using these moments to chip away at my self-centredness.
Louise: Forgive me too. I’ve been relying more on my demands than on God’s power. I’ll go back to offering myself in these situations for your sanctification. My faith is in your faith.

 

Mother,

May we act always, not with mutual demands, but with trust in the Lord and the grace He pours out through our Sacrament. Praise be to Him forever.

Gospel of the Day