From the Gospel according to Matthew 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples:“I tell you,unless your righteousness surpasses thatof the scribes and Pharisees,you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brotherwill be liable to judgment,and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,and there recall that your brotherhas anything against you,leave your gift there at the altar,go first and be reconciled with your brother,and then come and offer your gift.Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,and the judge will hand you over to the guard,and you will be thrown into prison.Amen, I say to you,you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Scene 2

My husband is so important in God’s eyes that it deeply wounds Him when I call him an idiot. It’s not just the word itself, but what comes from the heart: contempt for another person.

The Lord teaches that someone who truly loves must never allow themselves to despise the one they love. A heart should not be hardened, armed for defense; rather, it should always be open to being invaded, conquered. The heart’s mission is not to protect itself but to welcome the other, even if they come armed; to make itself vulnerable, even at the risk of being wounded. A loving spouse does not try to destroy the dignity of their beloved with insults but seeks to lift them up from their weaknesses with love.

 

Applied to Married Life

Scene 1:

Kate: This is the third time I’ve told you not to leave the fridge open.

Ron: I didn’t leave it open.

Kate: Let’s be real. It’s just the two of us here because the kids are away, and I always double-check. But you, as always, just push the door from a distance and walk away.

Ron: Kate I’m telling you, it wasn’t me.

Kate: Leaving it open is bad enough, but not admitting it when it’s so obvious—that’s just stupid

Ron: Kate, please, don’t insult me.

Kate: (Mocking) “Don’t insult, don’t insult.” What’s the big deal? I only called you stupid. I should’ve called you something worse.

(Ron throws down his newspaper and storms out, slamming the door behind him.)

 

Scene 2:

Kate: This is the third time I’ve told you not to leave the fridge open.

Ron: I didn’t leave it open.

Kate: Let’s be real. It’s just the two of us here because the kids are away, and I always double-check. But you, as always, just push the door from a distance and walk away.

Ron: Kate, I’m telling you, it wasn’t me.

Kate: Leaving it open is bad enough, but not admitting it when it’s so obvious—that’s just stupid

Ron: Kate, please, don’t insult me.

(A brief silence. Kate reflects.)

Kate: You’re right. Forgive me! From the start, I’ve been speaking to you with contempt, as if I were better than you. The truth is, I wasn’t correcting you for your own good—I was thinking about myself. I’m sorry, Ron. You don’t deserve to be spoken to like that. (She hugs him.)

Ron: Don’t worry, Kate (He strokes her hair.) I understand. Honestly, I have left the fridge open a few times, and food was spoiled. I’ll be more careful, okay? And now, let me make it up to you. (Taking a step back, he sits on the couch while still holding her hands.) Come, sit with me…

Kate: I love you.

Ron: I love you so much.

 

Mother,

God has given us such incredible dignity that if we truly understood it, we would treat each other with the utmost tenderness and care. Thank You, Lord, for making us so valuable with the immense love You have placed within us. Praise be to You.