From the Gospel according to John 21:15-19

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them,
he said to Simon Peter,“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”He then said to Simon Peter a second time,“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”He said to him the third time,“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,“Do you love me?” and he said to him,“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,and someone else will dress youand lead you where you do not want to go.”He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
The gospel of the Lord

To Care, Nourish, and Serve

When Jesus gives Peter the mission of tending His sheep, He doesn’t do it because Peter loves Him perfectly. He does it after Peter has denied Him and been forgiven.
In the same way, love between spouses doesn’t come from being perfect—it grows from our human weakness. Through our struggles and failures, we learn to forgive, walk together, and build a love rooted in unity.
Jesus asks Peter to care for, feed, and serve His sheep. In the same way, He calls us as married couples to express our love through daily acts of service, forgiveness, and self-giving.

Applied to married Life:

William: (After dinner, noticing his wife starting to clear the table, steps in and says:)
“Liz, let me take care of this tonight. You sit down and rest for a while.”

Liz: (Touched by William’s kindness, the next morning she gets up early to make him breakfast, whispering a prayer as she does:)
“Lord, I offer this to You. Help me love William the way You do.”

Mother,

Teach us to give ourselves completely in marriage, following your example of humility, simplicity, and loving service. Help us to let go of ourselves without expecting anything in return. Thank you, Mother, for showing us the way.