Gospel of the day

From the Gospel according to Luke
6:20-26

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.

“Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets
in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

Searching for the treasure 

Our life is a journey towards definitive union with God.

Jesus sheds light on this path. With these four beatitudes and four misfortunes, it seems the Lord is handing us a compass for our way to heaven — a road map so that we do not lose our bearings.

The treasure is not where we usually seek it: in riches, comforts, being well-fed or applauded. In this Gospel, Jesus shows us that the treasure is precisely in those difficult situations that we normally reject. The treasure is in the Cross.

Where there is a difficulty, there is a cross; and where there is a cross, there is an opportunity to grow in love. If the Cross makes us grow in love, then we have found the treasure!

In the daily life of marriage we face situations of misunderstanding, humiliation, judgement, contempt… The marvellous thing is that the Lord uses them to draw us closer to Him. Let us not forget that we are Christian spouses, and that the Cross is our identity.

The Kingdom of God in marriage flourishes when, in the midst of tears, weariness, and renunciations, we continue to choose to love.

Husbands and wives, blessed are we if, in the trials that confront us, we find the treasure hidden within them!

Brought into Married Life:

Alice: I feel so discouraged, with no desire for anything. So many problems are robbing me of joy and the will to live. Nothing goes right: my boss has worn me down, the car repair costs a fortune we don’t have, these pains won’t go away day after day… but worst of all was the argument last night with our children. The older they get, the worse it seems… and I could go on with the list if you like… None of this makes sense. What’s the point of praying if afterwards all this happens to us? It’s just not fair!

Joseph: Well, I think that praying is precisely what we need. Look, today’s Gospel really unsettled me… Notice how Jesus blesses these difficult situations. I think the Lord is asking us to place our trust in Him… And how could we show Him our trust if everything were going perfectly for us and we had no difficulties at all?

Alice: So what are you saying — that everything happening to us is good?

Joseph: Not that it is good in itself, but with the Lord it truly can be very good. They can be moments of grace for us.

Alice: Thank you for that way of looking at it. Seen like that, everything does take on another meaning.

Mother,

You too lived through many difficult situations. Help us to encounter Jesus in each one of them. Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!