At that time: The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’ And Jesus said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’
  In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’
  Then turning to the disciples he said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.’

In today’s Gospel, the Lord brings us back to the truth so that we don’t lose sight of what truly matters—our gaze always fixed on Heaven, on Christ. Let us direct our eyes to the source, not to the consequences. How often we find ourselves delighting in the transformation of so many marriages when we collaborate on a “Marriage in Christ” retreat, and yet the Lord gently refocuses us: back on Christ as the origin and the goal of everything we live. “Where are you placing your joy? In the ‘success’ you see in the mission I have entrusted to you? Do not anchor your joy there, because there will be times when you won’t see the fruits. Place your joy in this: that your names are written in Heaven.” This is a joy that wells up from within, because we are filled with the Holy Spirit; we are indwelt by the Spirit, and our love as husband and wife becomes a reflection of the love of Christ. Living this way in truth turns our homes into a true Kingdom of God, bearing fruit and becoming a light for all around us. We can look today to Saint Francis of Assisi: though highly esteemed among his peers, he left everything to give his life to the poorest of the poor, rejoicing simply because his name was written in Heaven.

Applied to Married Life

Isabel: Peter, while I was praying with today’s Gospel, I was thinking… do we really live the joy of belonging to Christ in our marriage?
Peter: That’s such a good question, Isabel. Sometimes I think we do… but I also think we often let the worries of the day steal that joy. Yet when we pray together, when we go to Mass, when you serve so tenderly, I feel that joy—I feel Christ present in us.
Isabel: I feel the same. When you embrace me with patience—even when I’ve been unbearable—that’s when I sense a joy that doesn’t depend on whether the day has been good or bad.
Peter: You know, my love, I think we lose that joy most when we focus on ourselves instead of on Him. But when we put Him at the centre, everything changes. Even our difficulties take on meaning.
Isabel: Yes… I notice that when I pray for you, my heart changes. I’m filled with gratitude for having you. That’s where the joy of belonging to Christ is—in giving, in serving, in forgiving.
Peter: That’s beautiful. I have an idea: each time one of us feels the joy slipping away, let’s remind each other of Christ’s promise—that our names are written in Heaven.

Mother,

thank You, because through the infinite mercy of Your Son Jesus, our names are written in Heaven. What a consolation to know we are known and loved by God! Blessed and praised be the Lord.

At that time: Jesus said, ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable in the judgement for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.
  ‘The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.’

Above all else, the Lord desires our salvation. More than that—He urgently calls us to live in holiness, and in our daily lives He shows us countless miracles: in our marriage, in our family, among our friends, even in our work. He reveals them to us with striking clarity!
So why do we grow accustomed to them? Or why do we sometimes refuse to see or hear? Then it becomes as Abraham once said to Lazarus: “Even if someone were to rise from the dead, they would not believe.”
The Lord is telling us: Recognise Me! Recognise Me in the Eucharist, in confession, in the ordinary moments of each day.
And you, husband or wife, recognise Me in your spouse! For in them I show you My face—in joys and sorrows, in sickness and in health, every day of your life. Repent, believe, and live it!

Applied to Married Life

Paul: Christine, I honestly don’t feel like going to the catechesis group this Friday. With all the arguments we’ve been having, what’s the point? It feels hypocritical.
Christine: You’re right—we’ve been arguing a lot, and sometimes it seems useless. I was even thinking of calling Gabriel and Theresa to tell them we won’t be going.
(But even in their struggles, they remain faithful to prayer, and the Lord brings light to their hearts.)
Paul (after prayer): You know, after spending that time in prayer, I’ve realised the Lord is showing me something: even with our falls, being part of this group is helping us so much. We’ve already witnessed miracles—starting with our own marriage—and we can’t just ignore that.
Christine: That’s true, Paul. Deciding not to go was just a temptation! When we look back, we can see how much closer it has brought us to the Lord, and how He is transforming our marriage—something we once thought impossible. Let’s go tonight. I’m sure the Lord wants to speak to us again, perhaps through the words of Saint John Paul.
Paul: Then let’s go! Let’s keep witnessing His miracles together.

Mother,

we thank you for leading us ever closer to the Truth. Keep holding us by the hand. Blessed be the Lord!

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.
  ‘See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.’

At least twice in St Matthew’s Gospel, the question is raised about who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And Jesus’ answer is the same: the Kingdom belongs to the little ones, to those who serve with humility, to those who trust.
Like a small child obedient to his father, walking confidently without letting go of his hand because he knows his father is caring for him and keeping him safe. Only when he strays does fear come, because he cannot walk alone.
We are called to be like that child who trusts and obeys his father—knowing that my joy lies in being with Him, doing His will: loving my spouse, letting go of my own preferences, desires and tastes, renouncing my pride.
And so, with the help of grace, the Kingdom of Heaven will already be in my heart.

Applied to Married Life

Lucy (in prayer): Lord, I’m discouraged and tired. It feels as though John doesn’t value me, as if he doesn’t truly understand me. But I know You are with me—that You rejoice with me and suffer with me. Help me not to focus so much on myself. Remind me that what I feel or perceive may be clouded by my own pride. Give me, Lord, the joy of humility and service. May I always see You in my husband and love him as You do.

Mother,

Handmaid of the Lord, teach me to live in humility. Blessed are you for ever. Amen.

At that time: As Jesus and his disciples were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’