Gospel of the day
From the Gospel according to Matthew 5:17–19
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Fulness and hope
What hope this Gospel gives us! Jesus has come to bring us fullness, so that we may become what we were created to be from the very beginning. For this, we need to look at life from God’s perspective, from eternity, and from there everything finds its true meaning. From that perspective we see that we were created for union with God, and that our marriage is the concrete path that leads us to Him. We are called to live our love as God intended it, to love one another as He loves us. That is why Jesus reminds us that even the smallest detail done with love counts. Every gesture, however small, when done with love, goes beyond the present moment and remains for eternity. Thank you, Lord, for bringing fullness to our marriage. Now it is no longer only about sharing a life, a home, children or responsibilities. Now everything has an eternal meaning. Now duty becomes self-giving, and living together becomes communion. Thank you, Lord!
Applied to Married Life:
Lucy: Father… I don’t know what to do anymore. It’s always the same. He promises he will change, but in the end he falls again… I’ve lost hope…
Priest: I understand you, Lucy. The situation you are living through is very hard. But tell me something: when you look at Matthew, do you see only what he is now, or do you also see what he may become?
Lucy: Honestly, right now I only see his falls.
Priest: I encourage you to unite yourself to the Lord and look at Matthew as He looks at him. Do not fix your gaze only on the wound and the harm it causes you. The Lord does not see only his sin; He sees all his dignity and all that he is called to be… Today Matthew struggles with his addiction, and the Lord has given His life for him. He has been bought at the price of Christ’s Blood, and becoming aware of this will help you to love him.
Lucy: Yes… but sometimes I feel that everything is lost.
Priest: Despair never comes from God. Do not look only at this moment, nor only at his fall. Look also with hope at what God can do in him. But the Lord needs your self-giving. Just as He gave Himself for His Bride, the Church, and thus rescued us from sin and death, now is the moment for you to unite yourself with the Lord and offer yourself for Matthew for his salvation.
Priest: I understand you, Lucy. The situation you are living through is very hard. But tell me something: when you look at Matthew, do you see only what he is now, or do you also see what he may become?
Lucy: Honestly, right now I only see his falls.
Priest: I encourage you to unite yourself to the Lord and look at Matthew as He looks at him. Do not fix your gaze only on the wound and the harm it causes you. The Lord does not see only his sin; He sees all his dignity and all that he is called to be… Today Matthew struggles with his addiction, and the Lord has given His life for him. He has been bought at the price of Christ’s Blood, and becoming aware of this will help you to love him.
Lucy: Yes… but sometimes I feel that everything is lost.
Priest: Despair never comes from God. Do not look only at this moment, nor only at his fall. Look also with hope at what God can do in him. But the Lord needs your self-giving. Just as He gave Himself for His Bride, the Church, and thus rescued us from sin and death, now is the moment for you to unite yourself with the Lord and offer yourself for Matthew for his salvation.
Mother,
God always fulfils His promises. Help us to remain in your Heart and from there to see everything with your merciful eyes. Mother of Hope, pray for us.