GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week,

when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,

for fear of the Jews,

Jesus came and stood in their midst

and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,

and whose sins you retain are retained.”

The word of the Lord

 

Fruitful Poverty

I may feel discouraged when I give myself to my husband and see no fruit in our marriage. It could even seem as though Christ’s own self‑giving had achieved nothing: His disciples hidden away in fear. And yet, from that pierced side on Good Friday until today, Pentecost, the heart of His Bride, the Church, has been forming. It has been a painful but necessary labour. A time of gestation marked by fear, tears, silence, doubts, purification… a time that has led her to recognise her own misery. And it is there, in that acknowledgement, that communion with Christ the Bridegroom is born, and where true evangelisation begins. It is in that poverty that the Holy Spirit finds space, and true fruitfulness comes to life.

 

Applied to married life

Mary has been trying for some time to care more attentively for John, her husband. 

She tries to listen to him better, avoid reproaches, show small gestures of affection, and pray for him every day. Deep down, she hopes that all of this will improve their marriage — that he will change and that the unity they once had will return.

But time passes, and nothing seems to improve. He remains distant, absorbed in work, and not very expressive. Little by little, Mary begins to grow weary inside: “Why should I keep giving of myself if I see no fruit?”

In the midst of that sadness, the Holy Spirit shows her something unexpected: that her self‑giving has not been sterile. All that time of silence, waiting, tears, and struggle has been bringing something far deeper to the surface of her heart: her need to be reciprocated, recognised, and valued.

And right there, in that acknowledged poverty, something within her begins to change. Christ begins to soak her soul. Her love becomes freer, less demanding, more sustained by God than by her husband’s response. She no longer needs to impose or force anything. Without realising it, she begins to radiate peace, patience, and above all, a new and unfamiliar joy.

Then she understands that true fruitfulness had begun long before any visible change appeared in her marriage: it had begun in her own soul.

Mother,

Teach us to purify our hearts so that we may be born anew in your Son. Blessed and praised for ever be He who redeemed us with His Blood.