My dear Jesus, thank you so much for your cousin, your forerunner, of whom you said, “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” How much light we receive when we prayerfully reflect on the lives of the saints!

John said that he must decrease so that you might increase. If we do not become smaller each day, recognising that we are nothing without you, dying to our disordered self, to our self-love, then you cannot grow within our hearts and dwell there.

John went into the desert in search of silence. It is only in silence that we can hear you, Lord. We need to listen to you in order to know you and to know ourselves.

John called people to repentance. I need to acknowledge my sin and my weakness so that you can accomplish your work within me.

John lived a life of self-denial. Mortification is necessary to purify my heart and free me from my attachments, so that the spirit may guide my life rather than the desires of the flesh.

And John understood the indissolubility of marriage. He valued it so deeply that he gave his life defending it, even daring to challenge the king for living with a woman who was not his wife.

Saint John, pray for us. Thank you, Lord.

Esther: John, would you like another beer?

John: No thanks, one is enough.

Esther: That’s unusual! What’s brought that on?

John: One is plenty, thank you. I used to think all this talk about mortification was a bit silly and unimportant. But I’m beginning to realise that if I don’t free myself from these small attachments, even the ones I used to justify, then the bigger battles become much harder to win. These little sacrifices, made out of love for the Lord, help me keep my heart attentive and more aware of his presence.

Esther: Ah, now I understand! I’ve noticed lately that you don’t react to things that used to get on your nerves, and I couldn’t work out why. How wonderful the Lord is!

John: He really is. He gives me so much light in prayer. In the silence I’m discovering his infinite love. I want to love as he loves. And I’ve realised that I need to keep purifying my heart through small acts of sacrifice, uncovering and letting go of attachments so that he can truly reign within me. And you have no idea what peace I have, what joy! It’s infinitely better than that extra beer!

Esther: You’re so sweet! Please help me to persevere as well.

Please teach me always to listen to your Son and to follow the guidance of my guardian angel. Help me to deny myself, embrace the cross of each day, and follow him. Blessed and praised be God!

Today the Lord tells us not to be troubled when we are criticised or opposed because of Him. He has a plan for each one of us, and when the time comes to bear witness, He will give us the wisdom and the words we need. But there is no glory without the Cross. We must pass through accusation, persecution, wars, and disasters, yet all of this forms part of His plan.

Within our families and our marriages, we too will face trials. There may even be moments when everything seems lost. Yet He asks us to persevere, reminding us that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. Everything serves a purpose: that we may bear witness. Witness to what? To His infinite mercy and His love for us. He knows the human heart. He knows that we are small, weak, and sinful, and that we will both betray and be betrayed.

Spouses, when trials come, persevere in prayer. He will give you strength. He will provide what you need. Then you will be able to testify to all that He has done in your lives. God alone is enough.

Brought Down to Married Life

Paul: Phoebe, we’re going to my parents’ house this weekend. Mum hasn’t been feeling very well, and I’m sure she’d love to see the children. What do you think?

Phoebe: Paul, honestly, I really don’t feel like it. I always feel judged by your parents. It seems they’re constantly waiting for me to put a foot wrong.

Paul: I understand, Phoebe, but they’re getting older and they need affection.

Phoebe: Maybe so, but your mother never seems to appreciate anything I do. I genuinely try my best and do everything with love, yet she always finds something to criticise.

Paul: Why don’t we take it to prayer at the parish?

Phoebe: Well, I just hope they don’t see us going into church, because last time the comment was: “Lots of Mass, lots of God, but the children are neglected.”

Paul: I know. We need a lot of prayer so that the Holy Spirit gives us the right words and helps them see the beauty of the faith we are living.

Phoebe: Yes, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to show us what to say and how to act, so that they may see God’s love in our lives.

Oh, and forgive me. I know it hurts you when I speak about your parents like this. I didn’t want to cause you any more pain.

Paul: You’re forgiven, my dear wife. I caught you off guard, and I should have been more considerate. Let’s make our couple prayer and place everything at the Lord’s feet. You’ll see that He will bring good out of it all.

Mother,

Help us to love those who do not love us and who do not love your Son, just as you love all of us as your children. Thank you, Mother. Blessed be God!

How do we, as spouses, stand for Christ? By living without fear of human opinion and by revealing the truth of our hearts through the sacrament of marriage, in the intimacy of Christ, who knows even the number of hairs on our heads. It is a truth that reveals what Christ asks of us in each concrete situation of our lives and leads us to stand for Him by acting through and with His love, not through sheer willpower, sentimentalism, or perfectionism. It is a truth that enables us to live with our own weakness and the weakness of others, with a hopeful spirit of surrender born of interior freedom and trust in our God, who died so that we might live.

Brought down to Married Life:

Mary’s brother (the brother-in-law of her husband, John) made a serious mistake that caused great pain within the family. Most of the relatives rejected him and felt it was right to cut him out of their lives. John and Mary also recognised the seriousness of what had happened, but God was asking something different of them: to stand for Christ by condemning the sin without ceasing to love the sinner.

They recognised that they too were not free from weakness. They saw in that family member a sin that had become visible, while many of their own faults remained hidden. They understood that, without God’s grace and mercy, they themselves had nothing to boast about.

For that reason, they continued to accompany him, even when others criticised them for doing so. Their sacrament of marriage was the school in which they learned to love with the Love of God, a Love that overflowed into the lives of those around them. The Eucharist sustained them, and there they found the strength to persevere. Jesus’ words, “Do not be afraid of men,” reminded them that they must act through and with the love of God. In this way, they learned to live immersed in God’s mercy, the mercy of the One who knows the truth of every heart and excludes none of His children.

Mother,

By your hand, we stand for your Son. Blessed and praised forever be He who redeemed us with His Precious Blood.