How easy it is for us to say that we want to do “God’s will,” and yet how difficult it is to actually do it! Our concupiscence, our own way of thinking, our tendency towards self-pity, comfort, vanity, laziness… so often our fallen nature prevents us from discerning and living the Lord’s true will each day, so that His plan for our marriage may be fulfilled.
For this reason, what truly matters is knowing the path that leads to holiness and remaining on it. The path is persevering, helping one another, and above all, as husband and wife, seeing each other as brother and sister in Christ, with the dignity of children of God, rather than as a burden or even as enemies. We must recognise that each of us has weaknesses, but also gifts, and those gifts are meant to be placed at the service of the other, so that together we may reach Heaven. We must not demand from our spouse what we ourselves have not yet achieved.
Applied to Married Life
(Paula arrives home exhausted after a hard day at work, in a bad mood because of the unbearable heat. She thinks to herself: “Enough is enough! Another day when Josh has left without making the bed. He even gets up later than I do, and I’m the one who takes the children to school! When he gets home, we´re going to have a word.”)
(Josh arrives home, also tired after collecting the children from school. Happy to see Paula, he kisses her, unaware of the look of irritation on her face.)
Josh: Hi, darling! How was your day? Children, put everything away and go and have your showers, you smell like caged lions! Goodness, this heat is unbearable! My love, I’ll make dinner tonight. Go and sit by the fan and have a nice cold glass of water.
Paula: Josh, you’ve completely disarmed me.
Josh: What do you mean, my love? I don’t understand. Are you alright?
Paula: Well… I was really angry when I got home and saw that the bed hadn’t been made. I’d been thinking about how I was going to tell you off, but your attitude has completely taken the wind out of my sails. Now I realise that forgetting the bed was just one of your absent-minded moments.
Josh: Oh, sweetheart! Did I really forget again? I’m hopeless. Please forgive me! Every morning I ask the Lord to help me do His will and overcome my laziness and my lack of organisation… but there are still some things I just can’t seem to get right.
Paula: Don’t apologise. I think this time it’s me the Lord is correcting. You’re such a good man, and I’m the one who needs to see you for the kind-hearted person you are. I should be grateful for the opportunity the Lord gives me whenever I find the bed unmade, to work on my own passions, to put my gifts at your service, and in doing so, give glory to God.
Mother,
May we become aware of all the opportunities the Lord gives us to do His will. Blessed be the Lord!