Gospel

‘They sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad.’
From the Gospel according to Matthew 13:47–53

At that time: Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
  ‘Have you understood all these things?’ They said to him, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’
  And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there.

The Gospel of the Lord

The Net of the Kingdom.

We could say that the Church is the visible expression of the Kingdom of Heaven in our earthly lives, casting its net throughout the world to make God’s love known, regardless of who people are, what they do, where they come from or what they believe—offering it to everyone without any conditions. You and I, who were once gathered into that net, are now called to make known what the Lord has done in our lives, without stopping to wonder whether this person or that person deserves it. It is not for us to decide who is worthy or unworthy; in other words, we are not the ones to judge anyone. Rather, we are called to make God’s love known to everyone around us. Pope Leo reminds us in his encyclical that solidarity is the concrete recognition that each person’s destiny is bound up with the destiny of everyone else, that “no one is saved alone”. How much more, then, should you and I show solidarity with those who do not yet know God and make known what the Lord is doing in our lives, freely giving what we ourselves have freely received.
We must do the same within our marriage, continually casting the net so that our spouse is always close to us, revealing through them and in them the love of God that dwells within us, and together making that love visible to the world. At times, sin can build a wall between husband and wife, but through that net—the love of God alive within us—we are urged and strengthened to welcome our spouse in every circumstance, just as we promised on our wedding day: in times of joy and in times of sorrow, all the days of our lives. In this way, we make God’s love present within us and reveal it to the world, rejoicing in the knowledge that Christ makes Himself known through us.

Applied to Married Life

Amelia: Sometimes I wonder whether we’re really doing enough in response to everything we’ve received.
Paul: Amelia, I’m the opposite. Sometimes I feel as though we’re doing too much and leaving too little time for our own lives.
Amelia: Perhaps, but those things will always be there. What worries me is that we’re becoming too comfortable in our way of life. It’s a wonderful life, but we’ve received so much since discovering that our marriage is the greatest gift we have, and that we have so much to show the world through it.
Paul: I don’t understand why you’re worried. We never stop! We’re constantly coming and going—from this parish to that one—without ever complaining, always saying yes whenever we’re asked to help.
Amelia: Yes, I know, and we do it gladly. But I’m thinking of something deeper. We’ve received a wonderful sacrament in which Christ continually makes Himself present, yet sometimes I feel we don’t speak about it enough. It’s almost as though we’re waiting for someone to ask us before we share it.
Paul: I have to tell you that I think you’re worrying unnecessarily. God’s love is constantly made visible in you through me, and in me through you—every time we welcome one another, gently correct one another, or overlook those little faults that we don’t particularly like in each other. The Lord works within us through these small things, preparing us to make Him known to the world afterwards.
Amelia: Thank you, Paul. The Lord speaks through you and helps me to see what my own sin hides from me. You’re absolutely right.
Paul: And thank you. Through your patience and perseverance you’ve helped to transform my heart, and I’ve learned to see Christ in everything you do, even when I don’t always understand it.

Mother:
Help us to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to the whole world through the presence of Your Son made visible in our marriage. Blessed and praised be God.