Daily Archives: 24 August, 2026

Could anything good come from this? Reflections for married couples. John 1:45-51

Gospel according to John 1:4551
At that time: Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to him, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered him, ‘Because I said to you, “I saw you under the fig tree”, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’
Could anything good come from this?

When, in our marriage, we receive the revelation that our vocation involves communion with our spouse in such a way that it reflects the very life of the Most Holy Trinity, and that this is the only path to our sanctification, the devil makes us recall all our weaknesses and sows doubt in our hearts: can anything good come from what we are living?

But if we remain open to His Grace, God, who knows the depths of our hearts, never stops inviting us and offering us opportunities each day to grow in that communion through acts of mutual self-giving and acceptance, and to grow in intimacy with Him. Then we will be able to see and experience all the wonders He has dreamed for our marriage, so that together we may reach Heaven.

Applied to Married Life:
Laura is very excited about sharing her life with Daniel. They have not been married for long, and she longs to have a united marriage, but…
Laura: I was waiting for you to come home from work so that we could pray together, but instead you’ve been staring at your phone for half an hour and it’s as though I don’t even exist, as if you were still at the office! Is this what we got married for?
Daniel: You’re right, Laura. I’m worried about a serious problem, and I’ve got hooked on watching silly videos that get me nowhere, just so I don’t have to think about it.
Laura: I’m sorry, Daniel. I’ve let myself be carried away by what I was expecting, and I haven’t thought about you. Why don’t you go take a shower, as that always helps you switch off, and then we can share what’s worrying you in prayer?
Daniel: Perfect. Thank you for being patient with me on this journey of marriage that we are walking together.

Mother,

May we not remain focused on our weakness, but instead look towards the plan God has prepared for our marriage. Praised be God!