GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke 6:20-26

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for the Kingdom of God is yours.

Blessed are you who are now hungry,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who are now weeping,

for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you,

and when they exclude and insult you,

and denounce your name as evil

on account of the Son of Man.

Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!

Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.

For their ancestors treated the prophets

in the same way.

But woe to you who are rich,

for you have received your consolation.

But woe to you who are filled now,

for you will be hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now,

for you will grieve and weep.

Woe to you when all speak well of you,

for their ancestors treated the false

prophets in this way.”

The Word of the Lord

 

The Gold Factory

We live in a society that worships wellbeing. We have become experts at creating it, so much so that we have turned it into our golden calf, something we pursue and long for as though it were our highest good. We seek to live comfortably and securely, free from problems, pain and sacrifice.

But what happens when that sense of wellbeing is shattered? An illness, the loss of a loved one, an injustice, a disappointment, financial hardship, a betrayal… Then we recoil and try to numb the pain. We reject anything that causes us to suffer.

But what if there were a factory capable of turning our tears into gold? Then our tears would no longer be wasted; they would become something immensely valuable.

As Christians, we have found that “factory”: it is the Cross of Jesus. That is why we are blessed, because, united with Christ, we can transform suffering into love.

The saints understood this. The shepherd children of Fátima were constantly looking for sacrifices to offer. They had grasped the meaning of suffering and would say:

“O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

When we unite our suffering with that of Jesus, our tears are no longer barren. They become gold, a treasure that gives life.

When I discover that my true treasure is not wellbeing, but Christ, I learn to seek Him even in the Cross.

 

Applied to married life

Pat: I didn’t sleep a wink last night, worrying about the situation with Inma. She seems so lost and won’t let anyone help her… It breaks my heart to see her like this, and it hurts the way she treats us as well.

Garreth: I was awake too. It was a very difficult conversation.

Pat: As I was lying awake, I thought about offering this pain to the Lord.

Garreth: Your worry, you mean?

Pat: Yes. The worry, the dismissive way she treats us, the sleepless nights, the helplessness of not being able to change the situation, the lack of trust she has in us… all of it.

Garreth: When you put it like that, it makes me think of Jesus. He too experiences the rejection and indifference of so many of His children. How much pain there must be in His Heart when He sees us drifting away from Him!

Pat: Yes… but in the end, although I didn’t sleep at all, once I united my suffering with His, that night, which seemed completely wasted, became a night filled with love.

Garreth: Then I want to offer today’s tiredness for her as well.

Pat: We can’t change her heart, but we can place it in the Lord’s hands and offer everything for her.

Mother,

When the Cross comes, teach us not to waste a single tear. Blessed are you!