Daily Archives: 5 October, 2026

Beaten but not defeated. Reflections for Married Couples. Luke 10: 25-37

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Gospel of the day Luke 10: 25 – 37

At that time: Behold, a lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.’
  But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, “Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.” Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You go, and do likewise.’

 

The Gospel of the Lord

 

Beaten but not defeated

To attain eternal life, the Lord leads us to the Scriptures, showing us how we ought to love God and our neighbour. Jesus takes it a step further and clarifies who our neighbour truly is: the one who feels mercy and puts it into action. In marriage, our neighbour is right there at home—someone to love in every circumstance. We may not find our spouse battered by bandits, but we will certainly find him wounded by sin, when temptation has overcome him and his weakness has left him crushed. In that moment, which may seem the least deserved, is precisely when he most needs our love. Will we walk past? Or even cause further harm? Only by the Grace of God can we grow in mercy. Let us ask for the Grace of our Sacrament, so that we may be a fitting help to that wounded heart.

 

Brought Down to Married Life

Rachel: Louis, I want to ask your forgiveness. This afternoon I was nervous and I treated you badly—I shouted at you and lost my temper. It felt like I wasn’t even in control of myself. And I want to thank you, because you received me with kindness, and that helped me calm down and regain control.

Louis: Honestly, I could see pure anger in your eyes—it was even a bit frightening. You must have been feeling really overwhelmed.

Rachel: I love you! There I was, shouting at you, and you were thinking about me. How do you do that?

Louis: By the Grace of God. I also remembered the advice from our marriage mentor—not to focus on myself, but to imagine you lying wounded on the road, like in the parable of the Good Samaritan, in need of care.

Rachel: I thank God for you, my love.

 

Mother,

Thank you for showing us the path of conjugal charity. Blessed are you forever. Amen.