Gospel

‘Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.’
Luke 12:35–38

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service, and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!’

The Gospel of the Lord

What Are We Keeping an Eye On?

The Lord is constantly inviting us to embrace a new way of living. This time, He calls us to be awake, attentive, watchful for Him, for His Word, for His Heart, so that we can open the door of our own hearts and receive His divine love. We will be happy to the extent that we fill ourselves with His love and give it to others. Ask yourself without fear: Am I truly happy? Do I regularly experience joy, peace, patience, kindness, love…? For these are the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the fruits of a life that allows itself to be loved by God and surrenders itself according to His Will. If you want to experience this, ask yourself honestly: What am I keeping an eye on? Perhaps my mobile phone, my appearance, my clothes, having a perfectly tidy house, work, or even my children, parents, friends…? What steals my time and attention? How many things seem to be demanding my heart! But what about my husband? Am I attentive to him, to what makes him happy, to building intimacy with him? Or do I find that I often give him only the leftovers of my time and my heart, when I gave them to him in the first place? Today is the day to start living differently! Turn your gaze back to the Lord, allow yourself to be loved by Him and give yourself to your husband with all your heart! Do not keep score or wait for him to make the first move; you do it. That is the path to true happiness! Do not look for it anywhere else!

Applied to Married Life

Luke and Emily have been arguing about everything for weeks, but they are receiving support from mentors and want to grow in love. One evening, after putting the children to bed, they sit down on the sofa.

Emily: Luke, don’t you feel that things have been really bad between us lately?
Luke: Yeah… We just never stop. Between work, the children and everything else we have going on…
Emily: Well, you always find time for work. And for looking at your mobile phone, too.
Luke: Here we go again… You never stop either, what with the children, your mother, the shopping, the house… It feels as though I’m last on the list.
Emily: Here we go again! Let’s try to build each other up, please, and stop accusing one another, because we always end up in a terrible state.
Luke: Okaaay.
Emily: Well, that’s it. I feel exactly the same way, Luke. We spend all day doing things for everyone and doing everything except making time for each other.
Luke: It’s true… How long has it been since we sat down and talked peacefully, and prayed together?
Emily: That’s true… I can’t even remember. And then we wonder why things are like this…
Luke: Perhaps the problem isn’t that we don’t have enough time, but that we’ve stopped making time for each other.
Emily: Well, we’ll have to change that, won’t we?
Luke: We’d better, because you’re becoming unbearable (laughing).
Emily: Well, you’re one to talk! (laughing)

A few laughs, a hug, looking into each other’s eyes and a firm determination to put our loves back in the right order. Is it that easy? That “easy”.

Mother,
May we never tire of waiting for the Lord, may we know how to recognise Him in our spouse, and may He find our hearts open when He comes. Praised be the Lord, who never ceases to teach us how to love!