Daily Archives: 5 November, 2026

The Joy of Reconciliation. Reflection for marriages. Luke 15:1-10

From the Gospel according to Luke 15:1-10
The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  So Jesus addressed this parable to them. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’  I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.
“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’  In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Joy of Reconciliation

Lord, You never are never tired of seeking us. You do not reject us because of our mistakes, and You rejoice when we return to You. God’s love is the love of someone who persistently searches for what has been lost until it is found.

Even when we distance ourselves from You, when we stumble or feel unworthy of God’s love, You always come looking for us and invite us to return to Your Heart.

Jesus, You teach us that no one is excluded from Your divine mercy. You do not look only at our falls; You also see our ability to get back up and begin again. We must never forget that we are immensely precious in God’s eyes.

In our married life, You call us to discover that love does not simply mean walking together when everything is going well, but also reaching out to our spouse when something comes between us.

Sometimes we wait for the other person to take the first step: to apologise, acknowledge their mistake, change their attitude or reach out to us. But Lord, You show us that we must put aside our pride and place the value of our marriage sacrament and our desire to restore communion above it.

Married love is called to be a place where we can acknowledge our weaknesses without fear of being humiliated.

In marriage, we also need to celebrate the little moments of coming back together: an honest conversation after an argument, a humble apology, a loving touch that breaks down the distance, or a shared decision to move forward.

And when we rediscover the joy of being together, teach us to give thanks, because every reconciliation is an opportunity for Your love to dwell among us once again.

Applied to Married Life

Tony: Mia! Come and sit down. I have something important to tell you.

Mia: You sound excited! I’m coming. Tell me what’s happened.

Tony: Lewis has called me to say that he isn’t leaving home after all. He’s given it a lot of thought and has decided to keep fighting for his marriage.

Mia: What wonderful news! When we were with them the other day, it seemed as though there was nothing more we could do. They had completely lost hope.

Tony: I was surprised too. He told me that after talking to us, he kept thinking about everything we had said, and something stirred in his heart telling him that he shouldn’t give up.

Mia: The Lord has done great things once again, using us, His unworthy instruments, to carry out His work.

Tony: That’s right. He thanked me over and over again and told me that he and Christine would like to see us again. They know they can’t do it alone and need our help to rebuild their marriage.

Mia: That’s amazing! The Lord and Our Lady never consider any marriage a lost cause. I need to ask for forgiveness because I had lost all hope. The day after we were with them, I called Christine and she told me she didn’t want to speak to me anymore because everything had already been decided.

Tony: Well, now you can see that wasn’t the case! We’ve arranged to have dinner with them tonight. They want to tell us everything. Lewis told me that Christine was going to call you, but she would rather tell you in person.

Mia: Perfect! Do you think we could go to Mass together before meeting them, to give thanks to God, join in the celebration in Heaven for this marriage, and ask Him to guide us as we continue to accompany them?

Mother,

No matter how far away from Your Son we may think we are, His Love continues to seek us. And when we return to Him, Heaven is filled with joy.

Praised be God!