From the Gospel according to Mark 7:24–30

Jesus went to the district of Tyre.He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,but he could not escape notice.Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.She came and fell at his feet.The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.For it is not right to take the food of the childrenand throw it to the dogs.”She replied and said to him,“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.The demon has gone out of your daughter.”When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bedand the demon gone.

The Gospel of the Lord

Always Present

At times it may seem as though the Lord goes unnoticed, or that He is absent in certain moments. We may even question Him, wondering how He can allow certain situations. But in reality, that isn’t so. When we feel this way, what is really happening is that we struggle to accept or understand God’s will. The Lord is always present, at our side—even in the moments when we would rather He weren’t. He is far more attentive to us than we can imagine. Yet we tend to remember Him only when we realize we cannot manage on our own or when we simply do not understand what is happening.

How different things become when we seek God at all times—in what we do and in what we fail to do, in the good and in the difficult—living with an awareness of His true presence in everything. Sometimes we seek Him to give thanks; other times to ask for forgiveness. God is always beside us, but we do not perceive Him unless we are willing to. We have been given complete freedom to accept Him or not. He reveals Himself in many ways—and it always depends on us.

Applied to married Life:

Valeria:Eduard, have you noticed how wonderful it feels to be around Andrea and David? The way they speak to each other, the way they look at one another, the tenderness in how they treat each other—and so many little details you can’t help but notice when you’re with them.

Eduard: Yes, Valeria, of course I’ve noticed. It’s impossible not to. So different from us—we’re always trying to see who comes out on top.

Valeria: You can tell they truly have God at the center of their lives and their marriage. They seek Him in everything, accept His will, and live it out by reflecting Him in their love.

Eduard: Honestly, we could try to do the same. What’s the difference between them and us? Only that we resist accepting that God is within us—and instead we try to control each other.
Valeria: You’re right, Eduard. Let’s try. We already know the solution isn’t about being right, but about trusting in the Lord and remembering that He is within us.

Eduard: And what better way to start than by asking for your forgiveness? Forgive me, my dear Valeria. I’ve been selfish—pushing my own opinions, refusing to admit my weaknesses, pretending to be strong at the cost of hurting you.

Valeria:Thank you, Eduard. You are a gift, and I could not see It.  I’ve acted as though you had to serve me in everything, as though things always had to be done my way. Forgive me for not recognizing the good man you are.

Eduard: And you are truly amazing—the most wonderful wife in the world.

Valeria:Let’s give this our all. Now that we’ve managed to cast pride out of our love, how about we begin by going to Mass together and thanking God for our marriage?

Mother:

Help us always to keep your Son present through our spouse.

Blessed be God.

From the Gospel according to Mark 7:14–23

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”
When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?”
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Pay attention!

How good the Lord is, who enlightens us through this Gospel and shows us where to fix our gaze. So often we go through life with the bad habit of looking outside ourselves for the cause—or the culprits—of our troubles: “If my husband would change…,” “it’s my boss…,” “this rebellious child drives me crazy,” “it’s their fault…,” “if only they hadn’t said that…” Without realizing it, we end up placing the source of our uneasiness, our reactions, and our lack of love in something or someone outside of us.
Today the Lord comes to show us where to look. Pay attention, spouses! It is easy to focus on the other person’s faults or on external circumstances and overlook what is happening in our own hearts. I may never say a harsh word to my husband, yet judge him inwardly. And that is where the seed of evil begins to grow in my heart. It may seem small, but both good and evil always begin small—a tiny seed that eventually grows. So, pay attention to the heart! What am I thinking? What do I desire? What are my intentions? The cup may look beautiful and clean on the outside, but inside, dirt may already be taking root.

Applied to married life:

(After praying with this Gospel, Peter and Cristina share their reflections.)
Cristina: Do you know what I realized, Peter? Yesterday when you got home from work, I spoke to you harshly and made a rude gesture. That led to silence and distance between us until this morning. It’s true that I was exhausted—from work at the office and from spending the whole afternoon with the kids… But I’ve realized that it wasn’t the tiredness that created the distance. Tiredness made things harder, yes, but what truly broke our communion was the indifference and anger that came from my heart.
Peter: Yeah… I’ve realized something too. I’ve been helping the new colleague who just joined the office. On the surface, my intention seemed good, but deep down I was trying to make a good impression—showing off my knowledge and wanting others to see me as generous, kind, a good guy. In the end, I wasn’t helping purely out of love; vanity crept in.
Cristina: I think becoming aware of this is a grace from God. I want to stay attentive to what comes out of my heart when something bothers me or doesn’t go the way I want.
Peter: This helps me recognize my own misery, so I can place it in the Lord’s hands and let Him change my heart. How much we need Him!
Cristina: Let’s thank God for showing us the truth of our hearts—and tomorrow, let’s go to confession. What do you think?

Mother,

help us not to make excuses, but to humbly acknowledge our weakness with a contrite and humble heart. Blessed and praised be forever!

Emily: Honey, can you come shopping with me? I’m completely overwhelmed today.

Henry: Emily… I was just about to go for a run. I’ve been looking forward to it all week. But I see you’re stressed, so of course, let’s go together.

Emily: Thank you, really. I know how much you love your workout time, and I hate cutting it short, but I really appreciate the effort you’re making.

Henry: Don’t worry. Sometimes the Lord invites us to love in the small things, even when it messes with our plans. Come on! let’s go, and we’ll use it as time together.

Emily: That helps me so much, Henry. And when we get back, if there’s time, you can still go out for a run.

Henry: Perfect. And now, let’s go get those groceries… but with a good attitude, okay? Because even here, we can choose to love.