From the Gospel accoording to Luke 18:35-43

As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Our weakness leaves us blind in a way. It prevents us from seeing the Gift that my husband is to me, and we end up suffering the consequences of that blindness. We live a grey life, full of complaints; a mediocre life that does not reflect the beauty God desires for our marriage. To reach that beauty, we must become aware of this blindness and ask Jesus—who constantly passes by our side, waiting for us to call upon Him in faith—“Lord, let me see again.”
When the Lord opens our eyes to the beauty of our Sacrament, we begin to see the Gift that our spouse truly is, all the greatness and loveliness. Our marriage, and indeed our whole life, takes on a new meaning, and then we give glory to God for it.

Margaret: Frederick, do you remember when I told you I just couldn’t cope any longer? I was desperate. I loved you, but we simply couldn’t understand each other when we talked, and we would end up angry, avoiding each other for days. It was as if I were blind, unable to see the beauty our marriage could have.
Frederick: I felt exactly the same. Thankfully that day we went to the church, and that kind priest recommended the Marital Love Project retreat. It really marked a before and after for us.
Margaret: It truly did. We recognised our need, and the Lord removed that blindness. Now, following the guidance of our marriage mentor, prayer, acts of mutual self-giving and acceptance, and the sacraments are helping us heal and fill our marriage—and our family—with joy.
Frederick: Let us never stop giving Glory to God!
(And their children, who were listening, praised the Lord.)

Mother,

Help us discover our own blindness and to ask the Lord, in faith, to heal us.
Praise be to God!

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.

“Before all this happens, however,
they will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

Peter: Phoebe, this weekend we’re going to my parents’ house; my mum’s not feeling too well, and I’m sure she’d be delighted if we brought the children over. What do you think?
Phoebe: Peter, to be honest, I don’t feel like going at all; I always feel judged by your parents—they’re constantly waiting to catch me out.
Peter: I understand, Phoebe, but they’re getting older and they need affection.
Phoebe: Yes, maybe, but your mum never seems to appreciate anything I do. I try to do everything with as much care as possible, but she always finds fault with everything.
Peter: Let’s go to the parish and bring this to prayer.
Phoebe: Well, I hope they don’t see us going into the church, because last time the comment was: “All that Mass and all that God, yet the children are neglected.”
Peter: Yes… we need a lot of prayer so that the Holy Spirit gives us the right words for them to see the greatness of the Faith we live.
Phoebe: Yes, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to show us what we should say and how we should act so that they may see God’s Love in our lives.
Oh! And forgive me; I know how much it hurts you when I speak this way about your parents. I didn’t mean to hurt you even more.
Peter: You’re forgiven, my dear wife. I caught you off guard, and I should have been more gentle. Let’s do our couple’s prayer and place everything at the Lord’s feet, and you will see how He brings good out of all of this.

Mother,

Help us to love those who do not love us and who do not love Your Son, just as You love us all as Your children. Thank you, Mother. Blessed be God!

Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said, “There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.’”
The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

This Gospel passage reveals God’s unshakable faithfulness towards all His children. Jesus teaches us that if even an unjust judge can listen to a persistent woman, how much more will our heavenly Father hear those who cry out to Him day and night!

The widow represents the soul that refuses to give up in the face of God’s silence. Had she given up after the first rejection, she would never have received justice. Her human perseverance becomes for us a symbol of the spiritual perseverance God expects from His children — a heart that keeps trusting, keeps asking, keeps loving.

And so He invites us to pray always without losing heart. He doesn’t tell us to pray a lot, but to pray always — to live in His presence, to keep our hearts united to His, and to abandon ourselves to Him.

As husbands and wives, He invites us to persevere and to live constantly in marital prayer — loving with perseverance, forgiving, welcoming, and giving of ourselves — allowing the love of God to act within us.

Brought down to married life:

Rachel: Ian, today during Mass, when I heard the words “Will He find this faith on earth?” I asked myself… what does that faith look like in us? Between work, the children, and being so tired all the time…

Ian: Rachel, maybe it looks exactly like this — when we try not to respond harshly to a bad mood, when we make a small gesture of affection even though we’re exhausted, when we embrace the cross together with love… that too is faith.

Rachel: Yes, but sometimes I feel like we don’t pray enough. I miss those long moments of prayer we had before the children were born.

Ian: I miss them too. But I think Jesus is teaching us to pray within our daily lives. Every time I love, serve, or forgive you, I’m united to His Heart — that’s our prayer.

Rachel: So… living in the Heart of Jesus means keeping our souls alight in the middle of ordinary life.

Ian: Exactly, Rachel!

Rachel: Then when Jesus returns, maybe He’ll find us washing dishes or changing nappies — but if we’re doing it united with Him, He will find that faith. What joy!

Mother,

You who pondered everything in your heart, help us to live in prayer.
Blessed and praised forever be the Lord!

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

Then he said to his disciples,
“The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Jesus tells us: “The kingdom of God is in your midst.” He also said, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” and “I will send you my Spirit.”

Through baptism, the kingdom of Heaven is present in our soul by grace. Through the sacrament of marriage, the kingdom of Heaven is present in us, and we make it manifest in our home and in society, provided we remain in grace.

Every time spouses act in self-giving and welcome each other, we make the kingdom of Heaven present. What a marvel to be able to taste in advance what we will live in eternity!

Saint Teresa of Jesus wrote in The Way of Perfection:
“Oh, my daughters! Look at what your Spouse asks of you: that we ask Him to bring His kingdom. Know that this kingdom of God begins now in us; for when we love God, He reigns in our souls.”

Let us love God in our spouse, and we will live in the kingdom of Heaven.

Brought Down to Married Life

Martha: I really enjoy that we pray the Rosary together every day — and when the children join us, it’s wonderful.
Tony: Yes, it really is. Remember how we used to rush through it, squeezing it in whenever we could, without paying much attention to what we were saying?
Martha: Now it’s different, isn’t it? We pray more slowly, putting our hearts into the words and thinking of whom we’re speaking to. Many times I feel moved and filled with joy during those prayers. It feels like being in heaven.
Tony: I feel the same. It’s true we take longer now because we pray more slowly — haha! — but I look forward to our daily encounter with Mary, reliving the life of Jesus with her.

Mother,

Pray the Our Father with us, and teach us to say it with love and attention. What a wonderful prayer Jesus taught us!
Blessed be You!