Jesus put another parable before the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s servants went to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?” “Some enemy has done this” he answered. And the servants said, “Do you want us to go and weed it out?” But he said, “No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.”’

Applied to Married Life:

Mother,

Change our hearts, Mother, and give us a bigger heart so we can love each other in every situation, until we see God in our spouse. Amen.

There will, of course, be those who do not want to listen, or who lack patience, or who do not wish to persevere. But despite this, what we sow in the name of the Lord will yield a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold, for the greater glory of God.

Applied to Married Life:

Peter: My problem was that, although the Word of God told me that my wife is the suitable helper He created for me, I thought that must mean something else because I did not see any help in her. All I saw were her flaws. Later, I discovered that the problem was with my perception, and that she was truly a gift from God for me.

Beatrix: I was told that my husband is a precious gift from God to me, and that even the bad in him could be a path for growth as a person and as a couple. I was amazed when they explained this to me, and it seemed wonderful. But then I went back to my daily life and forgot everything. I treated him with disdain for not accepting his faults. I saw him as the bad one. Until one day, I decided I would no longer look at him that way and would try to discover the gift of God in him. By God’s grace, little by little, my heart was purified and my perception changed. We have learned and grown so much together since then.

Peter: Additionally, I was very focused on my business and football. Conversations with my wife seemed like “women’s talk” and I did not pay much attention. Until I realised that she and my relationship with her are the most important things in my life. It is my path to holiness. It is the legacy we will leave to our children. This changed my priorities, and now my marriage comes first, and everything else follows. If she is not well attended to, I do not attend to anything else.

Beatrix: This is how we both began to understand the greatness of our vocation. We discovered how well God had done all things, and we started to learn from each other, to unite against problems, to delve into each other’s hearts. Thus, we began to build a shared intimacy, united with God. We are still discovering the beauty and mysteries of this wonderful sacrament that God has entrusted to us.

Mother,

In His Word, the Lord gives us the keys to life, holiness, and happiness. Our problem is that we do not want to embrace it. Give us a heart like Yours, which always embraces the Word, meditating on it in the heart, from where both good and bad emerge. Thank you, Lord, for sharing your eternal Wisdom with us. Amen.

The mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low; and he said to her, ‘What is it you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus answered. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.’
  When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

Applied to Married Life:

Myriam: Today in prayer, I found a way to get much closer to the Lord very quickly.
Jamie: Oh! That’s great! You’re going to be like Thérèse of Lisieux.
Myriam: Oh, you silly, don’t tease me.
Jamie: No, I’m serious.
Myriam: Sure, sure… Since it’s the humiliations that bring us closer to Him, I thought of recalling all those I’ve received and offering them up, thanking Him for allowing me to endure them for His greater glory.
Jamie: That sounds good. I’m sure I’m responsible for quite a few of those…
Myriam: Yes, but you benefit because once I offer them to the Lord, I can’t recall or mention them again, because they are His now, and no longer mine.
Jamie: Great! A clean slate… Freed from all my dark past, how cool!
Myriam: You’re in a cheeky mood today, aren’t you?
Jamie: Instead of a spiritual path, you’re on a spiritual avalanche.
Myriam: Haha. It seems there’s no way you’re taking me seriously today.
Jamie: Haha. No, seriously now, I think your “spiritual avalanche” is amazing. Can I join you and we offer it together? Today’s special: 2 for 1.

Mother,

You are a testament to someone who became a Servant and is now beside the Lord. Lead us close to you, Mother, through the path of humility. Amen.

Applied to Married Life:

Maddie: It is Him, I feel His presence among us. It’s so powerful!
David: And to think that others look for their marriage counsellor in books. It’s because they haven’t discovered that the true marriage counsellor is Christ.
Maddie: No one else can teach us to be spouses like He is the Spouse. Through the path of humility, gentleness, mercy, the common priesthood…
David: Every time we listen to His Word and act like Him, our marriage grows because His Love grows in us, and every time we don’t listen, we falter.
Maddie: Glory to the Lord who is within us.
David: Glory to Him.

Mother,

How much we love Your Son. Today we were overwhelmed contemplating Him teaching from the boat. What a precious Son you have!

The Gospel of the Lord

The Second Conversion

In the spiritual journey, just as in the process of marital communion, there is a first conversion, and then a second is necessary.
In the first conversion, we discover God, His plan, His Providence, His logic… We are in awe and begin to follow Him, and He starts to bring order to our lives. However, a moment arrives when we reach a certain harmony and seem to stagnate. This is the time of testing. God tests us by allowing temptations and apparent setbacks. It is the moment to recognise all this as part of God’s plan and to remain steadfast in Him, committed to His plan, until He decides to lead us out of it and take us onwards. It is then that we truly begin to soar.

Applied to Married Life:

George: This morning, I missed another opportunity that the Lord provided for me to advance towards Him and towards communion with you.

Lucy: This morning, I was demanding and snappy with you, I apologise.

George: I forgive you, but the issue is that God places these situations before me to help me grow in humility, to make me gentler, and to prepare me to be guided by Him. Yet, I still struggle to let myself be pruned. Please forgive me too, my dear, for my response was terrible.

Lucy: I forgive you. This phase is not easy, but even when we don’t understand anything, we must not blame each other. It is God who wants to make us His own.

Mother,

How many opportunities for pruning do we miss by trying to impose our own justice instead of allowing God’s justice to prevail. How patient He is with us! Praise be to Him forever.