GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke 13:18-21

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like?

To what can I compare it?

It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.

When it was fully grown, it became a large bush

and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”

Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?

It is like yeast that a woman took

and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour

until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”

The Word of the Lord

 

Called to Grow

Do we want to change the world? It all begins with something small. Just as a tiny seed grows into a great tree, so the Lord desires our marriage to grow: through daily effort and small acts of love which, though they may seem insignificant, gradually transform our hearts.

A small loving glance, a small sacrifice, a small act of self-denial, a small gesture of mutual giving… It is in these little moments that we are truly sowing the seeds of something far greater. At first, it may seem as though nothing is happening, as though there is no fruit, but we must be patient and trust.

As with the seed or the yeast, our mission is to sow, to give of ourselves, and to allow God to bring about the growth in love. It is not about achieving great things through our own strength, but about placing our small acts in His hands, persevering in prayer, and allowing Him to work in us and in our marriage, even when we do not always see the fruits of His work.

For every act carried out in love bears fruit. Perhaps not the fruit we expect, nor at the time we would choose, but the fruit that God knows we need.

 

Applied to Married Life

Freddy: After these 43 years of marriage, I look back and see how much the Lord has helped us. Who would have thought that the little seed we planted all those years ago would bear so much fruit!

Megan: Oh, Freddy, how fortunate we are! The Lord has cared for us from the very beginning. Although we have also had to care for our marriage ourselves, through many acts of self-denial, small sacrifices and, above all, a great deal of prayer, so that we never lost sight of what truly matters.

Freddy: Absolutely, Megan. But I must tell you that I am the fortunate one for having you by my side. You look after me like an angel, and when I look at our children and those grandchildren who bring such joy to our lives, my heart is filled with happiness. Who would have thought that all those prayers and small acts of self-giving would lead to this? I can only thank God for everything, for the good times and for the less good ones as well.

Megan: Do you know what I say to that? All those prayers, sacrifices and little acts of mutual self-giving have helped our love to grow, almost without us realising it, and now they help us face these times of trial. But I must say, you are quite mistaken: I am the one who has come out on top! You say that you have an angel, but I have ended up with the greatest archangel of all, and that’s you!

 

Mother,

May we know how to wait and pray, giving thanks for all the fruits that the Lord gives us. Blessed and praised be the Lord!

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.

And a woman was there who for eighteen years

had been crippled by a spirit;

she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.

When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,

“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”

He laid his hands on her,

and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.

But the leader of the synagogue,

indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,

said to the crowd in reply,

“There are six days when work should be done.

Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”

The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites!

Does not each one of you on the sabbath

untie his ox or his ass from the manger

and lead it out for watering?

This daughter of Abraham,

whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,

ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day

from this bondage?”

When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;

and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

The word of the Lord

 

Sin bends us low, and LOVE lifts us up

There is an image in this Gospel that can shed profound light on our marriage: a woman who has been bent over for eighteen years, unable to lift her gaze. Jesus sees her, calls her, draws near to her and sets her free. He does not wait for her to ask; His love takes the initiative.

We too can live bent over within our marriage. Sometimes, because of past wounds, pride, weariness, unmet expectations, or the small grievances we gradually accumulate, we stop looking at one another through God’s eyes. We become trapped in our own pain, find it difficult to acknowledge our share of responsibility, and end up focusing more on our spouse’s faults than on their dignity as a beloved child of God.

Sin bends us inwards upon ourselves; the love of Christ raises us up so that we may once again look upon the other. We are called to discover that our husband or wife is not someone we must change according to our own standards, but a gift from God, a person we are called to love as Christ loves them. And yet, how often do we seek to correct before we understand, to demand before we give of ourselves, and to be right before restoring communion?

There is another important detail: the leader of the synagogue is indignant because Jesus has healed on the Sabbath. He is so focused on the rule that he loses sight of the person. We too can fall into this trap within marriage: becoming so concerned with how things ought to be done, with who is right, or with who has fulfilled their responsibilities, that we forget what truly matters: is my husband or wife in need of love at this moment? Jesus reminds us that the law is at the service of love, not love at the service of our demands.

Marriage is not meant to be a courtroom where each person defends their rights, but a covenant in which both learn to give themselves wholeheartedly to one another.

 

Applied to married couples 

Pam: Nick, today’s Gospel made me think that sometimes I become so caught up in my own disorder that I fail to realise how it affects you. But I also need you to look at me with affection and not only see the things I’ve left lying around.

Nick: Yes, that’s true. Very often I focus more on the mess than on you. I want everything to be in its proper place, and I end up forgetting that you are far more important than a perfectly tidy house.

Pam: Sometimes, when you correct me, I feel as though you can’t see anything good in me. And I find it hard to change because I feel judged rather than loved.

Nick: Forgive me, Pam. I want to learn to correct you with love, without placing demands on you because of my perfectionism. I do not want my need for order to rob us of our peace.

Pam: And I want to make a greater effort to keep things tidy, not simply to avoid your annoyance, but because I know it is also a way of caring for you. I also want to try not to become discouraged when you are upset with me. Deep down, I know that this too is caused by my pride, which prevents me from remaining at peace when you criticise something.

Nick: Well, I know a thing or two about pride myself. I want to learn to look at you as Christ looks at us, and to let Him straighten my heart as well.

Pam: And I want to stop fighting, so that it is no longer you against me, but both of us together, allowing God to teach us how to love one another better.

Nick: Then today we begin again: you by bringing a little more order, and I by showing a lot more love, and both of us by having much, much more patience with one another.

Pam: Deal! And if we forget, may Jesus remind us that our marriage and our communion are worth far more than anything else.

Mother,
teach us to see ourselves through your eyes and not to place demands on ourselves out of pride, but to embrace ourselves with mercy. Blessed be the Lord.

Gospel

‘You shall love the Lord your God and your neighbour as yourself.’
Matthew 22:34–40

At that time: When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’

The Gospel of the Lord

God, a Person

God is the source, and we are His expression. To know Him is to love Him so that we may love one another. Two commandments in one, leading us into communion, to seeing Him in everything and in everyone. To a fullness in which the measure is no longer our calculations, but the absence of them. Between “loving you as myself” and “loving you as God loves me”, there is trust in Him, there is vulnerability in me, there is wonder at you… In short, there is intimacy with the God who created the cosmos, with my God, who is a person just as I am.
And God, who is He to you?

Applied to Married Life

Jonathan and Martha are praying together as husband and wife, in the presence of the Lord.
Jonathan: Lord, thank You, because before I knew things about You, but I did not know You. Today I know that You are a Person who knows me, listens to me and loves me personally. Thank You for Martha, because in giving myself to her, I discover how You give Yourself to me. You teach me that loving is not about seeking my own good, but desiring hers, to the point of giving myself for her. Thank You for teaching me to love as You love!
Martha: Lord, thank You because You live with me, You look at me and desire what is good for me. Thank You because I experience Your Love through Jonathan, especially when he loves me even when I do not deserve it. The more I know You, the more I discover who he is to You. Teach me to love him without keeping score, regardless of how he treats me, with the Love I receive from You. Thank You because, in giving myself to him, I encounter You!
Jonathan: Lord, how wonderful! The more we love You, the more we love one another! And the more we give ourselves to each other, the more we come to know You.
Martha: Thank You, Lord, because You have not simply called us to fulfil two commandments, but to live in one communion of Love with You and with each other. Amen.

Mother,
Show me Your Son; I want to know Him. May He be blessed and praised for ever, for He redeemed us with His Blood.

Gospel

‘Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.’
Luke 13:1–9

There were some present at that very time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.’
  And he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vine dresser, “Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?” And he answered him, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig round it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” ’

The Gospel of the Lord

Fruits of Conversion.

In this Gospel, the Lord invites us, as husband and wife, to be the gardener in the parable. At those moments when our spouse seems more like a hindrance than a help, He invites us to look at them through His eyes of mercy, just as the gardener looks at the fig tree that bears no fruit. The Lord invites us to love truly, as He does, especially when things seem to be going wrong, when it seems that our spouse is doing more harm than good to the family, and the world tells us that it is not worth trying any more, that we should give up, that they will never change, that all they do is hurt us and our family. He urges us to be patient and hopeful, to always give another chance, to give ourselves completely and do everything in our power so that the fruits the Father expects from our spouse may begin to grow. We must dig around them and nourish them with love, self-giving and sacrifice, without losing heart, always forgiving and repaying evil with good, so that the Lord may transform their heart and they may finally bear the fruit they are called to bear. Because it is when they deserve it the least that they need me the most. And our mission is to love as He loves and to lead our spouse to Heaven. Married couples, are we willing to love to the point of laying down our lives for our spouse, as the Lord laid down His life, and continues to do so, for each one of us?

Applied to Married Life

Rose: You know, Richard, as I was praying with today’s Gospel, the parable of the fig tree that bears no fruit made me think about us. How often we spend much of the day together, and yet each of us just goes about our own business.
Richard: That’s true! There are so many days when we come home tired, and then we have to make dinner, tidy up, look after the children… and sometimes we don’t even ask each other how our day has been.
Rose: And I’ve realised that, at those moments, if you then answer me rudely, I respond even worse. In the end, instead of helping each other, we end up throwing all sorts of things back at one another. It’s difficult for our love to bear fruit like that!
Richard: You’re absolutely right, Rose. But look at Jesus: He doesn’t give up on the fig tree, and He doesn’t give up on us either. He always gives us another chance to change. He never tires of trying. We need to follow His example. I can start by helping more around the house and listening to you without looking at my mobile phone. What do you think?
Rose: And I can stop constantly reminding you of everything you do wrong and start appreciating the good things you do. We don’t need to wait until everything is perfect before we love each other better.
Richard: Exactly. Let’s nurture our relationship every day, even through the little things. And let’s nourish our love with small gestures, forgiving one another and seeking God’s Will together.
Rose: And praying together every day, so that Jesus may teach us to love as He does, to love each other as He loves us. Then our marriage will truly bear fruit.
Both: Lord, transform our hearts and make our marriage fruitful. Teach us to love truly. Amen.

Mother,
teach us to persevere in prayer, so that we may learn to love as God loves us and thus bear abundant fruits of Love. Blessed and glorious are You, Mother! Praised be the Lord for ever!

Gospel

‘You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?’
Luke 12:54–59

At that time: Jesus said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, “A shower is coming.” And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, “There will be scorching heat”, and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
  ‘And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Knowing How to Interpret

Lord, in this Gospel You urge us to know how to interpret everything that happens to us through the eyes of a true believer. Our fallen nature distorts the way we see the world, so that I “always” see myself as a victim: people ignore me, they treat me unfairly, I am the one who has to bear the heaviest burden at work… The same happens, or even more so, in our marriage with our wife: “I am always” the one who makes the greatest effort, the one who puts up with the most, the one who listens the most, the one who… You, Lord, teach me that the opposite is true: I am the one who owes a duty of service to my colleagues at work, and even more so to my wife. When I see myself as a victim, it is a sign that I need to go to confession, to purify my way of seeing things, and there, in the confessional, to leave at Your feet every last little coin. Thank You, Lord, for my Suitable Helper, because she is the one who will help me to come out of myself and thus walk together towards You.

Applied to Married Life

Charlie: Hello, my dear Mary Jo, how has your day been?
Mary Jo: Hi, darling! I’ve been rushed off my feet. We’re really busy at work, and there are the children’s beginning-of-term meetings, too. Anyway… I’m looking forward to having a little time with you to relax.
Charlie: (thinking: “Blimey, she hasn’t even remembered my meeting, and she hasn’t asked how my day has gone.” He turns away and walks off.)
Mary Jo: (thinking: “Oh! How strange, he’s walked away without coming over to give me a kiss or anything. Something’s wrong with him; I’ll go and talk to him.”) Charlie!
Charlie: Yes?
Mary Jo: Today’s Gospel has come into my heart.
Charlie: What do you mean?
Mary Jo: Knowing how to interpret the signs. And I’m interpreting that something I’ve done has upset you. Forgive me, because whatever it is, I did it without realising and without wanting to hurt you.
Charlie: You certainly have interpreted that correctly… To be honest, it upset me that you didn’t ask me about my meeting or how my day had gone.
Mary Jo: You’re absolutely right! I was thinking only of myself and forgot to ask you about that meeting that was so important to you. Forgive me. How did it go?
Charlie: Surprisingly well. I was coming home so happy, looking forward to sharing it with you, and I fell headlong into temptation because of my pride.
Mary Jo: Let’s pray and place everything in the Lord’s hands. And let’s give thanks for having cleared up this misunderstanding so quickly. Thank You, Lord, for such a wonderful husband!
Charlie: Thank You, Lord, for such a lovely wife!

Mother
Thank You for your Yes. You are our model of humility in welcoming the Word of the Lord. We love You very much! Blessed and praised be the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.