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Watch Carefully How. Reflection for married couples. Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8

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Gospel
‘Seeing the crowds, he had compassion for them.’

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 

Mt 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8

At that time: Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’ And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
  These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, ‘Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Watch Carefully How

Jesus begins delegating the mission entrusted to Him by the Father to His disciples because the harvest is abundant, but the labourers are few. He continues to do this today through our vocations. The first and most important mission He entrusts to me is to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to my spouse. His instructions are clear: Heal them, revive their soul when it is weakened, cleanse their sins, and cast out the demons that trouble them.
Nowhere in His instructions does it say: Accuse them, criticise them, reproach them, do the same to them to provoke a reaction, or distance yourself from your spouse. If I say or do something that does not heal, revive, cleanse, or help them cast out their demons, I must tell myself: Stop! Don’t do it again! Instead, I must carefully seek the path of love to be a true disciple and labourer in the Lord’s harvest.

Applied to Married Life:

Matthew: Darling, forgive me. Recently, I haven’t been helping you draw closer to the Lord. Instead, I’ve been making it harder by criticising you and demanding perfection in how you relate to me. Forgive me, Lord, for not being Your disciple in helping You reign in my wife’s heart. Instead, I’ve provoked her to anger by burdening her with heavy loads.
Myriam: It’s true you haven’t made things easy for me these past few days. But I appreciate you acknowledging it because I need you to be my support so we can reach marital charity together, which is what I long for and what God wills for us. I’ve also seen it as a trial from the Lord to strengthen my love for you. My response hasn’t been good, which shows me my own smallness. The only thing I’ve been able to do is offer it up for you and ask God for His help, because I love you and only want what’s best for you.
Matthew: Thank you, my love. I’m also asking the Lord to help me be your true partner and support next time. May His love become ever more present between us.

Mother,

I want to work on Your side against evil, always advocating for my spouse. We ask You to keep us in Your Heart so that we may share Your feelings in difficult moments. Praise be to the Lord, who entrusts us with the precious and noble mission of safeguarding our spouse’s soul.

Could You Keep It Quiet? Reflection for married couples. Matthew 9:27-31

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Gospel

Two blind men who believe in Jesus are healed.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 
Mt 9:27-31

At that time: As Jesus passed on from Capernaum, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David.’ When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then he touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith be it done to you.’ And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, ‘See that no one knows about it.’ But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

The Gospel of the Lord

Could You Keep It Quiet?

Jesus commanded the blind men not to tell anyone that they had been healed by Him. Saint Gregory the Great explains that this was to teach His disciples the virtue of humility and self-effacement. I wonder, if I healed a blind person, would I be able to keep it to myself? Yes, yes, I know—it’s God who worked through me, but would I truly be able to stay silent?
If I am so convinced that God does everything, I must never boast about what belongs to Him. Today, He tells me: Be careful that no one knows!

Applied to Married Life:

Charlotte: Why didn’t you tell me that the conversion of that couple happened after a conversation you had with them?
Aidan: Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well yesterday and still took care of all the tasks yourself?
Charlotte: I wasn’t feeling well, but the Lord sustained me, and He knew you’d had a tough day.
Aidan: And that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you about that couple—because it was entirely God’s work, not my achievement.

Mother,

May the works God accomplishes through me—all of them His—remain just between Him and me. Praise be to the Lord who helps us.

Very Well, Indeed. Reflection for married couples. Matthew 7:21, 24-27

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Gospel

‘One who does the will of my Father will enter the kingdom of heaven.’
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 7:21, 24-27

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
  ‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Very Well, Indeed

Two things I know for certain. One is that one day I will die. The other is that God’s Word will always be fulfilled.
How vital it is to build our marriage on solid rock. How crucial it is to build my family on solid rock. Let us pray the Gospel together every day so that difficulties and worries don’t destroy everything, ensuring our marriage and family are filled with peace and great joy.

Applied to Married Life:

Customer: Good morning. Does your insurance offer comprehensive coverage?
Advisor: Very good, very good morning to you.
Customer: Sorry, very good morning. I was asking if your insurance offers comprehensive coverage.
Advisor: Yes, and I was responding that it offers very good coverage.
Customer: Oh, I see. It’s just that I’m a bit clumsy.
Advisor: Even if you’re clumsy, the coverage remains the same.
Customer: No, I meant about the “very good”… Never mind.
Advisor: Ah, but it does matter. There’s a big difference between coverage that’s very good and just good coverage.
Customer: Fine, fine. I surrender. Can you tell me what this insurance covers?
Advisor: It covers everything: eternal life, protection against fires in the heart, rescue from drowning in worries, and even against sadness unto death… everything!
Customer: That sounds like a very unusual insurance.
Advisor: Not unusual—unique.
Customer: Right, they all say that.
Advisor: No, this one really is unique. The Word of the Lord.
Customer: Thanks be to God.
Advisor: See? Now we’re starting to understand each other.
Customer: And what does it cost?
Advisor: At first, it costs a lot. Then, less and less.
Customer: The exact opposite of everything else.
Advisor: Exactly. That’s how the Word works—every single day.

Mother,

Thank You for this secure path. Praise be to the Lord.

Only If I Surrender. Reflection for married couples. Matthew 15:29-37

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Gospel

Jesus healed many people and multiplied the loaves of bread.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 
Mt 15:29-37

At that time: Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
  Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.’ And the disciples said to him, ‘Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said, ‘Seven, and a few small fish.’ And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

The Gospel of the Lord

Only If I Surrender

Jesus multiplies the loaves and fishes out of compassion for those in need. But He cannot act upon what is ours or what we lack unless we first give it to Him. Are we lacking love in our marriage?
Many people struggle with the idea of consecration because it means surrendering everything. But how can we expect the Lord to work in our lives if we don’t first surrender ourselves to each other?

 

Applied to Married Life:

Milton: There are many types of consecration, but did you know that Saint John Paul II speaks about how spouses are consecrated to each other through the Sacrament of Marriage?
Mia: Yes, but I’m not sure how to live that out.
Milton: Well, the way I see it, giving myself fully to you is the best way to consecrate myself to the Lord. Through total surrender to you, I best surrender myself to Him.
Mia: That’s so profound! I’m beginning to realise that the Lord won’t be able to multiply our love or transform it into His Love unless I surrender myself to Him through my total self-gift to you.
Milton: That’s such an insightful point. Just as in the multiplication of the loaves, He receives the bread we give and distributes it through the Apostles, He also receives our love when we offer it to each other and multiplies it, elevating it through us. What a beautiful thought! Shall we give it a try?
(And the Lord multiplied their love, moved by compassion because they lacked enough love to truly nourish one another and risked becoming exhausted.)

 

Mother,

Help us to surrender ourselves fearlessly to our spouse, so that the Lord may multiply our love. Praise be to Him forever.

Intimacy in His Sacred Heart. Reflection for married couples. Luke 10:21-24

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Gospel

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 

Lk 10:21-24

In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’
  Then turning to the disciples he said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.’

The Gospel of the Lord

 

Intimacy in His Sacred Heart

Jesus, like His Mother, rejoices in the Spirit (or in God). He delights in the Father being Lord of heaven and earth and in revealing His intimacy to the humble. The great aspire to this intimacy, but He reveals it to whomever He chooses, and He desires to share it with the humble—as long as they remain so and do not let pride take over.
This is why our challenge lies in not exalting ourselves. As the Lord reveals more to us, we must become even smaller in the face of His greatness. 

Applied to Married Life:

Richard: Father, sometimes I experience situations I don’t understand, like when it feels as though my wife doesn’t understand me, dismisses my opinions, and demands a sensitivity from me that I don’t feel she shows me. But I believe she’s not truly to blame, and that You allow these situations so I can humble myself further before You. I accept these moments with joy, so that You may reign in me.
Lucy: Father, there are times when I feel my husband doesn’t treat me with gentleness and hurts me with his attitude. And in those moments, it seems as though he wants to impose his views while I’m expected to remain silent. But I do not blame my husband for this. I accept these moments with joy because I know You allow these trials to humble me so that You may reign in my heart.
(And the Lord continued to permit these situations so that neither spouse would exalt themselves, even as they were allowed to experience the intimacy of His Sacred Heart.)

 

Mother,

Help us resist the temptation to blame our spouses for situations that God allows to humble us and draw us closer to sharing His secrets. Praise be to the Lord who reigns in our lives.