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Dwelling Place of Love. Reflection for marriages. Luke 8:4-15

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From the Gospel according to Luke 8:4–15

 

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.  “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. He answered, “Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.

“This is the meaning of the parable.  The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their heartsthat they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,  and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”

 

Dwelling Place of Love

 

Christ comes to our marriage today with immense tenderness, without reproach and without haste. He comes as the faithful Bridegroom, carrying in His hands a small seed that He gives us through His Word, His love, and His desire to dwell more deeply within our marriage. That seed also falls into the secret rooms of our hearts. Sometimes it falls by the wayside, when life moves too quickly and the soul does not let God in. At other times it falls on rocky ground, when we receive His Word with joy but lack the roots needed to sustain love in times of trial. And at other times it falls among thorns, when worries, weariness, fears, or wounds take up too much space. But Christ does not run away from these poor soils. He remains faithful; He does not force any door open. He waits for a small opening of trust, a humble word, a gaze that dares to say: “Lord, come in here too.”

Persevering together with the Lord and growing our prayer life enriches the soil of our hearts and strengthens our roots in Him. Then, little by little, His Word reaches the deepest places, brings light into the darkness, softens what has become hardened, and brings peace where there was once noise. And that dwelling place, when it humbly opens itself to Christ, becomes good soil. Not because it is a perfect marriage or a marriage without wounds, but because it allows God to care for it precisely in those wounded places. There, in forgiveness, patience, and faithfulness through times of trial, the seed takes root. And the husband and wife discover that we no longer love alone, but that Christ loves through us and makes our home His Dwelling Place of Love.

 

Applied to Married Life
 

Charly: Beth, lately I feel like God has been a little quiet… I find it hard to find Him in everything we have going on.

Beth: Charly, what if it isn’t He who is being quiet, but us who are making too much noise? Between the rushing around, the worries, and the exhaustion…

Charly: Yeah… maybe you’re right. Sometimes I go all day rushing from one thing to another and I don’t even stop for a moment. And when I do stop, I’m still running on the inside.

Beth: Darling, that happens to both of us. Our hearts are so full that we hardly leave Him any room.

Charly: Then maybe we need to slow down a little and open the door to Him.

Beth: Yes. We don’t need to have everything figured out. We can let Him in just as we are, into the things that worry us and the things we struggle with.

Charly: I like thinking that Christ is still there, patiently waiting, even though sometimes we don’t even remember to open the door to Him.

Beth: Then let’s open that door a little today. How about we pray together tonight and help each other persevere in prayer? Afterwards, we could spend a little while in silence.

Charly: Both of us?

Beth: We’ll try… five minutes would already be a miracle.

Charly: Deal.

Beth: And without thinking about the list of things we still have to do.

Charly: Now that really does require faith.

Mother,

 

Help us to care for the seed Your Son sows in our marriage, and make us good soil. Blessed and praised be the Lord.

Spouses with Christ. Reflection for marriages. Luke 8:1-3

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From the Gospel according to Luke 8:1-3
Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

Spouses with Christ

In this Gospel, we see how Jesus allowed Himself to be accompanied by His disciples, and also by women who served Him with their own possessions. And here we might ask ourselves: surely Christ, Lord of the universe, King of kings, Lord of lords, does He really need us to accomplish His work? Well, yes. He needs our “Yes” so that He can work in us and then continue His work through us. Christ remains with us in the sacraments, and especially in our marriage, our sacrament, so that He can give Himself to us. But He needs our “Yes” in order to transform us and our marriage. And through our marriage, He also works in others: in our children, our family, our friends, those around us…

Dear spouses, Christ needs us for the salvation of our marriage and of the whole world! As Saint Augustine said regarding the Creator: “He who created you without you will not save you without you.”

Applied to Married Life:

Paul: You know, Bethany…

Bethany: Yes, Paul?

Paul: When I look back, I can only give thanks for all these years in which we have been deepening our understanding of our Sacrament and coming to know the Lord and His Heart more deeply. And now that we are going deeper into the catechises of the second cycle, we are beginning to fall in love with the Heart of Christ, who never ceases to give Himself. How many fruits we are seeing!

Bethany: Yes, I can see so many fruits in your heart and in our marriage.

Paul: Yes, but not only in us. How many fruits we are seeing in our children!

Bethany: It is wonderful to see His work and to see all the visible fruits, as well as those we cannot see, the invisible ones, which I am sure are countless.

Paul: Thank you, Bethany, for your perseverance.

Bethany: And thank you, Paul, for your openness and docility.

Paul and Bethany give thanks together to the Lord for everything He is doing in their hearts, in their marriage, and in their family… for having said “Yes” to Him.

Mother,

Thank you for your intercession. Help us to say “Yes” to your Son, “Yes” to Love, so that little by little our hearts may be transformed by Him. Praised be the Lord.

Place It in My Heart. Reflection for marriages. Luke 7:36-50

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From the Gospel according to Luke 7:36–50
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Place It in My Heart

Today the Lord opens His Heart and shows us the tenderness of His Love. It is true that He misses from the Pharisee the usual gestures of courtesy and welcome, but what He misses the most is the love, devotion, and tenderness that, on the contrary, he saw in the sinful woman and moved Him. And I remember Jesus’ words to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in response to the suffering caused by the indifference against Him: “At least you, love Me.”

Jesus, I want to love You in everything I do and think: by reading the Gospel with devotion, taking part in Mass with love and attention, receiving Holy Communion with reverence and devotion, doing my work well, helping a colleague… and all out of love, to console You and give glory to the Father. And above all, Lord, I want to love You in my spouse with that same love. You place it in my heart.

Applied to Married Life:

Sonia: Jason, anything wrong? You’re very quiet.

Jason: It’s been a difficult day. But I don’t want to burden you with my problems.

Sonia: And I was just about to carry on with my own things without even asking you… Come here, tell me about it.

Jason: Now? I know you’re tired.

Sonia: Yes, but you are more important to me than finishing everything I still have to do.

Jason: Thank you. I just needed to feel that you were there for me.

Sonia: While I was listening to you, I thought: How many times might Jesus also be waiting for a gesture of love from me, and I simply walk past Him?

Jason: Perhaps that’s why He brought us together: so that we can learn to love Him by loving each other.

Sonia: Then today I want to console Him by taking care of you. Listening to you without rushing, looking at you with tenderness, holding you…

Jason: Do you know what I feel when you do that?

Sonia: What?

Jason: That He is loving me through you.

Sonia: Lord, may I never take for granted this husband You have given me. Teach me to love You in him.

Jason: And me, in you.

Mother,

Ask your Son to give us a tender heart like His, like yours. Blessed are you, Mother!

Lord, Let Me React Now. Reflection for marriages. Luke 7:31-35

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From the Gospel according to Luke 7:31–35
Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’
For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

Lord, Let Me React Now

Jesus, what are You trying to tell me in this Gospel?

Your words echo in my heart when I truly listen to You, when, in silence, I lower the noise of this world that overwhelms me. I know what You are telling me: What are you waiting for? What more do I have to do for you to react? You love me infinitely. You created me with infinite love. You chose me exactly as I am. You became man to guide me. You allowed Yourself to be tortured and to suffer the most terrible death in order to save me. And yet, I still do not fully surrender myself to You.

Lord, help me wake up now. Help me to give You thanks for everything, and to make the most of every moment by giving myself to You, especially when it is least convenient for me, where it is most difficult for m

Thank You, Jesus, for my suitable helper, the person You have chosen so that I may learn to love, to yield, to forgive, to welcome, and to give myself. Without his/her help, it would be impossible. I would remain selfish and would never stop focusing on myself.

Please, Lord. Let me react now. Give me the grace to recognize that what prevents me from being happy is my own self-love and selfishness, not the weakness of my spouse. And from there, give me the strength to persevere in a life of prayer and the sacraments, formation, mortification, and works of love. And through all this, You will work miracles in me.

Thank You very much, Lord.

Applied to Married Life:

Megan: Adam, if you could start your marriage again today, what would you do differently?

Adam: Without a doubt, I would put the Lord at the centre. It seems so obvious to me. If this is about learning to love, I would put at the centre of my life the One who truly is Love, the One who can teach me how to love. And that is Jesus. The deepest longing in my heart is to love you greatly and to be loved by you. And only Jesus can teach me how to do that.

Megan: I love that. I completely agree. Since He told us that He makes all things new and that nothing is impossible for Him, let us place our marriage in His hands now. Without waiting any longer. Without worrying about the mistakes of the past.

Adam: Then let’s do it. It’s so obvious that there is nothing more important! And we know that, in order to achieve this, the first thing is to acknowledge our poverty, our sinfulness. From there, we can listen to Him and begin a life of prayer, living the sacraments, formation so that we can understand His plan, and purification so that our sinful actions may be transformed into virtue and works of love.

Megan: Let’s do it! This isn’t just a theory. He couldn’t make it any clearer. Let’s simply do His will, and you’ll see where He will lead our marriage.

Mother,

Please, we want a marriage as beautiful as God intended it to be. Help us place ourselves in the hands of your Son so that we may achieve it. Blessed and praised be God!

Strip oneself of Everything. Reflection for marriages. John 19:25-27

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From the Gospel according to John 19:25–27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Strip oneself of Everything

Jesus stripped Himself of everything He had before going to the Father, even of His most precious treasure, His Mother. But He did not simply leave her behind. Instead, He entrusted her to His beloved disciple and, in doing so, gave her as a gift to all humanity, so that she could always care for each and every one of us.

We spouses are also called to live this kind of self-giving: to leave behind the “I”, my rights, my plans, my preferences… in order to build a true “we.” This does not mean ceasing to be who we are, but discovering that we reach our fullness when we learn to make ourselves a gift for the other.

How difficult it is for us to let go! There is always some little aspects of our lives that we want to keep for ourselves. That is why everything begins in prayer. Let us learn to surrender ourselves completely to the Lord, because even in our self-giving to Him, we often keep some hidden aspects that we find difficult to offer Him.

Applied to Married Life:

After praying together as a couple.

Helen: You know, this Gospel has made me remember those second Saturdays of the month that were reserved for you and your friends…

Frank: Oh, sweetheart, you’re right! How badly I misunderstood what it meant to give myself out!

Helen: The truth is that, at the time, I thought I was handling it really well. On top of that, I used to boast to my friends about what a good wife I was, “letting you have” one Saturday a month with your friends. But deep down, I was actually finding it really difficult.

Frank: I had no idea, Helen! You know, thinking back to that time, there were quite a few occasions when I really couldn’t be bothered to go, because it had become a routine, something that I “had to do,” and the plan was always the same… If I had known you were struggling with it, I wouldn’t have gone. I’m so sorry!

Helen: Don’t be sorry, Frank. It’s just that, at that time, nobody had explained to us all these things that we are learning now through Marital Love Project. I was convinced that giving up one day a month with you was a good thing, so that you could have your own space and time to rest, or at least, that’s what I had been told. But I understand now that our space should be shared between the two of us, and if you need to have a space that is just yours, it should be to spend it with God.

Frank: Yes, sweetheart. Our self-giving is to the Lord and to our spouse, and then to our family. With you, I am called to become one flesh, not with my friends… I’m not saying I should abandon them, but keeping a space just for myself, I can see now that it doesn’t really fit with the meaning of our sacrament.

Mother,

Help us to surrender ourselves completely to the Lord, so that we may know how to give ourselves fully in our marriage. Glory and praise to the Lord!