Dwelling within us

The love between spouses goes beyond mere feeling. On our wedding day, we committed ourselves to keep our marital promises. I give myself to you and promise to be faithful to you… in health and in sickness… When you are having a difficult day, in moments of weakness… when we wholeheartedly accept and live out these promises, we allow Jesus and the Father to make their dwelling in our marriage, and we allow the Holy Spirit to manifest His gifts in our hearts. This transforms our whole life. The Holy Spirit, who has been present between us since the day we were married, needs us to give Him “permission” through our intention and our actions in order to work within us.

Applied to married life:

Arthur: Lucy, since I became aware that when I promised at our wedding to be faithful to you, it also meant maintaining purity in my actions and in my thoughts, how much my heart has changed! Thank you for how much you have helped me in this.
Lucy: I have changed a great deal too. Before, I often thought badly of you, and that caused my heart to receive you with distrust. I was not being the help God was asking me to be.
Arthur: At first it was very difficult for me, and it was a great struggle, but over time it has become the most natural thing — embracing this logic of God.
Lucy: This is what we saw the other day in the catechesis: when we manage to grow in the virtue of purity, which is usually difficult for us, it disposes us to receive it as a gift of the Holy Spirit, just as today’s Gospel says.
Arthur: What joy that the Holy Spirit has manifested Himself in this. Now that Pentecost is approaching, it is a wonderful time to celebrate it.

Mother,

May we fulfil the commands of Jesus through love, so that He and the Father may make their dwelling in our hearts. Praised be God!

The Lord speaks to His disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” He prepares them for the moment of the Cross. And He also tells them: “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

Here He gives us the key to living the Kingdom of Heaven, and even to begin living it here on earth.

The Lord is the way: He guides us through His Word, gives us His grace, and through His Passion and His Cross, He gives us the sacraments especially, for us, the sacrament of marriage. Through spousal charity, we make Christ present, who makes our love grow and allows it to overflow to those around us.

The Lord is the truth: the truth inscribed in our hearts as spouses and in fact we are called to love one another with His Love.

The Lord is the life: because whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. And so, if we live with Christ, through Christ, and in Christ, we begin to live Heaven here on earth.

Isn’t that attractive? And as if that were not enough, He gives us His Mother as our Mother, to lead us to Him.

Brought Down to Married Life:

Fiona: Do you know, Robert, love? I’ve been reflecting lately on how much we’ve grown over these years since we started the marriage journey.

Robert: Oh really, Fiona? And what conclusion have you reached?

Fiona: That if we hadn’t discovered this, we’d probably be like many of our friends, separated or each doing our own thing… Because it’s so easy to drift, especially if you don’t know this truth we’re coming to know. Honestly, we’re so fortunate… well, actually, I now see we’re more than fortunate, we’re truly cherished by the Lord.

Robert: That’s true, Fiona, you’re right… I hadn’t stopped to think about all the light we’ve been receiving and how it has brought us closer together. And all because we said yes when your friend Claire invited us to start, one thing led to another…

Fiona: I know! It’s incredible what a single “yes” can do, isn’t it?

Robert: And now it’s time to say yes to a romantic dinner, alright?

Fiona: Of course, Robert, always!

Mother,

May we, like you, say “yes” to God’s plan. Blessed and praised be the Lord.

The Gospel of the Lord

Brought down to Married Life

Peter: Emma, I think today I put myself above you…
Emma: Yes, but I also wanted to be right instead of serving you.
Peter: And that is exactly what Jesus speaks about — placing ourselves at the feet of the other.
Emma: Yes, and he says we will be blessed if we put it into practice.
Peter: Sometimes I feel that I give more than you, and that poisons me…
Emma: The same happens to me. I feel it too. And I think that is the trap — staying in what we feel.
Peter: How important it is to trust and to receive one another as a gift from God, to help each other become holy. To purify what is ugly within us by filling our hearts with blessing.
Emma: Even when we fail… to keep choosing one another. It is beautiful to choose to love. We need his help — shall we spend some time praying with this Gospel together?
Peter: Yes!

Mother,

Blessed are you who put into practice all the teachings of the Father.
We enter into your Heart so that you may teach us.

The Gospel of the Lord

I Give You Everything, I Trust in You

My good Jesus, I am tired. And overwhelmed. So many things weigh on me. There is so much I do not understand. Many things hurt me, I struggle to accept them, they seem unfair. And there are so many moments when I fail to love, to excuse… I rebel, I get angry.

You tell me that, to resolve this, I should come to you. And that I should take your yoke. The yoke — like the one for oxen? You say yes, because the yoke makes us walk together with you. With the yoke, we do not separate from you, and you carry most of the weight. But I must allow myself to be led.

And you tell me to learn from you, for you are gentle and humble of heart. To find relief from all this burden, must I become humble? You say yes. That I am overwhelmed because I think too much about myself — what I need, what others do to me, what I deserve… You tell me to stop looking at myself and to look only at you. You give yourself without asking anything in return. You excuse, you embrace, you look at the suffering of others rather than your own. And you trust completely in your Father.

Lord, help me to stop looking at myself and to look at you. To see you in my neighbour. And to entrust everything to you. I give myself, and the rest I leave in your hands.

Thank you, my Jesus.

Brought Down to Married Life

Martha: I am exhausted. I cannot go on. And these past few days you have not stopped complaining about your work. I also have a thousand problems.

Samuel: Can you not put yourself in my place? Nothing is going right for me.

Martha: And do you ask me about my things? Or do you only care about yours? I also have difficult days at work, you know.

(After praying about it and placing it in the Lord’s hands)

Samuel: Martha, forgive me. Jesus tells us, in the face of our burdens, to be humble. And I have realised that I was not being humble. I see my problems as if they were the greatest in the world. I have only been looking at myself. I mistrust, I rely on no one. Christ wants me to stand in truth and to trust in him. To do what is in my hands and leave the rest in his.

Martha: Forgive me as well. I suffer when I see you struggling. Please, rest in the Lord and in me.

Samuel: Yes. I cannot do this alone. I am going to place myself completely in the Lord’s hands. And that means placing myself in yours. I will truly listen to you. I know that if I listen to you and do what you say, the Lord will be able to work in us. At home, I will begin by focusing on you. Let the Lord take care of what I cannot reach.

Mother,

Help me to grow in humility. May I stop looking at myself and look to you and to your Son, models of humility.
Thank you, Mother. Blessed and praised be God.