At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.
  ‘See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.’

At least twice in St Matthew’s Gospel, the question is raised about who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And Jesus’ answer is the same: the Kingdom belongs to the little ones, to those who serve with humility, to those who trust.
Like a small child obedient to his father, walking confidently without letting go of his hand because he knows his father is caring for him and keeping him safe. Only when he strays does fear come, because he cannot walk alone.
We are called to be like that child who trusts and obeys his father—knowing that my joy lies in being with Him, doing His will: loving my spouse, letting go of my own preferences, desires and tastes, renouncing my pride.
And so, with the help of grace, the Kingdom of Heaven will already be in my heart.

Applied to Married Life

Lucy (in prayer): Lord, I’m discouraged and tired. It feels as though John doesn’t value me, as if he doesn’t truly understand me. But I know You are with me—that You rejoice with me and suffer with me. Help me not to focus so much on myself. Remind me that what I feel or perceive may be clouded by my own pride. Give me, Lord, the joy of humility and service. May I always see You in my husband and love him as You do.

Mother,

Handmaid of the Lord, teach me to live in humility. Blessed are you for ever. Amen.

At that time: As Jesus and his disciples were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

The Gospel of the Lord

In the Face of Indifference or Rejection: Give Yourself

In this Gospel passage, we see how the Samaritans refused to receive the Lord because of His appearance. Faced with this rejection, James and John wanted vengeance—they felt offended. But what does Jesus do? He rebukes them and shows compassion towards those who, “seeing, do not see,” because their hearts were still closed to Him.
The Lord is constantly seeking us, longing to dwell with us. Yet if we do not welcome Him, He simply continues on—He never forces love, but waits with infinite patience until He is received.
And so it must be with us as spouses: even when we fail to see our husband or wife with the dignity of a child of God, even when we feel unloved or unacknowledged, we are still called to love—without anger, without offence—continuing along the path and waiting for another moment when our spouse’s heart may be ready to receive us.
To live like this, we need daily time with the Lord in prayer: to fall in love with Him, to grow more like Him, and, ultimately, to love as He loves.

Applied to Married Life

Andrew: Congratulations, my love—today is such a special day! Nineteen years of marriage. Do you know something? This morning in prayer, Jesus showed me that from the very beginning He has wanted to reign in our marriage and make us truly happy… but because of the hardness of our hearts, we often didn’t let Him. How patient He has been with us! Today I just want to thank Him for His mercy.
Natalie: Congratulations to you too, my dear husband! Yes, it’s so striking how He never grows tired of waiting and keeps seeking us out with all kinds of means. He has sent us family members who shared with us the miracles of the Rosary, priests who accompanied and advised us, and friends who encouraged us to attend a “Marital Love Project” retreat and join catechesis groups. Truly, He has always been by our side, even when we didn’t recognise Him.
Andrew: Now it all makes so much sense—the wonderful gifts He has given us, but also the trials that caused us such pain. They were necessary to purify our hearts. Without them, in our pride, we would never have opened ourselves to Him. All of it was part of His plan.
Natalie: How great is the Lord, who allows us to bear witness that by His mercy it is possible to make the old new again—to transform a broken marriage into one that has discovered the treasure of its vocation!

Mother,

we thank you for coming to the aid of so many marriages in difficulty, so they do not feel alone.
Glory to the Lord, who makes all things new!

At that time: Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to him, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered him, ‘Because I said to you, “I saw you under the fig tree”, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’

How must Christ have looked at Nathanael for him to burst out with such joy? Jesus looked straight into Nathanael’s heart, beyond appearances. Christian marriage is called to be an alliance where spouses feel seen, understood, and loved—even in their weaknesses. We are invited to experience unconditional love: to be received and cherished in our entirety.
And if we live this way, Jesus promises us that we will see heaven opened—a life where heaven touches earth. Our spousal love must be open to heaven by placing God at the centre: every gesture of forgiveness, tenderness, and service within marriage is already a foretaste of those “greater things” God has promised.
Let us resolve to let heaven touch our marriage by loving and giving ourselves, so that in the daily life of our home, we may glimpse God’s promise of greater things.

Applied to Married Life

Joseph: Darling, I think I love you more—and better—every day.
Alice: Oh! What a beautiful declaration of love. But why are you saying that now?
Joseph: Because I’m sure that before, when you made that comment this morning, I would have taken offence. Yet this time, I thought perhaps you were just tired or struggling with some temptation. And I also saw it as an opportunity for me to grow in humility.
Alice: You really have changed. You know how quickly I speak sometimes, without even realising what I’m saying—and then I can’t even remember afterwards. So if I wasn’t very affectionate this morning, forgive me. And thank you for not looking at me harshly. I really do love my “new Joseph.”
Joseph: And I love my “new Alice” just as much. [laughs]

Mother,

Help me to look at my spouse through the eyes of Your Son, who does not judge or condemn, but loves me in my weakness and invites me to do the same in my marriage. Praise be to the Lord.

At that time: Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not do so, and none may cross from there to us.” And he said, “Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house — for I have five brothers — so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.” And he said, “No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” ’

The indifference of the rich man is the fruit of a shallow life, one without depth, focused only on pleasure and fleeting sensations. A gluttony not only of food but also of emotions, gossip, and criticism… labelling reality and stripping it of hope: “Lazarus is just lazy,” “our marriage has no future,” “there’s nothing to be done with my son”… Such labelling distances me from true understanding, from wisdom, and from conscience. Ultimately, it distances me from the Holy Spirit, who dwells at the very centre of my soul, leaving me to live instead on the shallow periphery of feelings and desires.

Applied to Married Life

Peter: It really hurts that Luke and Mary organised a dinner without inviting us.
Victoria: I can understand it. Lately we’ve been very focused on our marriage and on the children.
Peter: But we used to be so close…
Victoria: Perhaps more in the sense of shared hobbies and distractions than real intimacy.
Peter: True. With our couples’ group, there’s a far deeper connection.
Victoria: And with our children too. Just today, Paul thanked me for yesterday. He said he felt truly welcomed and listened to in his pain after breaking up with Claire.
Victoria (after a pause): Shall we pray? We need to thank God for keeping us grounded in the truth and for helping us to recognise the suffering of those closest to us.

Mother,

Teacher of suffering at the foot of your Son’s Cross, pray for us. Praise be to the Lord!