Look how you shine! Reflection for married couples. Luke 8:16-18

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Gospel

From the Gospel according to Luke
8:16-18

Jesus said to the crowd:
“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand
so that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care, then, how you hear.
To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Look how you shine!

The evangelist recounts these words of Jesus after speaking about the coming of the Kingdom and how we must welcome it into our hearts. The Kingdom is Christ arriving in our lives. Christ is that light which radiates from the lamp. A light not meant to be hidden, but to be lifted high so that it may brighten every part of our reality and transform it. Only the light of Christ can heal the wounds that hurt us so deeply, and only the light of Christ can bring us to the fullness to which we are called in our vocation as spouses. When marriages live under that light, we become that burning lamp which Jesus uses to illuminate the world. Without that light, the world cannot see, cannot understand; its heart grows increasingly dull until it even loses what it once thought it possessed.

Brought into Married Life

Rachel: Luke, we need to pray for Laura. Today, after Mass, she came to me in tears and said that watching us receive Communion together with such tenderness made her remember her broken marriage and how deeply she feels the loss.
Luke: We will pray for them. Nothing is impossible for God. We too could have lost everything if Christ, through His grace, had not enlightened us. In that way, He revealed what we were doing wrong and showed us all that He had in store for us.
Rachel: It’s true… Your relationship with your family caused so many arguments and wounds… we could have lost it all!
Luke: I give thanks to God for lighting up our lives each day.

Mother,

Lead us to your Son, so that His light may shine upon us and show us what we must change within ourselves, that our lives may give glory to God. Thank you, Mother! Praised be the Lord!

He is always faithful. Reflection for married couples. Luke 16:1-13

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Gospel
 
From the Gospel according to Luke 
16:1-13
At that time: Jesus said to the disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.” And the manager said to himself, “What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.” So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, “How much do you owe my master?” He said, “A hundred measures of oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.” Then he said to another, “And how much do you owe?” He said, “A hundred measures of wheat.” He said to him, “Take your bill and write eighty.” The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.’ And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
  ‘One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful with the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
He is Always Faithful
This Gospel passage may seem confusing: to use “the money of iniquity.” The holy fathers point out that the Lord is telling us to use this world to do good. The “money of iniquity” is, therefore, also about being faithful in all difficulties and sufferings, both great and small, and turning them into a source of grace and salvation.
God is always faithful. He always fulfils His promise. He asks us for that same faithfulness, in the little things of daily life: to be faithful to our spouse, faithful to the promise we made on our wedding day, faithful to the love we pledged to one another, in both giving and receiving. In this way, the Lord tells us, we shall be able to remain faithful in greater matters, when the Cross appears, in moments of trial or darkness. And then He promises us that He will be with us and will grant us His Grace. Let us not forget it: He is always faithful.
Brought into Married Life:

Catherine: Ahh, James, I’m going through such a difficult time with this illness; it’s such a heavy burden for me.
James: Catherine, I understand it because I see you and I know you’re suffering deeply. But you must trust and be patient; surely the Lord will bring great good out of this trial.
Catherine: It’s very hard for me to see God in all this pain, to be honest.
James: That’s why we must trust. He is always faithful, in the small things and in the big things. Up until now, in everything, He has given us His Grace.
Catherine: Yes, that’s true, even though we have never faced such a harsh situation before.
James: That makes everything much clearer. He has been training us in the smaller things and we have remained faithful. Now, in this greater challenge, we must do the same.
Catherine: You’re right. How many times has He given us the Grace to live the smaller trials in peace? So now we must remain faithful to Him in this greater one. Thank you, my husband, for helping me to see God’s will. Only with Him could I endure this.
James: Exactly. Let’s offer all of this to Him in our prayer together, as a couple.

Mother,

Help us to see the will of God in everything that happens to us, and teach us to remain faithful to Him. Thank you, Mother, for guiding us. Blessed be God!

The Word Takes Root in the Heart. Reflection for married couples. Luke 8:4-15

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Gospel
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 hearts
that 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.”

The Gospel of the Lord

The Word Takes Root in the Heart

The Lord speaks to all of us. But how is our heart prepared to receive Him? And how ready are we to welcome the heart of our spouse, through whom the Lord also manifests Himself?

Sometimes we receive His Word like seed fallen on the path, disguising our pride with reasons such as: “Christ’s message is not for me, this is just the way I am, it’s my wife who needs to change.”

At other times, like seed on rocky ground: I may feel called during a retreat to live our marriage as God desires, but then I return home and, at the first argument, pride swells up in me and I dismiss what I experienced at the retreat as worthless.

Or again, like seed among thorns: I believe in what St John Paul’s catechesis teaches, I believe my spouse is the helper suitable for leading me to Christ, yet I still put my attachments first: my outings, my daily reading, my hours at the computer, my beers, my coffees with friends, my football matches, before my spouse and family.

But it can also be like seed on good soil: I receive God’s Word with humility, recognising that on my own I cannot manage, surrendering myself to my spouse without expecting anything in return, savouring in prayer and the sacraments the grace of God, which makes His work sprout, grow, and bear fruit in our marriage, in our family, and in all those around us.

Brought Down to Married Life

Nora: Asher, I’ve just received the invitation to the start-of-year gathering of Marital Love Project this Sunday. Shall we go?

Asher: Nora, you already know what I’ve got that day. First I’m taking Paul to his football match, then we’re going to Mass, and in the afternoon I really need to prepare for an important meeting on Monday. Besides, I don’t really see us making much progress with the catechesis.
Nora: My love, I don’t even want to imagine what would have become of us if we hadn’t spent these two years attending the catechesis and taking part in the retreats. And how much we grow when it’s our turn to prepare the catechesis, it may be hard at first, but the fruits are amazing.
Asher: That’s true, there’s more peace at home, and it’s really helping me to overcome my anger with the children.
Nora: So, darling, shall we make an effort this year to help each other persevere, since it does us so much good?
Asher: Of course. I’ll send a message to confirm that we’re going and to encourage the rest of the group as well.
Nora: Thank you, Asher.

Mother,

Thank you for showing us the fruits of the seed of Your Son’s Word in our hearts.
Blessed and praised be our Lord!

Called to Proclaim Together. Reflection for married couples. Luke 8:1-3

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Gospel

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.

The Gospel of the Lord
Called to Proclaim Together

When we read this Gospel we picture Jesus proclaiming the Truth, from town to town, from village to village.
And today He tells us to join in that proclamation so as to show the Truth to the whole world. But in order to carry His word, we must be united to Him. To proclaim Him we must be united in everything — in prayer, in the Eucharist, in confession, and especially in our marriage: we receive one another so that we may receive Him. That is why we were made spouses, and He planned us from all eternity to see Him in my husband. And when the Cross comes too? Yes — there He is, so that I may welcome Him in my spouse and our love may be stronger than death. This is how we will be saved. This is how we will proclaim You! Lord, we want to be Your mouth, Your eyes, Your ears.

Brought Down to Married Life:

Victoria: Hello, love. This is something we’re living that we simply cannot keep quiet about!
Joseph: Yes, but we still have a lot to grow in before we can speak about God, about the Lord…
Victoria: I think we should simply tell what has happened to us — nothing more, just what we are living. It is the best way to proclaim the Truth: by witnessing what the Lord is doing in us and in our marriage.
Joseph: Do you really think so?
Victoria: Yes — haven’t you seen a transformation in our marriage? Well, that is the Lord’s work! We are witnesses to what He has done.
Joseph: It’s true, Victoria — that is what He has done, and we cannot keep it to ourselves. This afternoon, when we meet Beatrice and Nathan, we’ll tell them…

Mother,

We want to do as You do and speak as You do: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. And we proclaim: Blessed and praised be the Lord!

Called to Love. Reflection for married couples. Luke 7:36-50

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Gospel

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.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Called to Love

Today’s Gospel presents us with two people and two ways of being before Jesus. The Pharisee is a “religious” man, proper, polite, well-educated, with sound judgement. Faced with a question posed by the Master, he answers and receives Jesus’ praise: “You have judged rightly.”
The sinner, on the other hand, was a woman of the world, ordinary, without any learning. She “only” had in her heart the desire to repair, to humble herself, to love. And before such great love, the Lord tells her the most beautiful words we could ever hear: “You have loved much, your faith has saved you.”
In our marriage we run the risk of “judging rightly” our spouse’s actions. Rightly, yes; but without love. Before “objectively” wrong deeds, even before the sin of my spouse, the Lord does not call me to “judge rightly” but to welcome and to love — to love much.

Brought Down to Married Life:

(Theresa is speaking with Catherine, her mentor)

Theresa: Look Catherine, I just can’t take any more of Edward’s lack of seriousness.
Catherine: What’s happened?
Theresa: The same as always. We had a meeting at school with our son’s teacher, and, as usual, Edward turned up half an hour late. And then he spent the whole time looking at his phone. He always does the same thing. He makes me feel so embarrassed.
Catherine: No wonder you had a difficult time. And how did you respond?
Theresa: Very angrily. I told him he was rude, that he embarrassed me. That people have already “clocked” him. That he always promises it won’t happen again but that he’s unreliable and ill-mannered.
Catherine: It’s true that being late and not paying attention in a conversation is “objectively” wrong. But you are not called to react by giving in to anger and frustration, but rather to respond with love. Correct him, but with love. Tell him — when you’re able to do it calmly.
Theresa: I know you’re right, but it’s so hard for me to stay calm. Poor thing, deep down he suffers from that lack of order and attention. I want to be a helper suitable for him.

Mother,

We want to kiss and anoint the precious feet of Jesus; we want to love much. Help us, you, Mother of conjugal love. Blessed be the Lord for His love and mercy towards us!