At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
  ‘And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it, therefore, in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and sisters, and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.’

Luke 21:5-11

At that time: While some were speaking of the Temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, Jesus said, ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’ And they asked him, ‘Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?’ And he said, ‘See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, “I am he!” and, “The time is at hand!” Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.’
  Then he said to them, ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Mother,

We long to follow in your footsteps, to discern what really matters, and to remain firmly on the path of holiness. Glory to the Lord who makes it possible!

At that time: Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, ‘Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’

The Lord never looks at the amount we give, but at the quality of the heart with which it is offered. The poor widow gave very little in the eyes of the world, but in God’s eyes it was an immense gift—because she gave what she had, not what she could spare.
This is precisely what God asks of us in marriage: true love is not measured by grand, occasional gestures, but by the humble, sincere, daily giving of ourselves.
In married life, one of the two may often feel like that widow—short on time, energy, and strength, weighed down by worries and responsibilities. And yet, when even in that state one offers a genuine smile, a kind word, a gesture of tenderness, or a small act of service, that “tiny offering” becomes something infinitely valuable. It is giving from poverty, not from abundance.
There are also times when we keep certain “reserves”: time we don’t share, emotions we hide, chores we leave to the other, inner spaces we refuse to open. Jesus reminds us that conjugal love grows when we learn to give not only what costs us nothing, but what truly means something to us. That kind of giving is fruitful.
In marriage, as in this Gospel, the small, faithful gestures of everyday love are worth far more than a hundred occasional displays of affection. For greatness in married life lies not in the quantity of what we give, but in the wholeness of the heart with which we give it.

Applied to Married Life

Mary: I was reading about the widow who gave her two small coins, and I thought, “That’s me—coming home with two drops of energy left in the tank!”
James: Well, I receive those two drops like they’re liquid gold—better than a double espresso.
Mary: Don’t be so sure… sometimes I’m so tired that all I can manage is half a smile and an “I’ll talk to you later.” That’s my version of the two coins.
James: And I’m still delighted, because that half-smile is a total investment—with no return expected.
Mary: And what about you? There are days when your contribution to our marriage is… shall we say… “symbolic.”
James: Hey now! My two coins include washing one plate, telling you you’re beautiful, and not complaining when I see the credit card bill. That’s heroic love right there.
Mary: So we’re basically the widow from the Gospel—just in the modern, married version: giving the little we have each day.
James: Exactly. And with our two daily coins, we’ll end up rich… even if only in patience!

Mother,

Mary, teach us to offer our “two small coins” each day within our marriage. Turn our small daily offerings into a great and faithful love.
Blessed be Our Lord and Our Mother.

Today Jesus invites us to lift our gaze and recognise who we are and what we are called to. We are children of God, conceived in the Father’s heart so that we may return to Him and live eternally. Yet we allow ourselves to become entangled in worldly reasoning, through which the devil makes us doubt the goodness of God’s law, leading us away from Him.
The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, and Jesus told them that the Lord is a God of the living, not of the dead. Today, much of the world does not believe in the indissolubility of marriage, but just as He said to the Pharisees, Jesus tells us that man and woman are made to be one flesh, and that what God has joined, no human being must divide. When, out of love for my spouse, I welcome him exactly as he is, and I give myself fully exactly as I am, we can already begin to taste in this life a small portion of the happiness Jesus promises us in the resurrection. We are witnesses to so many marriages that, upon discovering the beauty and greatness of marriage as God intended it, have been resurrected by the Lord, that we can no longer doubt His Word.
Spouses, let us live marriage as God designed it, and we will discover how joy floods our lives.

Jonathan: Emma, will you share with me what’s going on? For days now, even when I tell you I disagree with something you say, you don’t argue about anything, and you always seem cheerful. I like it—but I’m surprised. I can’t quite figure out what’s happening.
Emma: Do you remember how, at the Marital Love Project retreat, they told us that the change in our marriage would begin with each of us changing individually? Well, I’m trying to put that into practice in my life.
Jonathan: And what are you doing exactly?
Emma: I’m trying to go to Mass every day and to go to confession frequently. I try to do things the way you like them, to please you. And I try to see in everything you say the will of God for us. That’s why I don’t argue when you think differently from me—I understand it as simply another way of looking at things. I take it to prayer, and then I try to do as you suggest.
Jonathan: Even if it’s not the way you see it?
Emma: Well, Jonathan, I imagine that when you say something, it’s not to make things difficult for me, but because you truly believe it’s best for our family. It’s not about imposing my reasons, but about welcoming yours and making them my own. That way, they become ours.
Jonathan: And is that why you’re so happy?
Emma: The truth is, I have a joy I don’t remember ever having before. I think it must be the Lord’s joy.
Jonathan: Then I want that joy too. Will you help me find it?
Emma: Of course, my love. Shall we start by going to Mass together every day we can? And we must persevere in our marital prayer.
Jonathan: Absolutely, Emma. I want to do whatever it takes to have that joy—and to make you as happy as you’re making me. I love you.

Teach us to live our marriage as God intended, so that we may begin to experience the joy of the resurrection. Mother, you are blessed and glorious! Praised be the Lord for ever!