From the Gospel according to Luke

16:9-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.”

The Pharisees, who loved money,
heard all these things and sneered at him.
And he said to them,
“You justify yourselves in the sight of others,
but God knows your hearts;
for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”

Training in Faithfulness

In this Gospel, Jesus warns us that if you are not faithful in small things, you will not be faithful in great ones either. And faithfulness is absolutely essential in marriage.

When we marry, the most familiar words we hear are perhaps these:

“I take you as my husband/wife, and I give myself to you, and I promise to be faithful to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honour you all the days of my life.”

We promise each other faithfulness in both joy and hardship. This fidelity is a sign of our love and respect — a reflection of God’s covenant with us. God is faithful; He keeps His promises and has bound Himself to our marriage in a covenant of love to make it possible.

How important it is that we live out that faithfulness we promised each other — beginning with the small, everyday details! Fidelity is not only about physical loyalty, but also about the little things: coming home promptly after work to help with the children or the house instead of staying for a drink; keeping our daily prayer time together, persevering in that moment we set aside for one another and for our marriage.

These are chances to train ourselves in small acts of fidelity, so that when real temptations or trials arise, we will be strong enough to remain faithful. If we grow careless in the small things, we will not withstand the great ones when they come.

Brought into Married Life

Vincent: Claire, I don’t quite understand what Jesus means about “making friends with dishonest wealth.”

Claire: I think it means we shouldn’t cling to material goods but rather use them to store up treasure in heaven.

Vincent: But He mentions “dishonesty” — doing wrong knowingly. That would mean earning money through deceit, and I earn our living honestly.

Claire: Yes, but we earn more than we truly need, don’t we?

Vincent: That’s true, but it’s the result of many years of hard work.

Claire: Are you sure it’s only that, Vincent? Don’t you think God has given you certain gifts and opportunities that others haven’t received?

Vincent: Hmm… I’m not sure I follow you.

Claire: I mean that everything we have — absolutely everything — comes from God. We are very blessed with the material goods the Lord has allowed us to enjoy, far more than we actually need, while others lack even the essentials. What do you think God expects from us?

Vincent: You’re right. God has given us more than we truly need. I suppose He expects us to use it to help those who have less.

Claire: Exactly. If we cling to worldly goods, we end up serving money instead of God. But if we use those goods generously for the benefit of others, and do so out of love, then we are serving God — and storing up treasure in heaven.

Vincent: Thank you, Claire, for enlightening me. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you.

Mother,

teach us always to be faithful —

to our spouse, to our sacrament, and to God —

and to do His will, just as you did.

Blessed and glorious are you, Mother!

Praise be to the Lord forever!a

Gospel of the day

From the Gospel according to

Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
‘What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.’
The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.’
He called in his master’s debtors one by one.
To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’
Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.’
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.”

Are We Shrewd?

Through this parable, the Lord teaches us that we must use all our gifts and talents wisely and shrewdly, collaborating with Him in building His Kingdom.

Does this mean we should act wrongly or deceive others? Of course not. It means that we should bear witness to the beauty and goodness of our sacrament by making the best use of every “weapon” available to us.

If I am kind, then I will use my kindness shrewdly for good.

If I am intelligent and hardworking, I will place that intelligence at the service of the Lord.

If I am a good organiser, I will offer my skills wherever they are needed, for the greater glory of God.

Brought into Married Life

Peter: Good morning, Mary. How did you sleep? I noticed you’ve been awake for quite a while.

Mary: Good morning. I’m sorry if I disturbed you. I woke up very early and couldn’t stop thinking about what we heard at yesterday’s Opening Day for the new term. I think we’ve been nourished and formed by the wonderful catecheses of Saint John Paul II in our Marital Love Project group, and we do help with the retreats — but perhaps it’s time we took another step forward.

Peter: I thought the same. It really was a beautiful start-of-year gathering, but it gave us plenty to reflect on.

Mary: Peter, do you think we’re being a bit selfish by not offering ourselves in service to Our Lady’s Project?

Peter: Well… I wouldn’t go as far as calling us selfish, but yes — we do need to use all the gifts the Lord has given us, so that this treasure can reach many more couples.

Mary: Then, if you agree, we could call our coordinators and ask them to tell us more about the different areas we could help with — and see where our skills might be useful.

Peter: That sounds wonderful. And you, my love, seem more beautiful to me every day. Come on — give me a kiss and let’s offer the day to the Lord!

Mother,

You placed all your gifts at the service of your Son.

Help us not to fall into the temptation of laziness;

teach us to discern our talents

and to put them at the service of God’s Kingdom.

Amen. Blessed and praised be You forever!

Gospel of the day

From the Gospel according to Luke
15:1-10

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So Jesus addressed this parable to them.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”

The Joy of Conversion

It fills us with joy to know with certainty how deeply God loves us. We may fall and lose our way countless times, yet He will always be there waiting for us with open arms, desiring only what is best for us.

We must always remain open to conversion. The Lord gives us the means through the sacraments. What a wonder — the celebration in heaven every time someone embraces the faith and is converted! And the same rejoicing happens every time we come out of the confession, our souls cleansed, grace restored — having recognised our sin, repented, and received forgiveness, renewing the friendship with God that sin had broken.

Through our own sacrament, as married couples, we too are given the grace to be converted again and again — every time we welcome our spouse as they are, ask forgiveness and forgive, accept them fully as the gift they are to us, and make small sacrifices of love and self-denial. In doing so, we prepare our souls for the ultimate encounter with God.

Brought into Married Life

Leo: Mary, have you realised the power of our sacrament? Through our mutual self-giving, we can see how we grow — and how those around us are transformed too.

Mary: Yes, it’s amazing. I love imagining the celebration in heaven every time the Lord, through the grace we receive, changes the world even just a little through us.

Leo: And imagine the joy each time a couple discovers the greatness of their vocation and their whole life is transformed.

Mary: Thanks be to God, there are more and more marriages like that — couples who, trusting in the grace they’ve received and aware of what they’ve been given, are unknowingly sharing in a little bit of heaven here on earth.

Mother,

We are weak and fall so easily.

Show us the grace of never tiring of conversion,

and let us share together the joy of heaven here on earth.

Blessed be the Lord for His infinite love that always rescues us.

Gospel of the day

From the Gospel according to Luke
14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”

A True Disciple

Jesus walks from town to town, followed by crowds amazed by His miracles and His words. Yet Jesus is not looking for admirers — He seeks disciples willing to love as He does.

What does it mean, in my life, to follow Jesus? Because sometimes that following can become a set of external habits — things I have to do, a decoration added to my life, a spiritual accessory that makes me feel I’m doing something for the Lord, that I’m one of His followers.

Today, the Lord reminds me of what it truly costs to follow Him. It’s not a fashion, nor a passing emotion. To be a disciple demands something deeper — a call to rise above mediocrity. It means reordering priorities and affections, taking up the cross, denying myself, and persevering to the end.

It’s not enough to begin with enthusiasm. The initial excitement matters, but what truly counts is faithfulness to the end. Love is a lifelong project; it requires foresight, prayer, formation, the support of a community of faith, and perseverance.

In marriage, too, there comes a moment when Jesus turns towards us and says:

“If you want to follow Me in your marriage — if you want your love to be like Mine — take up your cross and deny yourself for love of the other.”

In daily life, this means letting go of pride, selfishness, the need to be right, our whims, our desire to control…

When we choose to follow Jesus and carry His cross, our marriage becomes a strong tower, capable of withstanding any storm. And that love, given and sustained, is the love that truly transforms our lives.

Brought into Married Life

Alice: Well, Leo, I’m so upset… my brother’s decided to separate from his wife. He says their love has run out, that they don’t feel the same anymore, and that she doesn’t make him happy.

Leo: Hearing that, it sounds like a very immature kind of love. And what did you say to him?

Alice: I thought of their crying baby… and I asked him, “What do you feel when you have to get up several times in the night to put the dummy back in? Do you feel love then? Does it make you happy at that moment?”

Leo: He’s confused love with a feeling — what a big mistake, and what a dangerous illusion!

Alice: Yes, they want to live a storybook romance — a love without a cross. They need to decide to choose to love. Let’s pray that they can change that “you don’t make me happy” into “I want to give my life for you.”

Mother,

Protect us from the deceptions of the evil one,

and help us to keep building the tower of love

with Jesus as its foundation.

Mother of marital love project, pray for us.

Gospel of the day

From the Gospel according to Luke
14:15-24

One of those at table with Jesus said to him,
“Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”
He replied to him,
“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,
‘Come, everything is now ready.’
But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
The first said to him,
‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.’
The servant went and reported this to his master.
Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,
‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town
and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’
The master then ordered the servant,
‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in that my home may be filled.
For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.'”

“Until They Come In”

Alive and sharper than any sword is Your Word! You speak without adornment, for in You there is no deceit — and time is short. Your Heart burns for us to know the truth: that we were created by Love and for Love, and You never cease to call us: “Compel them to come in…”

We were born for You, eternal God, and outside of You everything becomes weariness and emptiness. Yet how deaf the human heart is! It insists on living apart from You. Your call is not to burden us but to invite us to a great banquet — to fill us with grace and blessing. But we do not understand. Hearing, we do not hear, and we answer half asleep: “I can’t, I’m too busy, I’ve no time.”

Meanwhile, You, Father, prepare the table with infinite tenderness. You wait, and we, absorbed in what perishes, politely reply: “Excuse me, Lord, I cannot come.” What blindness of soul! We seek life in what is dying, not realising that by dying we live.

Your Father’s Heart is moved, and You warn us — with the clarity of One who truly sees — that the day will come, we know not when, when we shall be taken from this world:

“I tell you, none of those who were invited shall taste my banquet.”

The final banquet is “tomorrow”, but “today” is the moment to say yes. Let us leave behind excuses, noise, and distractions — vanity of vanities, all is nothing without You. Let us say to the Father:

“Yes, I want to answer Your call. Yes, I want to be loved by You. I want to be converted. I want to love.”

Then you will see how that banquet begins already in this life, transforming everything — your marriage, your family, your work, even your pain. Everything becomes a place of encounter and communion with You, Lord.

Beloved Father, wait for us — we are coming! Do not stop waiting, keep calling; I will call with You. Do not grow weary, do not be saddened — we are coming, Father, we are coming.

Brought into Married Life

That evening, Mary had prepared a very special dinner. Her husband Matthew was due home after several days away, and she wanted to surprise him and their children. She had gone to the market, chosen the best ingredients, spent more than usual — but it was worth it.

She turned off the dining room lights and lit candles, put on some music — everything prepared, cooked, and done with love. With joy she called out:

“Children, dinner’s ready! Come, your father will be here any minute!”

No answer. She called again:

“Children, come on! Dad’s almost home — it’s time to eat!”

But one replied, “I’m not hungry!” another, “I’m studying!” another, “I’m playing on the console!” and the last, “I’m on the phone!”

Mary stood there, alone and confused before the glowing table. She felt the temptation to give up — to blow out the candles and say, “I’m done insisting; let them do as they please. They don’t value anything.”

But suddenly, in her heart, she heard the words of the Gospel: “Compel them to come in…”

In that silence, she understood that the Father was sharing His own sorrow with her — the pain of preparing a banquet of love and being rejected. And from her heart rose a whisper: “I love You, Father. I want to answer Your call, and I will call with You, tirelessly, until my whole family says yes to You.”

Then she rose and went from room to room. Entering with a smile, she stroked each child’s hair, kissed them, and softly said, “There’s a surprise waiting for you in the sitting room.”

One by one, curious, the children came down. When they saw the table glowing with candlelight, the warmth of the fire, the smell of bread, their mother’s smile — something stirred within them. They sat down, waiting for their father, moved by what they had nearly rejected.

Mary looked at them with immense tenderness, and in the silence of her heart she prayed:

“Thank You, Father, for never getting tired of calling me.”

Mother,

You went “in haste” up the mountain — may we never delay our yes to God’s call.

Help us, Mother!