Gospel Reflections for August 16th 2015
Finding Lasting Love
Jesus boldly states that whoever receives the Eucharist will live forever …really? Does anything last that long? What about marriage? Well, this Gospel has a lot to say!
Summer is the season of weddings and I have been at a few. In my 37 years of priesthood I have celebrated over 1100 weddings. I hope all are doing well, but I am sure some are not. However, I know they all started out with great love and good will. How can we make sure that what starts out well …stays well?
Today’s Gospel offers a simple message about how to make love and happiness last. He simply invites us to receive Him in the Eucharist every week. Why would that work?
At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist with these powerful words, “This is my Body and my Blood, given for you.” That means He promises that will take His entire self (His body and blood) and offer it for our lasting happiness. If you think about it, those words are very similar to the words a couple says to each other on their wedding day in their marriage vows, “I promise to love you in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, all the days of my life!”
However, Jesus knows that promises can fade, so He designs the Mass to be said every day, and every Sunday, so that we can frequently hear again Jesus recommit Himself to us.
Every seven days we can hear again that Jesus means to offer Himself for our lasting happiness. Love often fades because we take the other person for granted and stop declaring our love. Not so with Our Lord, who does so at every Mass. That is the secret to marital success as well.
The powerful promises couples make on their wedding day must be renewed over and over again. They can be said again in the privacy of their own home, and perhaps in more personal ways and in their own language and style. Over and over again, those vows are restated, which ensures more than any other practice that those vows will endure.
Every Sunday can be a kind of anniversary for a married couple, and a recommitment for the rest of us from Our Lord of His enduring love for us. It can also be our recommitment to dedicate our life to following Him.
Sunday Mass is the simple key to lasting happiness.
God Bless,
Fr. Dave
Father, although French and my wife American, we always spoke the same language, the language of the heart. On that very special day (Assomption day), I remember that at the end of our wedding ceremony, we asked for the Virgin Mary to protect our marriage and all our children to come.
Now married for 31 years with 7 beautiful children, I have to say that Mary has always been at our side.
This morning at holy Mass (at the cathedral saint Louis des Invalides in Paris) I could only, humbly, thank her for all the protection and guidance she provided. Mary is a caring mother to us all.
Very best regards,
Patrick Ollivier
What a beautiful message you have written! thank you for sharing it. How beautiful that you were married on the Feast of the Assumption, and that you can thank her again after all these years. Tres bien!
Jesus chose you Father Dave to be His priest and bring Jesus love to us and to give us Jesus’ precious self to us in the miracle of the Eucharist for you do it so beautifully!!!Love the precious idea of a beautiful anniversary of the sacrament of marriage every Sunday or daily Mass and to follow Jesus in irresistible love!!! His love endures forever!!!!What an amazing thought that we are embraced by Jesus’ love every moment and for eternity!!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it!!!!
Love, Franca and Dick
You are welcome!
Thank you Father Dave I sent your encouraging words to my son and daughter!
I hope they like the message!
Another of your wonderful associations of everyday life with the Gospel, and the wise teaching that goes with it. Thank you!
It is hard for me to believe that any Christian, reading John 6, cannot accept that the Eucharist isthe real, saving, substance of Christ.
YEs, John 6 is a key section, especially when half the people start to walk away. They would not have walked away if Jesus only meant His words to be spiritual or symbolic. Jesus let them go, because He would not soften His meaning of the Eucharist. Yes, John 6 is key!
Father Dave,
Right on point as I get ready for Saturday evening mass. My wife of 56 years, Laura, died July 3, 2014 and I fondly recall those many afternoons we got dressed to attend the service. We served together as Extraordinary Ministers and I go each Saturday with a heavy heart, missing her terribly. I look forward to spending eternity with her and my God. Thank you.
Bob
Thank you for sharing this beautiful memory of your wife, Laura. One day, you will be together again!
Fr. Dave,
I’ve been married almost 50 years and try to be at daily mass but I never linked the two before I read your comments this week – THANKS!
Larry,
Thanks also for sending on my message to others that you know. I hope they find it helpful. I hope you have big plans for your fiftieth!
Fr. Dave,
Your Gospel Reflections are always very meaningful & uplifting..
I look forward to them every week…
Thank you !!!!
You are very welcome!
As you say, Fr. Dave, the promises made to each other on our wedding day need to be
renewed over and over again to keep the commitment alive.
So also every time we receive Jesus in the Eucharist we communicate with Him and
renew our promise of love to Him He assures us of His undying promise that He will never
leave us “In good times and in bad”
What an awesome testament of Love!!
Yes, and we get to renew that love every week at Mass, and every day in our prayers and promises we make to each other.
Fr. Dave
Thank you for writing about the topic of Catholic Marriage. However, there are examples where one of the married individuals is not committed to the values of the Catholic Marriage. The ceremony was just a meaningless ritual for him or her. The individual may attend the Engagement Encounter and couples Bible Studies. However, once the wedding is over the spirituality does not exist to him in the marriage. If the individual’s motive for the marriage was for selfish reasons, don’t you think the marriage should be dissolved?What are the reasons for a couple to get a divorce?
Not everyone who says the vows at a wedding means to live by them. If that is the case, then there are grounds for annulment, which verifies that the vows were not meant from the very beginning of the marriage. I have an article on “Divorce and Remarriage” in the “more articles” section of the webpage.
Thank you Fr Dave for the reflection on Marriage and the Eucharist in today’s Gospel, a very powerful message from God about relationship with Him and His plan of salvation for all of us. Adele and I are looking forward for more messages as we learn, live and share His WORD in the journey He has for us! Our memory verse for this week : ” I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (John 6:54)
Love and prayers from,
Roy and Adele Vargas
That is a great verse to take with you this week.
What a beautiful and insightful message, Fr. Dave. I wish. I could share it with my spouse, but since he has left and turned against the Church, only I get to cherish and embrace the words you’ve shared, as I also cherish and embrace the Lord in the Eucharist each week without my spouse by my side.
Your article brings a beautiful reminder of the love I have from Christ–THANK YOU, and a painful reminder of what I have lost. And what my spouse has lost.
God Bless,
Jennifer
I am sorry to hear about the special challenges you face. Please be assured of my prayers for you, and you husband too.
I agree with you. It amazes me that people will work at being successful in their careers but expect their marriages to just happen. If you put enough effort. Into your relationship you can expect success
Well said!
Fr. Dave,
Much wisdom in your reflection, thank you for sharing it with us.
Your reference to frequent interaction and communication with our Lord and spouse as key to happiness, and how daily mass and the Eucharist lend themselves toward this aim reminded me about a special about Pope Paul VI on EWTN this weekend when as a young priest on staff of the Vatican Secretary of State he was asked hypothetically by the Cardinal what he would do if one day he found the invading Russian Army at his doorsteps. His prophetic response was “I would continue celebrating daily mass”.
With abundant Blessings.
That was a remarkable priest to say that he would continue to say mass even if the Russians were coming. I will remember that.
Dear Fr. Dave,
Thank you for the beautiful words on marriage, you always do such an amazing job. Also explaining how we should have our vows renewed.
As you know, we have been married coming up in October, 62 years, and we have had our vows renewed
a few times and one by the Bishop himself.
We weren’t married on the feast of the Assumption, but it is my birthday, so I feel very fortunate.
We were married on Columbus day, so being Italian, that isn’t bad either.
Looks like it worked out very good, and we indeed are very Blessed with our beautiful family….
Nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Love and Prayers,
Marie and Henry
What a great day to celebrate your birthday! Yes, you are very blessed with a large family.
My husband and I had the pleasure of being married by Father Dave at St. Paschal Baylon Church. I will never forget Father Dave’s advice when he said, “Be sure to date each other.” Rick and I “date” each other every Saturday night – whether it is a trip to Main Street in Ventura, a night at the Magic Castle, or just a quiet evening at home. People often comment on how happy we seem as a couple and they ask us how long we have been married. After five years, we have upheld a steadfast commitment to “dating”each other, not only in keeping with the traditional Saturday date nights but in honoring and valuing each other every day with simple words of praise. I thank him for helping with the dishes and he thanks me for getting up early to juice and pack his lunch every day. It has been this kind of selfless love and thanksgiving that has sustained our marriage..
What a great message! Thanks for sharing all those ideas. You are doing exactly the right things to help your love grow, and it even is visible the people who see you. God bless!