Passage

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

So [also] husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.’

“For this reason a man shall leave [his] father and [his] mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband"

Ephesians 5:25-32

Today's Meditation

The Head - The Husband's Calling 

Husbands are the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church. St. Paul reminds us, “No one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it." This is a great call and responsibility towards our wife. The husband is obliged to love abundantly—to lead, sacrifice, and provide.

The husband exercises his calling of leadership first through the spiritual life. He must take the initiative to live a virtuous, exemplary life. Demons will always go after the head of the marriage in order to bring chaos and sin to the house. Husbands must be living a life of grace in order not to give demons any openness to their families. Also, as the priest of the house, he must bring spiritual order by leading his family to prayer, attending the Holy Mass, living out the sacraments, and doing acts of mercy.

Christ is the head of the church, and he sacrificed himself for her. Jesus dying on the cross shows us that love is to sacrifice. Husbands are called to live a life of sacrifice, and there are many ways for the husband to be a sacrificial victim for his wife. For instance, men should sacrifice through daily hard work by submitting their inferior passions and appetites and helping their wives and children when necessary without complaining. When a husband becomes a living sacrifice, love is endless. Just as Christ's love for us is endless.

The Heart - The Wife's Calling 

The wife is the heart of the marriage and the body of the husband, just as the church is the body of Christ. According to God’s design, women are the perfect helper and complement to men. The wife, who is called to be the heart, should be protected by her husband to be able to receive and give love. Just like the heart in our bodies pumps blood so it can stay alive, So does the wife keep the love in marriage alive by bringing her nurture and sweetness. God has given her the responsibility to honor and serve her husband with all her heart. She, as well, has the duty to nurture the children. We have all heard of a woman's sixth sense. Well, the wife has a very intuitive understanding of life. So her opinion or thoughts are so important to be taken into account in a marriage. Wives should speak out of their hearts and, with love, support and help their husbands fulfill their calling.

Christ’s Calling

As we enter this Lenten season, let us meditate on Christ's example in our own lives. May His life be a guiding path that we can mimic rather than just a story to remember. One of the reasons why lent is 40 days is because Jesus Christ prepared himself to fulfill his mission for 40 days in the desert. Today, we are called to go through this period of 40 days and, like Christ, prepare to die ourselves for our beloved.

When we decide to love, we decide to sacrifice and die for the other. To do this, we must understand the mission that God has entrusted to our marriage. As Jesus had a calling to be the savior and redeem us, we, as husbands and wives, have a calling to fulfill and die for. 

Today's Questions

1. For the husband: Are you truly fulfilling your calling to be the head of your family? What can you do to make sure you fulfill your calling?

2. For the wife: Are you truly fulfilling your calling to be the heart of your family? What can you do to make sure you fulfill your calling?

Today's Challenge

Write a love letter to each other.

Don't Forget

Pray together the HOLY ROSARY every day (sorrowful mysteries only)

Pray OVER EACH other every day

Let's Pray

Grant me grace, O merciful God, to desire ardently all that is pleasing to You, to examine it prudently, to acknowledge it truthfully, and to accomplish it perfectly, for the praise and glory of Your name. Amen.

Prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas

Dedicate to Jesus one HOLY HOUR of Adoration per week