Daily Gospel Reflection for August 16, 2019

Reflection by A.J. Cattapan Today's Gospel: Matthew 19:3-12 A year ago, I sat in the back, dark corner of a church in my new neighborhood and awaited the homily that normally follows this Gospel passage: the one where the priest discusses the sanctity of marriage while carefully tending to the divorced among the congregation. However, that was not the homily I heard that day. Instead, the priest focused on the last few verses of the Gospel, the ones about the single people not called to marriage, and he made it clear that he was not talking about those called to religious life. I sat in that back, dark corner, and I cried. It was the first time I had ever heard a priest acknowledge that in the Catholic Church we tend to forget about single people. We forget to pray for them and encourage them. As a single woman, I have often felt ignored in the Catholic Church. When people meet me, it is assumed that I must be married and have children. After all, I’m of a certain age. Shouldn’t that have happened for me already? If not, what on earth must be wrong with me? I realize that I am writing this Gospel reflection for the Catholic Mom community, and thus many of the readers are probably married and have children, but I’d like to take this opportunity to ask you to pray for all those who have been ignored by our Church because they are not married and/or do not have children. We are your family members, too. May we always remember to pray for all our family relationships that they may strengthen and grow in God’s love.

Ponder:

What can I do to support healthy relationships that are rooted in Christ’s love, and how can I reach out to someone who might not be feeling Christ’s love today?

Pray:

Lord, make clear to us Your call for our lives. May those called to the Sacrament of Matrimony be strengthened in Your love, and may those who are not know that they too are loved with an everlasting love.

Copyright 2019 A.J. Cattapan A.J. Cattapan is an award-winning author, speaker, and teacher. Her debut novel Angelhood has won two awards, and her second novel, Seven Riddles to Nowhere, tells the story of a boy trying to save his Catholic school from closing. She is also the host of BOOK.eD, a Catholic book review program on Shalom World TV. Follow her at www.ajcattapan.com. Receive CatholicMom.com newsletters in your inbox, including the Daily Gospel Reflection each morning! * indicates required