--- title: Daily Gospel Reflection for August 13, 2021 description: Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/DGR-daily-1024x512.jpg --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/dgr-08132021#) [DAILY GOSPEL REFLECTIONS](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/tag/daily-gospel-reflections) # Daily Gospel Reflection for August 13, 2021 Aug 13, 2021 6:53:19 AM  |  by [Elizabeth Pardi](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/author/elizabeth-pardi) Receive Daily Gospel Reflections in your inbox ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/DGR-daily-1024x512.jpg) *Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.* ***Today's Gospel: [Matthew 19:3-12](https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081321.cfm)***   Many people said the first year marriage would be the hardest. I found myself pregnant, struck with a nasty bout of morning sickness, in a brand new state where I was essentially friendless. Add to that my and my husband’s immaturity and lack of knowledge about how to fruitfully argue, and it definitely made for a difficult year. Shortly after we celebrated our first anniversary, the United States Supreme Court attempted to redefine marriage, and it sent me into a curiosity-driven quest to find out what, exactly, marriage is. At its most basic level, marriage is a thing. It requires a freely consenting man and woman and without those, you simply do not have a marriage. When two people marry in the Catholic Church, it’s a sacrament and sacraments are sacred vessels of grace. There’s a reason Christ says in today’s gospel, “what God has joined together, let no one separate.” When a man and woman come together in marriage, their bond becomes an entirely new entity from which they can draw abundant graces. It was the sacrament of marriage that guided my husband and me through that first year of marriage, rendering us stronger and more in love than we were as newlyweds. To this day, I find myself leaning on our marriage to pull me through many dark days. No one’s prayers over me are more intimate or healing than my husband’s. It becomes more and more clear to me that Jesus’ stringent mandates about marriage are for our benefit, our healing, our salvation.   #### Ponder: Whose marriage, even if not my own, has provided healing in my life? How?   #### Pray: Heavenly Father, Author of marriage, infuse your grace into marriages, especially those that are struggling. May marriages throughout the world be a sign of your life-giving love. --- > [Click to tweet: > To this day, I find myself leaning on our marriage to pull me through many dark days. No one’s prayers over me are more intimate or healing than my husband’s. #dailygospel](https://ctt.ac/XcdbH) ![DailyGospelReflections_1080x1080](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DailyGospelReflections_1080x1080.png?width=1080&name=DailyGospelReflections_1080x1080.png) --- Copyright 2021 Elizabeth Pardi ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-08132021%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-08132021%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-08132021%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Daily%20Gospel%20Reflection%20for%20August%2013%2C%202021) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-08132021%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-08132021%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Elizabeth Pardi](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/Contriubutors/ELIZABETH%20PARDI.jpeg) ### [Elizabeth Pardi](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/author/elizabeth-pardi) Elizabeth Pardi spends her days running, writing, and praying her way through this journey with her superstar spouse and their charming little ones, while occasionally sneaking espresso shots on the side. She shares the lessons she’s learning that make life’s loads a little lighter at [LoveAlwaysLiz.com](http://www.lovealwaysliz.com). ## Related Blog Articles [ Daily Gospel Reflection for July 13, 2021 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/daily-gospel-reflection-for-july-13-2021) [ Daily Gospel Reflection for September 11, 2021 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/daily-gospel-reflection-for-september-11-2021) [ Daily Gospel Reflection for October 13, 2021 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/daily-gospel-reflection-for-october-13-2021) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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