The Daily Readings for SUNDAY, December 17, 2017 - 3rd Sunday of Advent

Opening Sentence

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

~ Isaiah 40:5

Confession and Forgiveness

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

God is light; in him there in no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and son not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

~ John 1:5b-8

Most holy and merciful Father, We confess to you and to one another, that we have sinned against you by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not fully loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not always had in us the mind of Christ. You alone know how often we have grieved you by wasting your gifts, by wandering from your ways. Forgive us, we pray you, most merciful Father; And free us from our sin. Renew in us the grace and strength of your Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen

Sunday Morning Prayer

God, as you gave us the sun to lighten our days, so you have given us your Word to lighten our minds and our souls. I pray that you will pour out on me your Spirit as I pray today, that my heart and mind may be opened to your Word, and that I may learn and accept your will for my life.

Shine within my heart, loving God, the pure light of your divine knowledge; open the eyes of my mind and the ears of my heart to receive your Word, this day and always, Amen

The Lessons

Isaiah 61:1-4, 61:8-11

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

Psalm 126 In convertendo

1   When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,

then were we like those who dream.

2   Then was our mouth filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy.

3   Then they said among the nations,

"The LORD has done great things for them."

4   The LORD has done great things for us,

and we are glad indeed.

5   Restore our fortunes, O LORD,

like the watercourses of the Negev.

6   Those who sowed with tears

will reap with songs of joy.

7   Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed,

will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

John 1:6-8, 1:19-28

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, "Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal." This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

Here ends the Readings

Click HERE to read today's Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Apostle's Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

Prayer of the Day

God our strength and our hope, grant us the courage of John the Baptist, constantly to speak the truth, boldly to rebuke vice and patiently to suffer for the truth's sake; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God now and for ever. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia!

Thanks be to God! Alleluia!

Closing Prayer

Now to him who by his power within us is able to do far more than we ever dare to ask or imagine — to him be glory in the Church through Jesus Christ for ever and ever, Amen.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

~ Numbers 6:22-27

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

LHM Advent Devotion - December 17, 2017 "WORRY"

Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"WORRY"

December 17, 2017

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."

~ Matthew 1:20 (ESV)

The angel told Joseph not to fear taking Mary as his wife. At first glance, that's odd language. What exactly did Joseph have to fear?

Well, there was the matter of the child, who would be Joseph's heir but not his child by blood. Some men would have a problem with that. Then there was the question of Mary's behavior-would she be a faithful wife in the future, or not? He might also have wondered, "What will the neighbors say?" If they were aware that Joseph was not the father, that would definitely make life difficult. If they did not know this, but only realized the baby was coming at least three months early, that would still cause problems-because Jewish couples were expected to control themselves during their engagement period, and an early pregnancy would bring embarrassment.

No doubt all of these things ran through Joseph's thoughts as he lay there trying to sleep. Similar questions run through our own minds. Am I doing the right thing here? What if I make a mistake? Is her health getting worse? Should I talk to him about that problem? What's going to happen next?

God broke through Joseph's worry with His own strength and comfort: "Do not fear ... for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." In other words, God is in control of this situation. It may not look like it, but that is the truth.

God says the same thing to us today when we worry. "It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed" (Deuteronomy 31:8). That baby whose very existence caused Joseph to fear-that baby Jesus is the reason we don't have to be afraid. He is Immanuel, "God-with-us," and He will not forsake us. Through His death and resurrection He bound us to Him forever, as the forgiven, precious, watched-over people of God.

THE PRAYER: Dear Savior, watch over us and keep us in Your care forever. Help us not to fear, but to trust in You. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
The angel told Joseph not to fear taking Mary as his wife.

Devociones de Adviento de 17 de Diciembre de 2017 "Preocupación"

ALIMENTO DIARIO

"Preocupación"

17 de Diciembre de 2017

Mientras José reflexionaba al respecto, un ángel del Señor se le apareció en sueños y le dijo: "José, hijo de David, no temas recibir a María, tu mujer, porque tu hijo ha sido concebido por el Espíritu Santo".

~ Mateo 1:20 (RVC)

Un ángel del Señor le dijo a José que no temiera recibir a María como esposa. A primera vista esto nos suena raro, porque ¿de qué tenía que temer José?

De varias cosas. Por un lado, estaba el tema del Niño. Por ser el primero, sería el heredero de José aun cuando no era su hijo sanguíneo, y eso a algunos hombres no les gustaba. También estaba el tema del comportamiento de María--¿sería una esposa fiel de allí en adelante? Y quizás hasta se haya preguntado qué iban a decir los vecinos. Porque si se enteraban de que José no era el padre, la vida no iba a ser fácil; y si no se enteraban, pero se daban cuenta que el bebé nacía al menos tres meses antes de lo debido también habría problemas, ya que un embarazo antes de tiempo era una vergüenza. Sin lugar a dudas, todas esas preguntas pasaban por la mente de José cada vez que se iba a dormir.

Nosotros también nos hacemos preguntas parecidas. ¿Estoy haciendo lo correcto? ¿Y si me equivoco? ¿Será que su salud está empeorando? ¿Debería hablar con él de ese problema? ¿Qué va a suceder ahora?

Pero Dios interrumpió la preocupación de José con su propia fuerza y consuelo: "... no temas... porque tu hijo ha sido concebido por el Espíritu Santo". En otras palabras, Dios le dijo que se estaba haciendo cargo de su situación.

Y Dios nos dice lo mismo a nosotros hoy. "El Señor va delante de ti. Él estará contigo, y no te dejará ni te desamparará. No temas ni te intimides" (Deuteronomio 31:8). Ese mismo Niño que causó tanto temor a José, es la razón por la cual nosotros tampoco debemos temer. Él es Emanuel, "Dios con nosotros", y nunca nos abandonará. A través de su muerte y resurrección, nos ha hecho parte del pueblo amado de Dios.

ORACIÓN: Querido Salvador, cuídanos y mantennos siempre bajo tu amparo, y ayúdanos a no temer, sino a confiar en ti. Amén.

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.

The Daily Readings for SATURDAY, December 16, 2017

Signs of the End of the Age

Daily Readings

Haggai 2:1-19

In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the LORD; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the LORD; work, for I am with you, says the LORD of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. For thus says the LORD of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the LORD of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of hosts. The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the LORD of hosts. On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Thus says the LORD of hosts: Ask the priests for a ruling: If one carries consecrated meat in the fold of one's garment, and with the fold touches bread, or stew, or wine, or oil, or any kind of food, does it become holy? The priests answered, "No." Then Haggai said, "If one who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?" The priests answered, "Yes, it becomes unclean." Haggai then said, So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, says the LORD; and so with every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. But now, consider what will come to pass from this day on. Before a stone was placed upon a stone in the LORD's temple, how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and mildew and hail; yet you did not return to me, says the LORD. Consider from this day on, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider: Is there any seed left in the barn? Do the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still yield nothing? From this day on I will bless you.

Revelation 3:1-6

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Matthew 24:1-14

As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Jesus answered them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Messiah!' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs. "Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

Prayer of the Day for SATURDAY, December 16, 2017

Lord God, thank You for the Holy Spirit who fills our heart with Your everlasting gift of love. In Your merciful kindness, help us to always share Your gift of love to others in hopes to bring about peace on earth.

Amen

Verse of the Day for SATURDAY, December 16, 2017

Romans 5:5 (NIV) And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Read all of Romans 5

Listen to Romans 5

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Morning Devotions with Cap'n Kenny - God's Love - The Gift That Keeps on Giving

God's Love - The Gift

That Keeps on Giving

“Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

~ Romans 5:5 (NIV)

Christmas is the time of year that we express our love to family and friends by the giving of gifts. So people will not get overwhelmed by a great deal of shopping for just the right gift, a lot of advertising money goes into suggesting gift cards.

One Christmas gift that is not a gift card, or a gift that has to be returned, but it keeps on giving from year to year, is the singing of familiar Christmas songs. For example, one song that expresses the hope of peace on earth, and God's eternal love reunited with us was written by Charles Wesley in 1739 titled, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” The first few lines are: “Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King! Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.”

What does God's love and Christmas mean to you?

Helen Steiner Rice wrote a poem titled, “What Is Christmas?” A few lines from the poem are: “Is it just a day at the end of the year?...A season for presents-both taking and giving? A time to indulge in the pleasures of living?...Have we closed our eyes to God and His love?”

We do not have difficulty in understanding the love a person has for their husband or wife. We can also understand love for our family and friends. However, it is very difficult for many to understand the depth of God's love. In Ephesians Paul prayed that all followers might “be given the spiritual power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is.” He wanted everyone to “experience the love of Christ, though it is so great..., (we will) never fully understand it”. That type of love is our gift from God. It is a totally forgiving love, from our eternal God, and He keeps on giving it to us.

Do you have a Christmas gift list? Have you checked it twice? Let me ask you, is the name God first on the list? Have you given any thought to what you might give as a gift to God this Christmas? May I make a gift suggestion to give to Him?

My gift suggestion is: “Love is enough. . . . When there's nothing left to give the Lord, then you have to look at what you have. Your soul. Yourself. And that is the only gift He wants from His children.” (~ Brodie Thoene)

This Christmas season try to make an earnest effort to experience the true meaning of Christmas. Your heart will once again be reconciled with God, and in His mercy, you will feel His peace and endless love.

Lord God, thank You for the Holy Spirit who fills our heart with Your everlasting gift of love. In Your merciful kindness, help us to always share Your gift of love to others in hopes to bring about peace on earth. Amen.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny


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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
What does God's love and Christmas mean to you?

Un Dia a la Vez - Ética profesional

Ética profesional

Mantengan entre los incrédulos una conducta tan ejemplar que, aunque los acusen de hacer el mal, ellos observen las buenas obras de ustedes.

~ 1 Pedro 2:12 (NVI)

Desde la creación, el Señor nos dio el trabajo. Sin embargo, las cosas cambiaron después de la caída de Adán y Eva en el jardín del Edén. También cambiaron los planes que tenía Dios para nosotros y vinieron las consecuencias.

Desde entonces, Dios le ordenó a Adán que se ganaría el pan con el sudor de su frente. Y por eso el trabajo es tan importante para el hombre. Es como el ADN que Dios estableció en el hombre. De ahí que cada vez que un hombre tenga problemas económicos e inestabilidad financiera, se sienta morir, le afecte en su hombría y hasta caiga en depresión.

No obstante, si Dios estableció el trabajo, es para que fuera de bendición para ti y tu familia. Así que lo menos que podemos hacer es trabajar con excelencia y ética profesional.

No me refiero solo a ser honestos en la empresa, el taller, la fábrica, la escuela, el canal de televisión, la emisora o la revista donde se trabaje, también me refiero a tu trabajo dentro de la iglesia.

Hay personas dentro de las iglesias y ministerios que no trabajan con ética. Toman el servicio a Dios como algo que no merece la integridad y el profesionalismo, como si Él no los estuviera observando y algún día no les fuera a pedir cuentas.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - TURNING FEAR INTO FAITH

TURNING FEAR INTO FAITH

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker—also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home.

~ Philemon 1:1-2 (NIV)

The five functions of the church (evangelism, discipleship, ministry, fellowship and worship), as they were practiced in the New Testament, were frequently carried out in private homes. But the early church was not limited just to homes. They also used the temple, synagogues, lecture halls, open forums, riverbanks, ships and other places.

However, it is encouraging to realize that all the functions can be performed in a small house. In many restricted countries, this is the only available place. The New Testament specifically refers to five “house churches,” and there were probably many more (Romans 16:3-5, 23; 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2).

Believers from Muslim Background (MBB’s) take great risks when attempting to meet together. They do so secretly in small groups of no more than ten or fifteen to avoid suspicion from locals. They change their meeting place each time they gather in order to cover their tracks. While some are fortunate to participate with their families, many come with fear because their Muslim relatives do not even know about their new faith.

Such was the situation of the twelve MBB’s who quietly came one morning into a mountainside property in Central Java for a believers’ gathering. It was special, because a baptism ceremony would take place the next day. The MBB’s were excited and scared at the same time, more so for the four MBB’s who came to be baptized. They are nervous as their families and neighbours still think of them as Muslims.

The gathering started at night. Beginning with worship songs, the room fills with warmth, slowly stripping away fear in the hearts and minds of the believers. After the singing, the MBB’s and their children, sit on the carpeted floor. In their hands they hold the Injil and prepare for teaching. It may be a long while before they hear God’s Word again—that is, if they get the chance to. If their faith in Christ is ever discovered, the prospect of attending the next gathering grows dim.

One MBB shares that since his conversion he experienced peace, especially when sleeping at night. No longer did he wake up the next morning with much anxiety in his heart. Fights at home ceased, and his wife noted a change in him. “My husband never shouts at me anymore. Our house is full of love now. I cannot stop thanking Jesus for changing my family. He is Almighty; He is good!” she said as she broke into tears of joy.

On the second day of the gathering, the MBB’s stand at the side of a laundry pool as they witness the baptism of four more MBB’s. They see tension vanishing from their faces as each comes out of water. The church can function in many forms and still be the church.

RESPONSE: Today I will be thankful for the many ways I can gather with Christians to be the church!

PRAYER: Pray for believers—especially MBB’s—living in fear that can limit expression of faith.

NIV Devotions for Couples - Building Our Relationship

Building Our Relationship

1 Chronicles 22:2–19

Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

~ 1 Chronicles 22:13 (NIV)

“Marriage is a most remarkable and courageous human act,” says Ernest Boyer in A Way in the World (HarperSanFrancisco, 1984). “It’s the promise of two human beings to share life together on all levels, physical, economic, and spiritual. It’s a promise made despite the certainty of death, the certainty of change, and the uncertainty of everything else. There is nothing else we might choose to do that is quite like this act, nothing so foolish or so profound.”

Why do so many of us enter into this “foolish and profound” commitment when we realize that it is such a difficult thing to unify two separate individuals? Why do we assume we will have success when we know that others fail?

Before his death, David shared his vision for building a temple for the Lord with his son Solomon, to whom God had entrusted this sacred task. David had spent countless hours collecting and preparing all of the materials his son would need to build a house worthy of the Lord. Then David told Solomon that if he was careful to observe the laws of the Lord, he would have success.

Likewise we, too, need to take great care in preparing for the construction of a marriage. Marriage is like a temple—a magnificent living, breathing house for the Lord. When we stand at the altar exchanging wedding vows, we’re essentially agreeing to erect a temple in which to honor God. By following God’s plan for marriage—loving, honoring, and remaining faithful to each other—we will have success in honoring him. When we’re strong and courageous, we’ll be able to overcome obstacles and persevere.

Sounds easy. But it’s not.

When Dan and I were preparing to get married, we spent an entire year budgeting, envisioning, and getting quotes on bands, caterers, cakes and invitations—planning all of the elements that go into making a wedding day a success. Soon after we walked down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs., we realized we would need to apply that same kind of care to building our relationship for a lifetime, not just planning for a day.

Marriages often include struggles. Changes in career aspirations, guilty feelings over past mistakes, conflicts in other relationships—these and a myriad of other situations present many opportunities to be either the afflicted or the comforter within marriage. In these periods the one doing the supporting may begin to think, “I am not being helped by this person, only held back.” But because of that foolish, extraordinary vow of marriage, he or she keeps going.

Through the ordinary pains and sharing of day-to-day life, marital love matures into a love that models God’s own love for us. It is in this temple we call marriage that God profoundly manifests himself, giving us the tools we need to be successful as husband and wife.

Marian V. Liautaud

Let’s Talk

• How has our love for each other and for God deepened as a result of persevering through struggles in our marriage?
• Which one of us needs the most help now, and how can the other provide that help?
• What can we do today to build a strong marriage relationship?