Tuesday of the
Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
(Ephesians 5:21-33; Luke 13:18-21)
Betty and her husband lived in a Texas city sixty years
ago. It was still a time when most women
did not work outside the home, and Betty was no exception. But she had social interests that brought her
in contact with the poor. She began to
advocate publicly for needy children.
She asked for government support for programs like Head Start. Her husbands’ friends saw such any government
aid to the needy as communist. They told
him that his wife she should not meddle in politics. He responded defensively saying that he
believed his wife was right. The
community should assist poor families meet the needs of their children.
Betty’s husband did not come to favor community social
assistance on his own. Motivated by a
deep love for his life and with her coaching, he saw that sometimes it is
necessary. Being faithful Christians, he
and Betty probably knew today’s first reading well. As Betty’s husband, it called him to pay attention
to the positions that Betty was taking. Furthermore,
it required him to question their inconsistencies. Above all, it elicited cooperation so that Betty’s
efforts would not be in vain.
Today’s passage from Ephesians has been dismissed as
culturally conditioned. Nevertheless, it
contains a message as critical as a hurricane warning. Husband and wife must love one another
unreservedly. If they do not, they will
not only fail their families but also their Lord. As the Letter makes clear, their relationship
is to reflect Christ’s love for the Church.
