Divine Appeal Reflection - 30
Today, consider in Divine Appeal 30: "... many marriages without sacraments because they have made allowances for this liberty. This is sad for Me."
From the heights of His pierced Heart, Our Adorable Jesus speaks with a sorrow that is wholly divine: the sorrow of the Bridegroom whose covenant is delayed, diluted, or set aside. His lament is not accusation but yearning love. Marriage, conceived in eternity and entrusted to humanity at the dawn of creation, was always meant to be a sacramental echo of God’s own fidelity (cf. Gen 2:24; Mt 19:6). Yet many now live in unions unsealed by grace, persuaded that liberty lies in keeping doors open rather than in giving oneself entirely. This false liberty mirrors the ancient temptation of Eden, where autonomy was chosen over communion (cf. Gen 3:1–7). Christ beholds couples burdened by economic uncertainty, cultural instability, and fear born of broken examples. He sees them striving to love sincerely, yet without the supernatural bond that sustains love when the cross appears. The Catechism teaches that sacramental marriage confers a grace that heals the wounds of sin and elevates human love into a sign of Christ’s union with the Church (cf. CCC 1641–1642). Jesus’ sadness flows from seeing love attempt eternity without eternity’s help. Like houses raised on sand, such unions tremble under storms (cf. Mt 7:26–27). His appeal is the whisper of a wounded Lover: Do not refuse the grace meant to carry you home.
Where the sacrament is absent, a subtle desolation often enters the soul. Couples may share life yet hesitate to give themselves without reserve, guarding the heart against possible loss. This unspoken insecurity weakens patience, erodes forgiveness, and quietly impoverishes joy. Children formed in such climates may inherit fear of permanence, learning to love cautiously rather than faithfully. Our Adorable Jesus, who gathered children into His arms as heirs of the Kingdom (cf. Mk 10:14), grieves when the domestic church lacks sacramental anchorage. Spiritually, many couples drift from the Eucharist, sensing a dissonance between their lived reality and the altar of covenant. The Church (cf. CCC 1118) teaches that the sacraments draw believers into full communion with Christ and His Body . Scripture (cf. Jer 11:10–11) reveals the communal cost of broken covenant: when Israel strayed, the land itself mourned . Yet Christ approaches these wounded hearts as He did the Samaritan woman— (cf. Jn 4:16–18) naming the truth gently while offering living water . His sadness endures because thirst remains unsatisfied where grace is withheld. Still, hope persists: where humility opens the door, healing begins.
The modern world, anxious before permanence, offers substitutes for sacrament: trials without vows, contracts without covenant, emotions without sacrifice. These promise safety yet breed restlessness. Our Adorable Jesus reveals a higher wisdom: love bears fruit only when it consents to be broken and given (cf. Jn 12:24). The Catechism (cf. CCC 1601–1604) recalls that marriage belongs to God’s original plan, wounded by sin but restored and elevated by Christ . Scripture testifies that renewal always flows from renewed covenant: families recommit after exile (cf. Neh 10:28–30), Ruth binds herself irrevocably amid poverty (cf. Ruth 1:16–17), and Joseph (cf. Mt 1:24; 2:13–15) embraces perilous fidelity to safeguard the Holy Family . When marriage is stripped of sacramentality, the wound is not merely social but mystical. The covenant ceases to be a visible theology, and love is reduced to emotion rather than vowed self-gift. Our Adorable Jesus grieves not only broken homes, but the eclipse of a living sign through which His own fidelity once preached without words. His sadness is prophetic because He sees generations formed without a grammar for permanence, hearts trained to depart rather than to abide. When cultures forget how to remain, they also forget how God remains—silently, patiently, unto the end. Yet whenever couples choose sacramental fidelity against the current, heaven rejoices. Their vows become a quiet proclamation that grace is stronger than fear.
Christ does not abandon those walking without the sacrament; He walks beside them. The path of healing is marked by accompaniment—slow, reverent, and truthful. Many remain outside sacramental marriage not through rebellion, but through ignorance, shame, or wounds unhealed. Our Adorable Jesus reveals this pedagogy on the road to Emmaus:(cf. Lk 24:13–35) He listens, enlightens, and reveals Himself only when hearts are ready . The Church (cf. CCC 1735) recognizes that responsibility may be diminished by complex circumstances, calling for patient discernment . Healing unfolds where couples are welcomed, catechized gently, and supported concretely. Shared prayer, even in fragility, invites grace to soften resistance (cf. Mt 18:20). Saints knew that God often restores order gradually, healing before perfecting. When priests reflect Christ’s tenderness and families witness joyfully, fear loosens its grip. Jesus’ sadness recedes whenever truth is offered as mercy and mercy leads souls home to truth.
In the end, Our Adorable Jesus lifts His gaze toward hope. He calls couples to rediscover marriage as sacred vocation and ecclesial mission. The sacrament empowers spouses to sanctify one another and to become living signs of Christ’s unbreakable union with His Church (cf. CCC 1642; Eph 5:32). Scripture assures that God delights in restoration: hearts of stone become hearts of flesh (cf. Ez 36:26), fallen apostles are raised into shepherds (cf. Jn 21:15–17),(cf. Lk 24:5–7) and the Cross opens into resurrection . When couples courageously embrace sacramental grace, the effects radiate outward—children learn fidelity, societies recover hope, and the Church’s light intensifies. Jesus’ sadness is thus transfigured into longing love, waiting at the threshold of many homes. He stands as Bridegroom, hands still pierced, whispering to every heart: Let Me seal your love with My own.
Prayer
Our Adorable Jesus, Eternal Bridegroom, draw wounded love back into Your covenant. Dispel fear with grace, heal hearts with truth, and consecrate homes with Your presence. May marriages become living altars of fidelity, where Your pierced love is made visible to the world. Amen.
Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.
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