Put New Life Into Old Readings
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St. Paul's familiar words in Ephesians (5:21-32) about wives being subordinate to their husbands still gets mocked by a few worshippers, even though the full reading explains the husband/wife relationship of mutual love and subordination.
The last time I proclaimed this reading, I felt a need to inject some fresh life into it so the assembly might better appreciate the richness of
Matthew Kelly in his inspirational book, Rediscover Catholicism, notes, "The Word of God is constantly new and fresh, even for those who have spent a lifetime exploring it. The reason is because our lives are constantly changing, we are constantly changing, and our relationships with God and others are constantly changing."
Though the words in this reading from Ephesians haven't changed, my own life in relation to it has changed. In years past I never doubted that I loved my wife, but I also never gave more than a passing thought to
As I meditated on this reading about a husband loving his wife "even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over to her... that she might be holy and without blemish," it alerted me as a husband to give myself to my wife in a loving and supportive way in order for her to become the best she can be for our Lord, "holy and without blemish."
What a perfect way for us husbands to imitate Christ! To offer ourselves sacrificially to our wives just as Christ did for his bride, the church. And the more I realized this, the more freshness I was able to pour into this reading; not because the words changed, but because my relationship with my wife had changed and deepened.
So as you prepare your next reading, try to realize how you, your life, and your relationship with God and others have changed in relation to it. We've all heard people say, "Each time I read the same Scripture, I always get something new from it."
Dig for that something new. Then convey its freshness from the depths of your heart.
