English
EspañolWhy was the Samaritan good and exemplary? Because he loved the wounded, who had been abandoned in the gutters of life. What do you do, if you love? You accompany, you help, you soothe, and you heal. You do not take advantage to condemn, abandon or finish them off.
Text
“Although she constantly holds up the call to perfection and asks for a fuller response to God, “the Church must accompany with attention and care the weakest of her children, who show signs of a wounded and troubled love, by restoring in them hope and confidence, like the beacon of a lighthouse in a port or a torch carried among the people to enlighten those who have lost their way or who are in the midst of a storm.” (The Joy of Love, n.291)
Commentary
Sometimes, we make marital and family mistakes with apparently good intentions that have dire consequences. I will tell you about a frequent one: spending all your time working for your family at the expense of neglecting your family, not having enough time for them.
During counseling, Susana talks about Jorge´s mistakes as a husband and father: “He was an excellent student both at school and at The University. He always had good jobs. His constant concern has been to provide for his family. He has given us everything materially; we have an excellent lifestyle and enough family savings, but this has come at the expense of his presence at home. He has given us things, but his presence. While working for the family, he has neglected the family itself.”
“He loves us, yes, but in his way. We would have liked him to be present in our home more often. He was an absent father, either because he had to work because he brought work home or business trips. Our children and I would have liked to see him and spend more time with him. A situation made even worse because when he did spend time with us, he would “check on things,” “ask for a report,” and make demands to my children and me while setting a standard based on his actions. Life with him has not been easy. I believe that any other woman would have ended the marriage if it were not for the fact that I have tried to be close to God. I have felt embraced by my parish, by marriage counselors who have listened to me and helped me be hopeful and transmit it to my children. They have taught me to forgive and to teach my children to love and respect Jorge as he is.”
“When you love, you do not take advantage of mistakes to defeat your husband or wife, to humiliate them in front of your children, to beat and corner them. Errors can be corrected if we are open, dialogue, do not insult each other, and do not recriminate, but instead help each other.
