In today`s Bible story in Ephesians 5:21-32 Jesus gives some instructions for Christian Households. He`s teaching us that we should serve and love each other in the name of Christ. A special emphasis is given here on the partnership. He teaches that wives should submit themselves to their husbands and likewise husbands should love their wives as Jesus loves His Church. Marriage or partnership is really sacred according to the Bible. And once we find the right person (regardless of gender) to share our life with there should be nothing more beautiful and more sacred than obeying what Lord teaches us through these verses.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansingher by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body.“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Another Bible story for today is written in John 6:60-69. This is a very useful chapter for all of us who sometimes feel lazy or a bit tired of praying and maintaining regular live relationship with Jesus. We all experience this from time to time. Let us read this chapter.

 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

We can see in verse 66 that many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Jesus. Those were people who had direct relationship to Jesus. Face to face. And yet they stopped following Him. I remember the time when I started my postulant period 7 months ago how hard it was to me. I was enthusiastic but also afraid. I had a strong desire to become a Dominican Independent. However, I was struggling with negative thoughts. My thoughts were saying the same or similar thing that was mentioned above in verse 60 “ This is hard, who can accept it? “. I was thinking that I was not good enough because I was thinking that God wants us to be super good and super religious. Father Michael helped me realize that it is not like that. Jesus wants us now and here. There is not the right time we should be waiting for, nor the right procedure that we need to fulfill in advance to be good enough for building our bond with the heavenly father. There is no the right age we should reach in order to serve God. He wants you now and here. When I read this chapter I can see a wise sentence that Simon Peter says “Lord, to whom shall we go“. This is exactly what I realized after deep thinking of the right time to become a postulant. And I found out that always is the right time. Even if we spend the whole life waiting for the time to become good enough for Christ that would never happen. `Cause we will never be good enough. Based on this chapter I would heartily advise you not to be like those disciples who turned their back to the Lord. Even if that happens sometimes, keep getting back to Jesus. Bear on mind what Peter says in today`s chapter “To whom shall we go“. Remember Jesus is the beginning and the end. The alfa and omega. Let Him be glory with the Holy Spirit and Father. Amen.