“How many among you still derive joy making coffee for your husband?”, asked the speaker to the women in the assembly. There were about a hundred 200 people there, mostly married women of varied ages.
Different expressions crossed the faces of the crowed. Only one elderly woman raised a hand.
This did not surprise the speaker. A the present time where women’s equality with men is a strong advocacy, serving the husband with coffee is no longer a popular practice. You will not be surprised if a wife requested to make coffee will decline or else make the coffee too sweet or too bland so that she will not be asked again.
Several decades ago, a wife serving the husband in little things like making coffee was considered an expression of love. Wives were happy doing it because they did it out of love for their partner.
A similar analogy can be made of our church today. Jesus is the groom and the church of believers is the bride. This fact is suggested many times in the scriptures such as the passages below:
“For he who has become your husband is your Maker; his name is the Lord of hosts; your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel” (Is 54:5).
“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast” (Mk 2:19-20).
Just like any groom to her wife, love is the covenant that binds us with God.
However, many of us church goers today lack the passion to listen to the word of God. Oftentimes we are inattentive. Some of us arrive late or come in rushing in the middle of the service and rush out like mad when service is over. When we donate or do volunteer work, we want to be recognized or appreciated. When we do not get the recognition, we become lukewarm in our service.
Insight
Our God is a loving groom, ever faithful to us. How about you, what kind of bride are you? Are you like the modern wife who submits out of fear or compliance or the donor who wanted recognition? Or are you like the ancient wife who does things for God because you love him?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I lacked attention and forgot your love for me. Help me see your love in the ordinary events of the day. Please grant me the grace to respond to your love and to desire more your love than the material things of this world. Amen.
Source:Sto Nino Parish First Friday Sept 5 Homily
