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TODAY’S WORD…

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Happy is the husband of a good wife;

the number of his days will be doubled.

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A loyal wife brings joy to her husband,

and he will complete his years in peace.

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A good wife is a great blessing;

she will be granted among the blessings of the man who fears the Lord.

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Whether rich or poor, his heart is content,

and at all times his face is cheerful.

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A wife’s charm delights her husband,

and her skill puts flesh on his bones.

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A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,

and nothing is so precious as her self-discipline.

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A modest wife adds charm to charm,

and no scales can weigh the value of her chastity.

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– Sirach 26:2-4,13-15 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…from an address by Pope Pius XII

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The family is illuminated by its own radiant sun, which is the wife.

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The wife and mother is indeed like the sun shining in the family.

She shines by her generosity and the way she gives herself to others.

She shines by her alertness and watchfulness

and by her wise and gentle providing of all that can give joy to her husband and children.

She radiates light and warmth.

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A marriage will prosper if each partner goes into it not for his or her own happiness but the other’s happiness

– but although it belongs to both partners, this emotion, this goal is particularly a quality of the woman.

Her very nature as a mother entails it.

Her wisdom and prudence mean that even if she encounters troubles she will respond to them with joy;

if she is belittled, she will respond with unaltered dignity and respect.

She is like the sun that brightens a cloudy morning with the dawn;

the sun that illuminates the shower-clouds at dusk.

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The wife is like the sun shining in the family with the brightness of her glance and the ardour of her speech.

Her looks and words enter into the souls of her family,

softening them, touching them, raising them up from the tumult of emotion.

They recall her husband to joy in good things and delight in family life […].

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The wife is like the sun shining in the family by her unforced, transparent sincerity,

by her simple dignity, by her decent Christian behaviour;

by her inward thoughts and her upright heart;

and also by the appropriateness of her dress and bearing,

adorned by her open and honest way of life.

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Subtle signs of feeling, shades of expression, silences and unmalicious smiles, little nods of approval

– all these give her the grace of an exquisite but simple flower opening its petals to reflect the colours of sunlight.

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If only you could know the full depth of the feelings of love and gratitude

that such a perfect wife and mother inspires in her husband and children!

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PRAYER…

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Lord, Your Word is a Lamp to our feet, a Light for our path.

Help us always listen humbly to Your Word

and be guided by Your unfailing wisdom.

Lord, give us the grace to be ever-thankful for Your blessings. Amen.

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