A Wife's Superpower

In The Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B), and a popular nuptial Mass reading, we hear the beautiful reading from Genesis at Mass. Genesis is so rich with deep, foundation truths about who God is and who we are. But, this part got me thinking:

“That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife,

and the two of them become one flesh.”

Our husbands often grow up with false beliefs about themselves. Some grow up thinking they are never good enough, strong enough, handsome or capable enough. That they are somehow not loveable or worthy of our love and affection. Sometimes these lies come from their parents, other people in their lives, or a trauma they’ve endured. Regardless, it’s hard for anyone to be unaffected by negative words or actions.

God knows this about our husbands. He knows their self-image is often formed, not by the makers hand, but by the words and actions of those closest to them throughout their life before marriage. God is sharing a special power with us wives. This reading reminds us that God has designed men to leave their self-image behind and cleave to that of his wife. God is able to help our husbands see themselves for who (and whose) they really are through our words and actions.

A wife's love of her husband can break through his old thoughts and beliefs. We know our men, inside and out. We are “bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh”. And with that power of knowledge of intimacy, we can shatter the lies of how they used to see themselves and show them how God sees them. So, our words and actions wield a very specific power: We are messengers of God’s love and mercy and truth to our husbands' hearts, souls, identities.

Our husbands are called to leave their mothers and fathers (and whatever lies they may have believed about their worth) and cling to their wives and the two of them become one.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.

My challenge for you today is to spend some time thinking about why you love your husband, the more specific, the better. AND I WANT YOU TO TELL HIM.

Tell him all the reasons you love him.

Tell him he's cute and you like his butt.

Tell him you are proud of him and all the work he does.

Tell him why your children are blessed to have him as a father.

Tell him everything.

You have a superpower, you know. Use it wisely.