GOSPEL
They will take away the bridegroom from them, and then they will fast.
Reading from the holy Gospel according to St. Luke 5:33-39
The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,
and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;
but yours eat and drink.”
Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast
while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
then they will fast in those days.”
And he also told them a parable.
“No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.
Otherwise, he will tear the new
and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins,
and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new,
for he says, ‘The old is good.’”
The Word of the Lord.
The Spiritual Insight
Perhaps the worst thing is to judge the bridegroom. First, because it replaces God, and thus I place myself above what is human, with all that it entails for my pride. Second, because the Lord, when speaking of judging others, calls it “the beam” in contrast to “the speck” in another, qualifying any other sin, regardless of what it is, as “the speck” in relation to the judgment that considers it “the beam.”
Third, because I was created to give myself for the salvation of my husband, and the accusatory judgment goes directly against the very foundation of my vocation, which is the one that leads me to God.
Fourth, because with the measure I use to judge, I will be judged, and as God uses that measure to judge me, I can already assure myself of condemnation.
Lastly, judgment predisposes me to “contempt.” It is easy that after judging, I experience rejection towards the “accused,” and that is the real danger; that is the spiritual downfall for my soul.
So, we must be very careful with mutual judgments and give them the seriousness they deserve to flee from them as from a plague!
Grounded in Matrimonial Life:
Luis: I just gave you a bad response; I’m sorry.
Merche: I forgive you.
Luis: What strikes me is that this time, and for a while now, you haven’t scolded me for the sins I commit.
Merche: No, because I have understood that for my marriage, I exist to defend you before God, not to accuse you. Besides, I am sure that if I were in your place, I would have done worse, so I am not one to blame you for anything.
Luis: What a blessing from God I have with you. Thank you for your testimony of the love of God that clearly shines in you.
Mother,
Help me in the mission to save my husband. He is wonderful and deserves it. Praise be to God for the gift of my husband.