Gospel of the Day
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 5:17–19
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to complete them.
I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved.
Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Listening to You Always
My beloved Jesus, how grateful we are that You became man and speak to us so clearly!
You tell us that “the one who breaks even the least of these commandments…”. How many times have You told us that to enter Your Kingdom we must listen to Your Word and put it into practice, keeping Your commandments. Why do You give us the commandments? So that we may clearly know how to do Your Will, and not our own. Because my own will, my own judgement, is distorted by self-love, even when I do not realise it.
That is why You ask us to seek only Your Will. To listen to You constantly so that we may do only what You would do, and as You would do it.
I can deceive myself with a thousand excuses. I may not want to stop and listen to You. Or I may stand before You, but listen only to myself. A terrible solution. I will hurt myself and hurt others.
Lord, please help me to listen to You in every moment. May I place all my actions before Your Light. And those situations that wound me, may I sincerely place them before You, listening to You. So that You may teach me that precisely there, I must overcome my self-love, do Your Will, and love — only love. To love even when it hurts; to love where it hurts.
Thank You, Lord.
Applied to Married Life
María: “I do not understand why you are so stubborn! Everything always has to be done your way. Enough already! Can’t you see I cannot take anymore?”
Alberto: “María, you are being unfair. Don’t you realise how hard I am trying to do what you want?”
María: “Yes, sure. Well, it certainly does not show!”
Alberto: “Forgive me, María. I only want to help you. I love you very much.”
That evening, after María spent time in prayer…
María: “Alberto, forgive me. I have been so blind. For days I have been focused only on what I do, on all my problems. And even when I went to pray, I stayed focused on myself, telling the Lord everything happening to me, but without listening to Him. Each day I was suffering more and more. This afternoon, before the Lord, crying, I asked Him where He was. Then I became silent. And finally, I could hear Him. I realised the Lord was there all along, but I could not hear Him because I was focused only on myself. I saw that the Lord wants to speak to me through you. He wants me to see your efforts to please me, your loving silence when I become angry, all those times you give in and I do not even notice. Thank you so much, Alberto. Please help me to know Jesus more deeply. I love you so much!”
Alberto: “María, I love you dearly. Let us walk hand in hand towards holiness, shall we?”
Mother,
Please teach me to always listen to your Son. To flee from my own will and do only His. Blessed and praised be God!