From the Gospel according to Matthew 6:24-34

Jesus said to his disciples:
“No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

Let Yourself Be Cared For

With infinite tenderness, You speak to us of the Father’s care: how He feeds the little birds of the sky. And You ask us: if He takes care of them, how could He not take care of us, who are worth infinitely more?

And yet, we live as if we were orphans. We wear ourselves out, inside and out, trying to secure material goods in which we place our trust, our security, and our hope. We want to have everything under control, and in doing so, we do not allow God to be God, or to be Father. He desires to care for us, to feed us, to clothe us, and to provide for us in everything.

My Jesus, Your Heart burns to lead us to the Truth and free us from the lies of the devil, lies into which we so often fall. We believe we are alone, abandoned in the world, as if everything depended solely on us. We think, “If I don’t take care of myself, who will?” And thus, we forget that we are children, called to live with full trust in our Heavenly Father, who never leaves us.

Applied to Married Life:

Rocío: Juanfran! Dinner’s ready!

Juanfran (from his office): Let me finish this and I’ll be right up.

Rocío: (ten minutes later) Juanfran!

Juanfran: (enters the kitchen) Rocío, I was going over the finances and it looks like we might not make it through the month. I’m a bit overwhelmed.

Rocío: I love how you take care of the family and how responsible you are, how you give yourself for us. Come on, have dinner, and then we’ll pray. You’ll see how the Lord gives you His Peace.

(After dinner, during couple prayer)

Juanfran: My goodness, Rocío, it feels like today’s Gospel was written just for us. Incredible! I felt so much peace seeing that the Lord takes care of us, feeds us, clothes us, and gives us drink. What an amazing Father we have!

Rocío: Of course, Juanfran. The Lord has always fed us, given us drink, clothed us. We’ve never lacked anything. And remember, when we’ve gone through hard times, that’s when we’ve been the most united. Don’t you realize we already have what’s most important?

Juanfran: You’re right, Rocío. You know since we joined Proyecto, I’ve grown a lot… but this month I don’t know what happened. Lord, I’m not afraid—You take care of us, You will sustain us.

Rocío: Oh, my love, I’m so proud of you!

Juanfran: Lord, You served only Your Father, doing His Will. You carried no bag, no money. Humble. Simple. And You are God. I offer You my work—do with it whatever You will.

Rocío: Thank You, Lord, for giving me a husband so beautiful inside and out.

Mother,

May we never serve money, but always serve God. May we always abandon ourselves into His Hands with trust. Protect us from greed. From avarice. Oh Blessed Mother, pour out Your graces upon us! Praised be the Lord.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
6:19-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

“Where Your Treasure Is”

Where we place our heart and direct all our efforts to achieve and maintain it is where we value most. The world offers treasures that, once attained, turn to dust, and we must seek others. They are like neon lights, the shine of riches, the fleeting and empty joy that lasts only a few hours, the well-being that does not bring the peace to our heart looks for. And so, life becomes a directionless and aimless existence.

But You, Lord, show us where the only thing that fills our hearts is: Your heart.

The path to reach this treasure is in my marriage, the chest that You fill with pearls every time I renounce my own criteria and joyfully accept what my husband/wife says, even when it’s the opposite of what I think. Rubies with every sacrifice I make for my spouse. And in the end, I discover that the greatest treasure is being in Your Heart.

So, help us not to separate from Your Heart, that we may always be alert so we don’t lose this great treasure. We don’t want our hearts to be anywhere else but in You, and You in us.

Relating to Married Life:

Juan: Alicia, in prayer, the Lord has shown me the value of all these years of dedication and sacrifice that you’ve made with me. All these years suffering in silence and telling the Lord how hard it was to carry everything — the house, the kids, and worst of all, my absences due to work — but you gave it all up for Love of Him and me.

Alicia: Yes, those were hard years when I sometimes felt alone, carrying everything. But what has the Lord shown you in prayer?

Juan: Well, the Lord showed me a huge chest, filled with little jewels. When I looked at them, memories came to mind of times I saw you make all those sacrifices and how you always looked to the Lord. Then I saw how your heart, in the form of a precious jewel, joined with the Heart of Jesus, which was more beautiful than I’d ever seen. I was astonished and deeply in love with Him. I then understood that your heart is in His, because you’ve done it all for Love of Him and me. Thank you, my wife, for loving me in a way that only He could have taught you. Thank you, Lord, for placing this treasure by my side.

Alicia: Thanks be to the Lord for giving me all those opportunities to grow in His love and helping me discover His Heart through yours, my husband. Through that, I’ve fallen more in love with you, and by loving you more, I’ve fallen more in love with Him, discovering that treasure He had prepared for me, for us: His Heart.

Mother,

Do not let us stray from Your Son, protect us from the danger of temptations, and always lead us by Your hand toward Him. Thank you, Mother!

From the Gospel according to Matthew
6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

‘Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’

“If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

The Path of Marriage

It is the prayer that Christ left to His bride, the Church, and thus it encompasses everything about marriage. It teaches us to recognize that God is the center of our marital and family life. It also teaches us to seek His will and not our own. It teaches us to ask for and give nourishment every day, especially the nourishment of the soul to give love. It also teaches us to ask for forgiveness and forgive one another between spouses. And it teaches us to strive together so that we do not fall into temptations that break our communion.

Applied to Married Life:

Estela: Edwin, how could your mother say in front of everyone yesterday that I don’t bring anything when she invites us to eat? When you know that’s not true. I can’t forgive her for that.
Edwin: I understand you’re upset. Sometimes, not being able to tell me things like before, makes her jealous and to speak with anger.
Estela: So, you’re taking her side?
Edwin: No, Estela. I always want to be with you. But not forgiving her isn’t going to help you. Show her your forgiveness, and God will reward you with His forgiveness for you. That will start changing my mother.
Estela: Thank you, Lord, for giving me this proper help. Without Him, I would never reach You.

Mother,

Thank you because You teach us to act from mercy and forgiveness, as You did with those who condemned Your Son. Blessed be He forever.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

Hidden Mystery

Lord, today You tell us that my struggle is in what is hidden, it is my inside, it is in my heart. And that is where You want to do Your Work.
The work of God is imperceptible to human eyes; only God the Father, who sees what is hidden, can perceive it.
That’s why, every time I welcome my husband when he is unpleasant with me, You make gentleness grow in me.
And every time I give myself and serve him breakfast when I don’t feel like it, You make the gift of being helpful grow in my heart.
And in that giving and welcoming between us, my heart and my husband’s heart are shaped by Yours, little by little, in the hidden things, You are doing Your Work. The two hearts merge into Yours, and then, through the sacrament of marriage, You are present and make Communion between us possible.
What a great mystery! A mighty God working in the small and the hidden!

Applied to Married Life:

María: Today I’m tired, honestly, but Sergio is coming home late and I’m sure he’ll want to eat when he gets here, so I’ll prepare something for him.
Sergio: Hi María, I’m home. Why does the whole house smell like food? I’ve told you a thousand times to turn on the extractor; the house smells awful…
(Then, María remembers the Gospel from the morning, that the Lord’s work is in the hidden things, and in welcoming her husband into her heart).
María: Yes, you’re right, you know I’m very forgetful and don’t notice these things…
(Sergio is thoughtful… and inside, he thinks about how María is preparing dinner after a whole day of work, and she doesn’t even say anything when he criticizes her for not turning on the extractor).
Sergio: María, years ago you would’ve pointed out that I came late, and that you made dinner, especially after I criticized you about the extractor… How you’ve changed since you’ve been praying!
María: Yes, Sergio, today in prayer the Lord showed me that the struggle is in my heart, where no one can see.
Sergio: Well, I also want to hear the Lord like you do. Would you help me to be persistent in prayer, like you?
María: Of course, darling, nothing would make me happier than praying together.
(And after some time, the Lord continued to work in them and in their children).

Mother,

Thank you for holding our hands and showing us the hidden Mystery in God. Lead us further each day so that we can be with Him and in Him, just like You do, Mother. We are all Yours!

From the Gospel according to Matthew
5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Fullness.

Lord, You have come to bring fullness. Fullness to the law, fullness to marriage, fullness to love, fullness to life. And fullness is found in loving as You love, always doing the Father’s will, and in this way, You teach us to be children.

But what is the Father’s will for my marriage? It is that I love my husband always—no matter how he is, no matter how he responds—with Your same Love, a love that gives itself to the extreme, a perfect love.
Lord, may Your grace help me to place love where there is none, to bring joy where there is sadness, to bring hope where there is despair.
Because with You, we can do all things; without You, we are nothing.

Brought into marital life:

(During spousal prayer)
Carmen: Luis, I ask you to forgive me because sometimes I don’t know how to love you. I’m not your suitable helper when you’re “grumpy,” and I don’t see how much you’re in need—I only look at myself, at what I have to endure…
I know this is not what You want from me, Lord. Give me Your grace to love always, in every circumstance.
Luis: Carmen, don’t worry, I forgive you. I know I can be difficult at times because I trust little in the Lord, and the weight of life drags me down.
Lord, help me to trust in You. I know You are my Father, and our life is in Your hands, that all things work for our good—but sometimes I doubt. Forgive me, Lord. And forgive me too, my wife. How truly needy we are!

Mother,

Give us a compassionate heart and the joy of knowing we are cared for and sustained by You.
Praised be God who always loves us.