Monthly Archives: February 2024

Dignity as a task. Reflection for marriages Matthew 5, 20-26

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GOSPEL
Go first to reconcile with your brother.
Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 5, 20-26
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,band there recall that your brother
has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Dignity as a task.
We can see this Gospel from two perspectives: that of punishment (which usually draws more attention) or from love, which often goes unnoticed.
Let’s look at it from a perspective of love today: How much God loves me that He does not allow any brother to even call me a fool. How much God loves me that He does not allow anyone to have anything against me contrary to the love for Him. He will not accept offerings from anyone who is not in communion with me.
This is how loved and protected by Him I must feel. I no longer need to defend myself. He takes care of my defense.
Applied to married life:
Mayte: Reading this Gospel, I realize how important you are to God. He will not allow me to distance myself from you in the slightest.
Fermín: I am not worthy to have received a daughter of His as a wife. It is remarkable the dignity He has bestowed upon us. St. John Paul said that God has given us dignity as a task.
Mayte: Let us always look at each other through the eyes of God.
Fermín: So be it.
Mother,
We want to be extremely delicate with each other. Blessed be God who loves us so much.

Intimacy with God. Reflection for marriages Matthew 16:13-19

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GOSPEL
You are Peter, and I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Reading from the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 16:13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippines he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Intimacy with God.
In the Gospel, God reveals His intimacy to Peter, and Peter accepts it on behalf of the “Church Bride.” Then the Lord also shows Peter his identity and the mission entrusted to him, giving him the keys to His house and showing him who he is called to be.
In faithfulness to God, He reveals His intimacy to me and shows me who I am: a child of God and the spouse of my partner, which is my mission. If I do not fulfill it, I will have lost my identity because, like Jesus, what identifies me is my origin (a child of God) and my mission (spouse).
The Lord reveals his intimacy to us in the sanctity of being spouses. By living in communion, we approach living in His and He will show us great treasures.
Applied to married life:
Andrew: It seems to me that our marriage is going reasonably well, but my wife disagrees. I don’t know what else I can do.
Marriage Mentor: Andrew, you are what she needs, but it is necessary to first know oneself in order to truly love, and we achieve this in our relationship with God. Then you will understand what you can offer to your wife. More than you think. The next step is to enter her intimacy, her world, and she will give you the keys to her heart. On that day, you will be able to help her on her path to holiness.
Andrew: Thank you. I really appreciate it because now I see how far I am from being a good husband.
Marriage Mentor: Saint John Paul II says that man has been given from the beginning the task of being a custodian of true love. That is the beautiful mission you have. If you fulfill it, God will show you great treasures for you and through you, to the world.
Mother,
May we center our lives on the path of holiness prepared for us, so that we may reach the beauty and fullness He wants to show us. Praise be to God for creating something as beautiful as marriage. May we learn to accept it as the precious gift it is.

Let your light shine. Reflection for marriages Luke 11, 29-32

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The Gospel
To this generation, no other sign will be given except the sign of Jonah.
Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 11, 29-32
While still more people gathered in the crowd, he said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.
The Lord’s word.
Let your light shine.
Nowadays, there is a tendency to ask for miracles, healings, and transformations without effort. It may seem that sacrifice and self-denial are things of the time of Jonah.
So, it is common to ask God for a miracle so that my husband changes because he has certain behaviors that annoy me or that I am not willing to tolerate.
This does not mean that the Lord does not perform miracles. He does, and many. But the Lord does not want those kinds of comfortable miracle expectations that separate us from the cross.
He wants me to convey His mercy to my husband. How is that done? There is only one way: to be very close to the Lord, to be in grace, to purify my soul by battling in my heart, and thus allowing the light of the Lord that resides in the deepest part of my soul to reach my husband. That light will be able to heal him. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Applied to married life:
Jaime: Ana, I clearly saw today in prayer. As I detach myself from my attachments and order my passions, the light of God that dwells in me will shine out more purely.
Ana: Of course, let’s say that it comes out of you less distorted and more clear. And as I purify mine, that light will also come into my interior with more power.
Jaime: In this way, we can supply each other with God’s light. What do you think?
Ana: I think it’s beautiful and a huge responsibility before God and before you.
Jaime: So, let’s strive to purify our souls so that the light of God shines for both of us.
Mother,
The sign we receive is sanctifying grace, which is effective. Indeed it is. May it not interrupt or adulterate the light of grace. Praise be to the Lord who dwells in me.

 

What do you like, Father? Reflection for marriages Matthew 6, 7-15

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GOSPEL
You should pray like this.
Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint 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 men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
The Lord’s word.
What do you like, Father?
For once, let’s look at the Our Father from the perspective of the Father, because we have the bad habit of putting ourselves at the center of our prayers. And what about Our Father? What would He like us to say to Him?
God makes us fathers so that we understand what fatherhood is all about. Like any father, He likes us to tell Him about our things, but above all, He needs to be recognized by us as Father, to know that we trust in Him, that we recognize how much He loves us, that He cares for us and that in His arms we find our rest. Wouldn’t you as a father like your children to live your fatherhood in that way?
And what is the least thing you would like as a father? That your children, among siblings, were fighting. Right? Well, it’s the same thing. God, who is Love, cannot give us His blessing if we do not reconcile with each other.
We have an amazing Father! Glory to Him.
Applied to Marriage:
Luis: Okay. We don’t agree and we still don’t, and we will have to discern and both value each other’s opinion, but what we cannot do if we want God to be with us and enlighten us, is to get angry. Okay?
Cristina: Okay. You’re right. The Father does not like that we are distant, and much less, that we have something against each other. Let’s reconcile and trust that He will give us the light to discern well.
Luis: I apologize for calling you stubborn. You are wonderful and I have no right to judge you like that.
Cristina: I apologize for calling you arrogant. You are a precious gift from God, of which I am not worthy.
Luis: I forgive you, Cristina.
Cristina: I forgive you, Luis.
(And the Father who is in heaven blessed them with the light they asked for their discernment)
Mother,
We want to make the Father smile. He is our Father. We know we are loved by Him and rest in His arms.
Praised be forever.

Living Water. Reflection for marriages Matthew 25, 31-46

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GOSPEL

Whenever you did this to one of these, my brothers, the least, you did it to me.
Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew 25, 31-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
The Word of the Lord.
Living Water.
To be without partaking of God and His Love. That is what I risk in this life. What do temporal goods or evils matter? What do temporary sufferings matter? Being fully in Him awaits us, the Living Water that satisfies all our thirst. The fullness of Love, of affection, of wisdom awaits us. Everything awaits us. What do the rest matter?
Applied to married life:
Mario: We have everything, Ana. We have Him. Therefore, we have everything.
Ana: What does the rest matter? Only You, Lord. Only You, Most High Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father.
Mario: Amen.
Mother,
We make the offering with you: Through Christ, with Him and in Him, to you, Almighty God, Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and all glory for ever and ever. Amen.