Monthly Archives: April 2024

Supernatural Fruits. Reflection for marriages. Mark 16:15-20

Gospel

Proclaim the Gospel to every creature.

From the Gospel according to Mark. Mk 16:15-20

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Supernatural Fruits.

Christ as the Head of the Church conveys salvation to it by taking it as His Spouse. By obeying the Father and giving himself to us, he imparts life to us as the head does to the body. The Lord asks us to do the same: to transmit the Gospel and His salvation by giving ourselves to our spouse like He gave Himself to us. From that gesture, other signs will come. I have seen many signs around spouses who love each other; in Their children, in Their relatives, and in other marriages.

Applied to Married Life:

Sarah: Jack, what fruits do you expect to obtain from our marriage? 

Jack: Well, I don’t know, to build a marriage, to build a home, to provide education to our children… 

Sarah: And on a spiritual level? 

Jack: To provide a good Christian education to our children in a good school. 

Sarah: Just in case it helps, I’ll tell you that I’ve learned that when you completely giving ourselves to each other, the strength of Christ’s Nuptial Love emerges from us, which not only transforms our love but also produces signs around us. It’s a grace that comes from our Sacrament and yields supernatural fruits around us. Shall we try it? 

Jack: Yes, it sounds wonderful. I hope to rise to the occasion. May the Lord help me.

Mother,

We have been sent by you to proclaim the Gospel of marriage and family. We continue to give ourselves to each other, and we shall leave everything else in your hands. Thank you for everything, blessed Mother.

Supernatural Fruits. Reflection for marriages. Mark 16:15-20

Gospel

Proclaim the Gospel to every creature.

From the Gospel according to Mark. Mk 16:15-20

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Supernatural Fruits.

Christ as the Head of the Church conveys salvation to it by taking it as His Spouse. By obeying the Father and giving himself to us, he imparts life to us as the head does to the body. The Lord asks us to do the same: to transmit the Gospel and His salvation by giving ourselves to our spouse like He gave Himself to us. From that gesture, other signs will come. I have seen many signs around spouses who love each other; in Their children, in Their relatives, and in other marriages.

Applied to Married Life:

Sarah: Jack, what fruits do you expect to obtain from our marriage? 

Jack: Well, I don’t know, to build a marriage, to build a home, to provide education to our children… 

Sarah: And on a spiritual level? 

Jack: To provide a good Christian education to our children in a good school. 

Sarah: Just in case it helps, I’ll tell you that I’ve learned that when you completely giving ourselves to each other, the strength of Christ’s Nuptial Love emerges from us, which not only transforms our love but also produces signs around us. It’s a grace that comes from our Sacrament and yields supernatural fruits around us. Shall we try it? 

Jack: Yes, it sounds wonderful. I hope to rise to the occasion. May the Lord help me.

Mother,

We have been sent by you to proclaim the Gospel of marriage and family. We continue to give ourselves to each other, and we shall leave everything else in your hands. Thank you for everything, blessed Mother.

Intimacy Thief, Reflection for Marriages: John 10:11-18

GOSPEL
From the Gospel according to John
Jn 10:11-18

Jesus said:
“I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father.”

The Word of the Lord.

Intimacy Thief.

A thief is one who enters to steal, to take something from another for their own benefit. I am not a shepherd of my husband, but I must take as a reference the relationship that Jesus has with us to learn how my relationship with my spouse should be. According to that, I ask myself: In my relationship with my husband, am I a thief who enters to take what I desire, or do I enter into his intimacy to call him by his name and for him to know my voice?
Furthermore, in marriage, we must enter through His door to find the food that fills us with life.

Applied to Married Life:

Julieta: I have a huge vice in the way I relate to you, and it is that if I am not careful, I am focused on what you don’t give me, on what you don’t say to me, on whether you don’t listen to me, on whether you don’t do something for me… Of course, the result is that I have a generalized discontent because I only look at what I don’t receive from you. Or what I receive and is inadequate.
Manu: Unfortunately, it’s a tendency that most of us have, and yet the good, what we do for each other, almost goes unnoticed.
Julieta: So, Manu, I have been created to give myself to you and I can’t stop looking at what you don’t do for me.
Manu: Well, Julieta, first of all, it’s very good that you’re aware of the problem because that means the Lord wants to help you overcome it. Cheer up, I’m with you.

Mother,

The Lord places by our side a child of His to make them our main mission. May it be so between us. Praised be the Lord who gives us this precious gift.

Good Little Shepherds. Reflection for marriages. John 10:11-18

GOSPEL

The good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep
From the Gospel according to John 

Jn 10:11-18

The good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep
Jesus said:
‘I am the good shepherd:
the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep.
The hired man, since he is not the shepherd
and the sheep do not belong to him,
abandons the sheep and runs away
as soon as he sees a wolf coming,
and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep;
this is because he is only a hired man
and has no concern for the sheep.
‘I am the good shepherd;
I know my own
and my own know me,
just as the Father knows me
and I know the Father;
and I lay down my life for my sheep.
And there are other sheep I have
that are not of this fold,
and these I have to lead as well.
They too will listen to my voice,
and there will be only one flock,
and one shepherd.
‘The Father loves me,
because I lay down my life
in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me;
I lay it down of my own free will,
and as it is in my power to lay it down,
so it is in my power to take it up again;
and this is the command I have been given by my Father.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Good Little Shepherds.

How marvellous that the Lord regards me as part of Himself and sacrifices Himself for me when “the wolf comes”.
But now He sends me to shepherd His other sheep. Shall I flee to protect my honour or my dignity? Or shall I sacrifice my life for my husband because I see him as a part of me, as the Lord does?

Applied to Married Life:

James: I think I’m starting to understand what Christian marriage entails. It’s where the husband is prepared to forfeit everything and dedicate himself to his wife.
Rose: And are you prepared to do that?
James: I am prepared, yet I find myself lacking the strength. I need the Lord’s grace to fully comprehend as He does. Could you pray for me? I need to view you as a part of myself in order to protect you as a part of myself.
Rose: Saint John Paul suggests that to fully understand ourselves, we must also explore our feminine and masculine aspects. I realise that, as we are one, to fully understand myself I must also understand you. I am keen, what about you?
James: So am I.

Mother,

What a beautiful image of the Good Shepherd. I want to see myself on His shoulders being carried to the Father. Praise be.

The Moment of Truth. Reflection for marriages: John 6:60-69

GOSPEL

Who shall we go to? You are the Holy One of God
From the Gospel according to John
Jn 6:60-69
After hearing his doctrine many of the followers of Jesus said, ‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’ Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, ‘Does this upset you? What if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?
‘It is the spirit that gives life,
the flesh has nothing to offer.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit
and they are life.
‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the outset those who did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. He went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to me unless the Father allows him.’ After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him.
Then Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’
The Gospel of the Lord

The Moment of Truth.

When the moment of truth arrives, our faith demands tough decisions, because the Lord asks everything from us in order to give Himself completely.
We might experience moments when our faith falters, when the moment of truth comes and we are asked to dedicate all our free time, or a fixed portion of “our” money, or to attend daily Eucharist, or spend an hour in prayer each day… Or to live our sexuality with the dignity it deserves… Then, we might start to think that this is madness.
But Lord, if we do not give up our possessions and our criteria to follow you, where else shall we go?

Applied to Married Life:

Martha: Forgive me, John, I was deeply hurt by your disregard for me, to the extent that I deemed you unworthy of me. I needed time away from you.
John: I’m sorry, Martha. It seems you misread my actions and take offence at things I do not intentionally do or say to demean you, and I can’t fathom why you’re offended. It gets to the point where it feels like anything I do or say could be turned against me.
Martha: What’s lacking is sensitivity, and you enter my heart like a bull in a china shop. But never mind. I’m prepared to stop being self-centred and to love you as you are, as the Lord asks of me.
John: Thank you. I had already concluded that your desire to distance me was the Lord’s way of refining my self-love, and I had already accepted this. Regardless, I intend to continue loving you as God wishes.

Mother,

May we be willing to give everything for the love of God. To deny myself, take up my cross daily and follow Him. Praised be my Lord.