From the Gospel according to John

Jn 15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples:

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.

Remain in my love.

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,

just as I have kept my Father’s commandments

and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that

my joy might be in you and

your joy might be complete.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Long live the newlyweds!

Seeking enjoyment is selfish because I use people and material things from this world to amuse myself. On the other hand, joy is not from this world; it comes from God. “My spirit rejoices in God,” said Our Mother at when visiting Elizabeth.

How about experiencing the joy of the Lord in me? Such a great experience makes my joy complete.

Applied to married life:

Hermi: Our wedding yesterday was so beautiful, wasn’t it, Paco?

Paco: Absolutely gorgeous, Hermi. Very anointed by the Lord who has blessed us with so much joy. Now we have to keep it…

Hermi: Yes, indeed. It’s a matter of staying close to the Lord.

Paco: How? By going to Adoration every day?

Hermi: That would be wonderful, but for now, what we need to do is follow His commandments. Actually, just two: to love God above all things (and that’s something we need to see how it translates into our daily lives) and love each other as He loves us.

Paco: Okay. So let’s be clear that if there’s no joy between us, it’s not because of our work problems, or our finances, or our children, not even because of our families. If there’s no joy between us, it’s because I’m not following the commandments.

Hermi: Certainly, with such wonderful parents, that won’t be a problem. But it’s clear that our own happiness depends on us. The Lord promised yesterday to give it to us.

Mother,

May the joy of the Lord be within us. Praised be forever.