GOSPEL
The day of judgment will be more bearable for Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom than for you.
Reading from the holy gospel according to Saint Matthew 11, 20-24
Jesus began to reproach the towns
where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum:
Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the nether world.
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.
The Word of the Lord.
Yes, it can.
Miracles, beyond the amazement they cause, are signs that prove the existence of God. Then there are those who stubbornly close themselves off and no matter what they see, they do not want to believe. It becomes more difficult to believe their arguments than the very existence of God. There are also those who remain focused on the wonder of the event itself and forget that it is just a sign. They need to focus on Who is behind it and the message or mission that God wants to convey. These are the miracle-seekers who feed on astonishing impacts but do not delve deeper. Thirdly, there are the “apologists” who see signs of the end times in everything, meaning they already have the message they want to believe in their heads and only seek extraordinary facts to corroborate it. Finally, there are those who believe and delve until they find what God wants from them when He has made them partakers of a supernatural event. These last ones, will truly live.
Applied to Married Life:
Carlos: Do you believe in the Sacrament of Marriage? I wonder how many miracles the Lord may have refrained from doing among us due to our lack of faith and gratitude.
Teresa: Now I truly believe in the grace of our Sacrament, because we have discovered it and experienced it, but it is true that for many years we did not believe in it.
Carlos: In a marriage that lacks belief, the Lord cannot perform miracles. Now I know that this love I feel towards you is greater than myself.
Teresa: Now I know that my love cannot satisfy you, but God’s love through me can.
Mother,
We receive so much grace every day, at all times, through the work of the Holy Spirit administered by you. We believe in You, and we do not want to waste even a bit of Your love for us. Praise be to God for so much, always and completely.