GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke

LK 14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,

and he turned and addressed them,

“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,

wife and children, brothers and sisters,

and even his own life,

he cannot be my disciple.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me

cannot be my disciple.

Which of you wishing to construct a tower

does not first sit down and calculate the cost

to see if there is enough for its completion?

Otherwise, after laying the foundation

and finding himself unable to finish the work

the onlookers should laugh at him and say,

‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’

Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down

and decide whether with ten thousand troops

he can successfully oppose another king

advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?

But if not, while he is still far away,

he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.

In the same way,

everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions

cannot be my disciple.”

Calculation of strengths

Have I made the calculations? It’s clear that building a marriage is completely beyond my abilities. I need God’s Love, but to rely on Him, I must first abandon everything to Him. Yes, everything! Is it daunting? The alternative is failure in marriage and family, failure in the Love for which I was created.

I want to follow You, Lord, and I even renounce myself, so that You may be the one to accomplish the work.

Applied to Married Life

Luis: I spent so many years trying to make you love me, to make you desire me, to fill your heart with my love. Only now, since I truly converted and gave myself entirely to the Lord, has He begun to do through me what I couldn’t do on my own.

Marisa: Lord, thank You for my husband. Husband, I thank you for receiving the Lord. Being filled with Him fills my heart.

Luis: The Lord allows me to put everything else aside—my wife, my children… But He does not ask me to abandon you; He only asks that I set you aside for a moment because I first need Him, I need to be filled with His Love.

Mother,

With fear and trembling I say to you: Do not allow me to stray from Your Immaculate Heart. Outside of You, I cannot be. Thank you, Blessed Mother.