Monthly Archives: December 2024

Three daggers to the heart. Reflection for married couples. Mt 18:12-14

Leave a Reply

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:
“What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”

The word of the Lord

 

Three daggers to the heart.

Three phrases jump out like daggers from this Gospel text. Let’s see if I dodge them and make excuses or let them reach my heart. The first is: It is not the Father’s will that one of these little ones get lost. This phrase leaves me with no free time.

The second is how the Father rejoices over a repentant sinner. Do I rejoice in the same way when my husband has hurt me a lot and asks for my forgiveness?

And the third is that when faced with an offense, the one who takes the initiative is the offended, the initiative to rescue the offender. Do I take that initiative when I am offended or do I wait for forgiveness before taking a step?

 

Grounded in Married Life:

Miguel: Rocio, I’ve realised that I have not known how to respond in your worst moments. When you have been sunk in the misery of your sin, instead of taking the initiative and going out to rescue you, I have pulled the chain to get rid of your filth without considering that I was also abandoning you.

Rocío: Calm down, Miguel, I understand you perfectly because I get very unbearable.

Miguel: But now I tell you that I am willing to get down to the mud and dive my head first into the filth if necessary in order to rescue you.

Rocío: I am not worthy of you enter my house, but one word from you I will welcome as the Word that God sends me and that will be enough to heal me.

Miguel: Wow, if I had known that one word was enough, I would not have jumped into the puddle.

Rocío: Hahaha. Well, it was one word but I was covered in mud up to my eyebrows.

 

Mother,

We thank God so much for having come out to look for us… I do not have enough life or sacrifices to thank for what I have received by collaborating with His redemptive work.

Praise the Lord who has loved us so much.

So Small, Yet So Powerful. Reflection for married couples. Luke 1:26-38

Leave a Reply
Gospel

‘Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son.’
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Lk 1:26-38

At that time: The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’
  And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy — the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.

So Small, Yet So Powerful

Today we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary. I can’t resist reflecting on this moment that took place in complete secrecy. Only God, and perhaps the angels, knew of this event. The first immaculate zygote, the first seed of holiness in the universe after the Fall, would lead to the greatest revolution in history: the Redemption. So small, yet so powerful.
This is the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven—a tiny seed that grows to become vast enough to hold God Himself.

Applied to Married Life:

Patrick: Rachel, don’t worry. I know you deeply desire for us to experience true communion in our marriage, but that’s something only God can achieve. And He works silently, little by little. At first, it’s almost imperceptible, but then it becomes immense.
Rachel: Thank you, Patrick. I know. I know our marriage is going to be something amazing because God is great. I just need to be patient with you, just as God is patient with me.

Mother,

Love is patient. It’s the first rule in St. Paul’s letter. I won’t forget it. Praise be to God.

From the Grandstand. Reflection for married couples. Luke 3:1-6

Leave a Reply

Gospel

  
‘All flesh shall see the salvation of God.’

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 
Lk 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” ’
The Gospel of the Lord

From the Grandstand

There are two reasons why we might prepare for the arrival of someone important. One is the influence or power they may have over us and our interests. The other is the love we have for them. Yes, because love makes the people we care for important. This is how God sees us. If someone important is coming to our home, we tidy up, clean thoroughly, paint if needed… we put in more effort than we normally would.
Now, this “Someone” important who is coming is the Son of God. He matters both because of His power and because of how much we love Him. And He comes to dwell in my heart, where all my innermost thoughts reside. There, nothing can be hidden from Him. And He will see, above all, how my relationship with my spouse is. What will He find when He arrives? It’s time to make a special effort to organise my desires, tame my passions, purge my heart of the vices that have taken root, and brighten the darkness that clouds my vision when I look at you.
The Lord is coming, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Applied to Married Life:

Andrew: Thelma, I’ve looked deep into my heart, and I’ve seen what Christ will see from there. In my heart, nothing is hidden, nothing is protected—it’s all laid bare. What I see and my intentions, the judgements I make, the thoughts I sometimes have about you, my rejections, my desires, my feelings… Everything, absolutely everything, passes through my heart. And that’s where God is coming to be born again this Christmas.
Darling, I sat for a while at the foot of the throne reserved for God in my heart. It was like the grandstand, the prime seat reserved for VIPs, from where everything that happens can be seen. On the playing field of that great stadium, every move, every foul, every pass, and every shot was visible. But I saw so many shameful and disgraceful plays: dirty tactics due to my darkened outlook, elbowing to assert dominance, quick judgements and internal condemnations. I had to leave because I couldn’t bear the thought of the Son of God witnessing my poor behaviour.
Thelma: Well, darling, God is merciful, and He will see all of that through a different lens.
Andrew: I know, Thelma, but I need to do something so He doesn’t have to watch my selfishness, negativity, and quick judgements. I want to train my team to play with humility, joy, and patience. I want to prepare a team built on virtues so that when the King arrives to watch the match, He delights in every goal. And I want to defeat evil with a resounding victory. Will you be my coach?
Thelma: You’re so funny… Alright, deal! To start with, how about you give up watching so much football this Advent? You seem a little obsessed…

Mother,

Whatever it takes to prepare the way for the Lord. May that voice not cry out in the wilderness but resonate within me these days. Preparation, discipline, training… the Saviour is coming, and all flesh shall see Him. Praise be to Him forever.

Watch Carefully How. Reflection for married couples. Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8

Leave a Reply
Gospel
‘Seeing the crowds, he had compassion for them.’

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 

Mt 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8

At that time: Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’ And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
  These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, ‘Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Watch Carefully How

Jesus begins delegating the mission entrusted to Him by the Father to His disciples because the harvest is abundant, but the labourers are few. He continues to do this today through our vocations. The first and most important mission He entrusts to me is to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to my spouse. His instructions are clear: Heal them, revive their soul when it is weakened, cleanse their sins, and cast out the demons that trouble them.
Nowhere in His instructions does it say: Accuse them, criticise them, reproach them, do the same to them to provoke a reaction, or distance yourself from your spouse. If I say or do something that does not heal, revive, cleanse, or help them cast out their demons, I must tell myself: Stop! Don’t do it again! Instead, I must carefully seek the path of love to be a true disciple and labourer in the Lord’s harvest.

Applied to Married Life:

Matthew: Darling, forgive me. Recently, I haven’t been helping you draw closer to the Lord. Instead, I’ve been making it harder by criticising you and demanding perfection in how you relate to me. Forgive me, Lord, for not being Your disciple in helping You reign in my wife’s heart. Instead, I’ve provoked her to anger by burdening her with heavy loads.
Myriam: It’s true you haven’t made things easy for me these past few days. But I appreciate you acknowledging it because I need you to be my support so we can reach marital charity together, which is what I long for and what God wills for us. I’ve also seen it as a trial from the Lord to strengthen my love for you. My response hasn’t been good, which shows me my own smallness. The only thing I’ve been able to do is offer it up for you and ask God for His help, because I love you and only want what’s best for you.
Matthew: Thank you, my love. I’m also asking the Lord to help me be your true partner and support next time. May His love become ever more present between us.

Mother,

I want to work on Your side against evil, always advocating for my spouse. We ask You to keep us in Your Heart so that we may share Your feelings in difficult moments. Praise be to the Lord, who entrusts us with the precious and noble mission of safeguarding our spouse’s soul.

Could You Keep It Quiet? Reflection for married couples. Matthew 9:27-31

Leave a Reply

Gospel

Two blind men who believe in Jesus are healed.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 
Mt 9:27-31

At that time: As Jesus passed on from Capernaum, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David.’ When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then he touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith be it done to you.’ And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, ‘See that no one knows about it.’ But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

The Gospel of the Lord

Could You Keep It Quiet?

Jesus commanded the blind men not to tell anyone that they had been healed by Him. Saint Gregory the Great explains that this was to teach His disciples the virtue of humility and self-effacement. I wonder, if I healed a blind person, would I be able to keep it to myself? Yes, yes, I know—it’s God who worked through me, but would I truly be able to stay silent?
If I am so convinced that God does everything, I must never boast about what belongs to Him. Today, He tells me: Be careful that no one knows!

Applied to Married Life:

Charlotte: Why didn’t you tell me that the conversion of that couple happened after a conversation you had with them?
Aidan: Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well yesterday and still took care of all the tasks yourself?
Charlotte: I wasn’t feeling well, but the Lord sustained me, and He knew you’d had a tough day.
Aidan: And that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you about that couple—because it was entirely God’s work, not my achievement.

Mother,

May the works God accomplishes through me—all of them His—remain just between Him and me. Praise be to the Lord who helps us.