Gospel

Gospel

‘You are Peter, and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.’
Matthew 16:13-19

At that time: When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Can You Imagine Not Having Her?

Today in Spain, we celebrate the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter. It is awe-inspiring to think that God entrusts men with the governance of the Church and the interpretation of the Gospel through the person of the Pope. At the same time, we recognise the Pope as the shepherd of the Church to whom we owe our fidelity.
How essential it is to have the Church’s doctrine as our guiding reference, ensuring we do not stray from the right path.

Applied to Married Life:

Jonathan: It’s not about what you think or what I think—it’s about what the Church’s doctrine teaches.
Stephanie: How wonderful it is to be united in truth and in God’s will. That way, no division can come between us.
Jonathan: What a blessing it is to have the Holy Mother Church. Can you imagine not having it? We would be at the mercy of different interpretations, constantly swayed by opinions. Let’s pray for the Pope, who carries God’s mandate to lead and guide the Church toward Him.
Stephanie: Wow… What an incredible gift—and what an immense responsibility. We must pray for him a lot.

Mother,

Thank You for being the Mother of the Church. We submit ourselves to her. Blessed Mother Church!

Gospel

‘Whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it.’
Mark 8:34-9:1

At that time: Calling the crowd to him with his disciples, Jesus said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ And he said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.’

The Gospel of the Lord

The Weeble-Wobble Monster

The undefeated champion? Self-love.
Denying ourselves is one of the hardest things to do. Sometimes, it feels like we’re making progress by God’s grace, but then—out of nowhere—it rises again, reclaiming its throne.
Self-love is like a weeble-wobble monster—it may seem to fall, but it always bounces back.
The only way to defeat it is through love. Only with God’s love can it be conquered. When I love God and my spouse more than myself, I will be a true disciple, because I will be able to give myself for them on the cross—out of love—and follow the Lord.
Do you want to conquer your self-love? Love the Lord more. Love your spouse more.

Applied to Married Life:

Nathalie: Colin, do you love me more than you love yourself?
Colin: I’d like to say yes, but the truth is, there are still times when I put myself first. There are moments when I think of myself more than I think of you. And there are still times when I hurt you in order to defend myself, Nathalie.
Nathalie: I feel the same. Sometimes, I manage to put my self-love aside, but when I get really annoyed… well. So, what do you think we should do?
Colin: I think we need to stay faithful in prayer every day and practice small acts of self-giving to deepen our love for each other.
Nathalie: Alright. Count me in!

Mother,

We want to be disciples of Your Son. Please, help us to follow Him. We love Him, but we want to love Him more. We love each other, but we want to love each other more. Thank you, Blessed Mother.

Gospel

‘You are the Christ.
Mark 8:27-33

The Son of Man must suffer many things.’
At that time: Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they told him, ‘John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’ And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
  And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Alright, But I Don’t Understand

Sometimes, we believe that loving our spouse or children means finding ways to ease their suffering or take it away entirely. But what if that suffering is a cross willed by God for their own redemption—or even for the redemption of others?
We must be careful when faced with the suffering of our loved ones. Instead of following our own human instincts, we should seek God’s purpose in it. Otherwise, we may unknowingly become part of a temptation that leads them away from the Lord’s path.

Applied to Married Life:

Catherine: The Lord is asking me to fast from self-love by not defending myself.
Luke: I get that, but what my sister said to you was completely unfair. They’re going to think you’re avoiding them on purpose.
Catherine: Let them think whatever they want.
Luke: Well, I’ll speak to them then.
Catherine: No, my love. Please respect God’s will. He wants me to fast from self-love by not defending myself, and this is the path He has given me. Please, don’t be the one to tempt me away from it.
Luke: Alright, alright… but I don’t understand.

Mother,

Help us to accept the crosses God permits for us and for our loved ones, as a path to following Christ. He is the Lord.

Gospel

‘The blind man’s sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.’
Mark 8:22-26

At that time: Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spat on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, ‘Do you see anything?’ And he looked up and said, ‘I see people, but they look like trees, walking.’ Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, ‘Do not even enter the village.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Healing: A Process

Every healing follows a process, and one of the main reasons for delays is a lack of faith. Bethsaida was a town where faith was scarce—Jesus Himself said: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!”
Because of the people’s lack of faith, Jesus took the blind man outside the village to perform the miracle. And due to the man’s own lack of faith, Jesus did not heal him instantly. Instead, He allowed him to see partially first, to strengthen his faith, and only then did He restore his sight completely.
May our lack of faith in the Lord never slow down our own healing process.

Applied to Married Life:

John: I have a bad habit rooted deep in my heart—impatience.
Mary: Oh, tell me about it, John! I suffer from it every day. You really struggle to tolerate my shortcomings… But I have faith that the Lord will heal you.
John: That’s the problem, Mary—I don’t have the patience to wait for that healing.
Mary: So, it’s a never-ending cycle, like a dog chasing its tail. Hahaha!
John: Exactly.
Mary: Don’t worry, just ask Him for it in faith. Meanwhile, I’ll supply the patience you’re missing.
John: Hahaha. Deal.

Mother,

How impatient we are in our journey to holiness. Give us the hope we need. Praise be to our Saviour.