Gospel

‘Go; your son will live.’
John 4:43-54

At that time: Jesus departed Samaria for Galilee. (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honour in his own hometown.) So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.’ The official said to him, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, ‘Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.’ The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them Jesus addressed this parable:
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.'”

With What Joy.

Lord, when I read this Gospel, I can focus on how despicable the younger son was for being so selfish in asking for his inheritance, and how despicable the older son was for being so ungrateful and lacking mercy toward his brother. But You, instead, emphasize the eagerness to find what was lost and the immense joy of being able to rescue it.  

It fills me with hope to know with what joy You wait for me with open arms when I stray from You, and with what joy You go out to seek me, rejoicing in having rescued me. Thank You, Lord, for loving me so much. How great You are. You are Holy, Lord. **Praise be to You!

Applying This to Married Life:

Alfonso: Can you imagine that if you distanced yourself from me, my only joy would be to go out with love to bring you back?  

I believe that attitude would truly make me more like God.  

Marta: Only with God’s love could you react that way. Especially when, in that moment, I would likely not welcome you but continue to reject you.  

Alfonso: Wow! Now I clearly see that only God’s love is capable of responding with such love. I see that I need to be very close to Him. No, not just close—I need to **be in Him**. He can love you this way through me.

Mother,  

Even if I am lost, welcome me into Your Heart so that I may be in His Heart and in the heart of my husband or wife. Thank you, Blessed Mother.

From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 18:9-14

Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity —
greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week,
and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Your Honors, Lord

The desire for honors from others—that is the problem, because true honor comes only from God.  

The only way to receive true honor is through God, for the recognition that men can give us is worthless. People can only place us above others, making us feel superior, but desiring that is not Christian. Only God can truly exalt me by glorifying me, elevating me beyond my own nature—and He does so through the path of humility.

Applied to Married Life:

Ricardo: Lord, I have understood that I need to experience rejection in order to be glorified by You. Help me to desire being disregarded, because I still struggle with it.  

Ana: Lord, give me through my husband whatever You see that I need. You govern my life and desire to glorify me with You. I am not interested in human recognition—only Yours, Lord.

Mother,

May we desire only the honors that God wishes to give us. In the meantime, to Him be the glory and praise forever.

From the Gospel according to Mark
Mk 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Pay attention to the gifts

In today’s Gospel, when the Lord responds to the scribe, He begins by saying, “Hear, O Israel,” before continuing with “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…”Therefore, the first step is to “listen” to how much God loves me, so that I can respond to the One who loves me above all things by loving Him in the same way.  

We must learn to listen, because by listening, we come to know, and by knowing, we can love. The Word helps us listen to God and know Him—it is the primary means, which is why prayer is so important. But throughout the entire day, I can remain in a state of “listening to God,”  being attentive to all the gifts I receive from Him. I begin to discover a Father who is present in everything and everyone, who works miracles for me every day, and I find myself falling more in love with Him. My immediate response will be to love as He wants me to love—by loving my spouse as He loves me. And then, my children, family, friends…  

Today’s challenge is to pay attention to God’s gifts every minute. You’ll see how it changes your day.  

Applied to Married Life:

Carlos: This morning, I woke up in a bed. Thank You, Lord, for giving me a warm and comfortable place to rest. Next to me was my wife, waking up around the same time. Thank You, Lord, for giving me Your daughter, so that I may live a love of communion with her, just as You do.  

I get up and freshen up. Thank You, Lord, for this running water—hot, clean—allowing me to wash myself, feel refreshed, and smell nice. Now clean and ready, I step out of the room and check on the kids. They are still asleep. Thank You, Lord, for entrusting these children to me, so that I may exercise Your fatherhood over them. I look at them with the love that comes from my daily self-giving—providing for them, dressing them, educating them, helping them grow into faithful men and women of God.  

I open the fridge—it’s full, with everything we need for a family breakfast. Thank You, Lord, for our daily bread, which we share every morning, along with laughter, stories, and plans for Sunday…  

Then we get ready for Mass. The kids take forever, we’re running late—thank You, Lord, for these opportunities to grow in patience. We arrive at church. An immense *Thank You, Lord,* because You give Yourself to me, to my wife, to my children—to fill us with You, with Your love, to make us part of You. A family in the Spirit…  

Afterwards, we take a walk—my wife and I talking, embracing… Thank You, Lord, for this suitable help, for someone to listen to, someone to share my heart with, someone to help and to ask for help, someone in whom I find rest every day.  

(And this way, the entire Sunday goes on…)  

Today, I have learned to recognize You and love You, Lord.

Mother,

I need to pay attention to the gift in every moment. Help me see it. Even in what seems negative, teach me to do as You did—to keep these things in my heart until I discover the gift. The love God has for me is astonishing—I just need to learn to recognize His love in everything and everyone.  

From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 11:14-23

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons.”
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself,
how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

For Nothing

We feel strong, confident in our own criteria. We build our own safety nets—financial security with some savings and a house, physical well-being with a bit of exercise, health by watching our diet, emotional stability by placing our hopes in weekend plans, vacations, and shopping, sentimental balance with an occasional retreat and some resolutions, and even spiritual security by easing our conscience with Sunday Mass.  

And when we’ve built our little castle, we realize that nothing really works. I don’t feel secure, venting through exercise isn’t enough, my resolutions are useless, and my hopes let me down again and again because vacations turn into one argument after another.  

Then comes the alternative: the transforming union with the Lord and embracing the greatness of my marital vocation. And suddenly, everything falls into place. Peace comes—the longed-for peace, the one the heart won’t rest until it finds. The Lord sweeps away all my self-made defenses, and I surrender to Him with joy, placing myself at His service—whatever He wants, wherever He wants, whenever He wants. And when I don’t… I crash. Then I ask for forgiveness and return to the right path.  

Applied to Married Life:  

Marta: What happened to all that anxiety, that constant distress, all those fears? Our life is exactly the same—we have the same problems as anyone else, the same differences, the same sins in our hearts to fight against… but the rough edges of our life have disappeared.  

Juan: We’ve learned to see life as a gift from God, to see each other as a gift from God, to rely on His mercy… We’ve placed everything in His hands. He is far stronger than all our difficulties and sins. He is King over everything and everyone. And He loves us infinitely. He has brought us complete joy, just as He promised.  

Marta: Blessed be the Lord.  

Juan: Blessed be forever.  

Mother,

Spouses who are not with Jesus Christ are against Him, and if they do not gather with Him the fruits of Love, they scatter their gifts and their entire lives. Let us allow the One who is stronger to enter our lives and take away all those false securities we relied on.  

Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.