From the Gospel according to Luke 9:22-25

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
yet lose or forfeit himself?”

The Gospel of Lord

The Great Difference

In the different degrees of love, there comes a moment when the lover loves what their beloved loves. Today, Christ, my Beloved, tells me that He will suffer greatly, be rejected by the most “respectable” people, and be crucified for my spouse. Then He asks me if I love my spouse enough to do what He does. His resurrection will come afterward—the triumph of God’s glory—but am I willing to follow in His footsteps first?

Applied to Married Life:

Will: Lorraine, I’m experiencing the great difference between simply living with you and being willing to give my life for you. It’s a massive difference, only smilar to following Christ to the cross.
Lorrain: That certainly seems like a huge step, Will. But that also means a lot of suffering because of me, doesn’t it? Who will sustain you?
Will: The Lord. To live this degree of love, one must go through the different stages of prayer with Christ until reaching the “prayer of stillness”, where you allow Him to work in you. The Lord strips you of everything until you are ready to give yourself in silence, even in rejection and difficulties, without complaint. This is a work only He can do.
Lorrain: So, no matter how much we try, this is not something within our power. It’s about progressing in intimacy with Him.
Will: Exactly. There’s no other way.

Mother,

We must love Jesus greatly to be willing to be despised and to give ourselves with Him. We love Him dearly, but give us more of His love. May He be praised forever.

From the Gospel according to Mark. Mark 10:28-31

Peter began to say to Jesus, ‘We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Well Paid

When we talk about labor contracts, no one ever feels they receive more than they give. However, in missions for the Lord, which are not financially compensated, we all agree that we receive far more than we give. That is a mark of the Holy Spirit—when He moves through us, He always leaves His imprint.
Today, we can say that we are witnesses to the truth of this Gospel.

Applied to Married Life:

Rachel: George, do you know how to tell if you were truly the one behind an act of service to others?

George: Because before doing it, I entrusted myself to the Holy Spirit?

Rachel: Well, yes, but also because afterward, you experience being blessed with a gift from God just for having given yourself.

George: That’s true. I’ve felt that before. And another sign is that I don’t feel tired while I’m serving others. Instead, I finish with a desire to do it again. Doesn’t that happen to you, Rachel?

Rachel: Yes, yes, it does! The only problem is that if I leave it too, that desire fades.

George: That’s true! So, it’s best to give ourselves often, so we don’t lose that drive.

Mother,

The Lord rewards even our smallest acts of service most generously. Blessed be the Lord.

From the Gospel according to Mark, Mark 10:17-27

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 

You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother.””
He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.””
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
“You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.””
At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!””
The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.”

The Gospel of the Lord

With All Your Strength

Whoever seeks the Kingdom of God with all their strength, God gives them everything they need—and even I do not know what I truly need. Only God knows. He must strip me of my self-love, and this is very difficult for me. That is why I need to stand before the Lord and let Him remove all the obstacles from my heart.

My spouse is a great help in this because my relationship with him or her forces me to step out of myself in order to enter their heart.

Applied to Married Life:

Luis: After 50 years of life, Lola, I look back and realize that my successes come down to what the Lord has taken away from me—things that were preventing me from loving you better.
Lola: And He’s taken quite a few! Though I think He might need another 40 or 50 years to finish the job. Hahaha!

Luis: Hahaha! How funny… No, but you’re absolutely right. I’m a tough nut to crack. I think I’m making it very difficult for Him.

Lola: Well, freeing ourselves completely so that God may reign isn’t something within our power. It really means placing our security in God at all levels—financially, in decisions, in our ways of thinking, in our time…
Luis: Phew! Just thinking about it hurts. Pray that He helps me.
Lola: I pray for you every day. I promise.

Mother,

God’s will is to lead us to His Kingdom. May we be docile to the action of the Holy Spirit. Blessed be the Lord, who gives us the difficulties we need.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke

Luke 6:39-45

Jesus told his disciples a parable,

“Can a blind person guide a blind person?

Will not both fall into a pit?

No disciple is superior to the teacher;

but when fully trained,

every disciple will be like his teacher.

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,

but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?

How can you say to your brother,

‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’

when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?

You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;

then you will see clearly

to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.

“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,

nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.

For every tree is known by its own fruit.

For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,

nor do they gather grapes from brambles.

A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,

but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;

for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”

The word of the Lord

 

Sampling of purity

What we say to each other as spouses is a good sample of the purity or impurity of our hearts and, consequently, the quality of our love. There is no possible deception there. I contemplate how I speak to my spouse and what I say, and whether I complain about him/her or if I bless God at all times for my spouse. Then, perhaps, I will have a contrite and humbled heart.

 

Applied to married life:

Jaime: I think I am too quick to judge you harshly. What should I do?

Lorena: Ask for forgiveness for the times you tried to remove the thread from my eye without noticing the stick in your own eye. I have learned that there is nothing more serious than the pride of believing that someone has the right to judge others. So, I also ask for your forgiveness because I have spoken badly to you many times and judged you in my heart.   

Jaime: I forgive you, and I also ask for forgiveness for my pride.

Lorena: Well, what you just did is already an act of humility. I am proud to have you as my husband.

Jaime: I am also proud to have you as my wife. There is no one better.

 

Mother,

How many things are still in our hearts that should not be defiling it. Praise be to the Lord who purifies it.