From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“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, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

Experience of Love  

What must Mary’s experience of love with the Holy Spirit, her Spouse, have been like on the day of the Immaculate Conception of the Son of God? The Holy Spirit is also the author of the union between spouses. May we have a pure heart like Mary’s, so we may be docile to the Holy Spirit.

Applied to Married Life:  

Andrés: There are moments when we are very united, but there are still times when we grow distant from each other. It’s a shame, but it’s the reality.
Carmen: Yes, because we haven’t yet given our full “yes” to total self-giving, as the Virgin did from the very beginning.
Andrés: It’s a shame that we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to do His work. He would know exactly what to do between us. Let’s keep striving to surrender our self-love. What do you think?Carmen: It’s worth it, yes.

Mother,

Give us the determination to say “yes” to our self-giving as spouses, slaves of the Handmaid of the Lord. Thank you, Blessed Mother, for your precious “yes.”

From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 4:24-30

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:
“Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel
in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Too Earthly?

They didn’t believe in Jesus because He seemed too “earthly.” It seems that, in order to have faith in the mediation of others, we need them to come from far away or to appear very holy in our eyes. What we see as “normal” seems incapable of being a channel for the supernatural. We struggle to see God in the ordinary.  

But the truth is that my marriage is sacred. The truth is that my spouse is a minister of God’s grace to me. The truth is that my spouse is the suitable help God has placed in my life so that we may reach Him together. But because I see faults and sins in him/her, I fail to recognize this. The consequence? God cannot work miracles if I do not believe in the mediation He has placed before me.  

I must truly believe it, because God seeks to speak to me especially through my spouse.

Applied to Married Life:  

Paco: Lucía, I don’t understand why you don’t want to pray with me. We’ve been told that prayer in marriage is essential.  

Lucía: Paco, I see you praying a lot, but then your life isn’t consistent with all that you pray. Honestly, I’m a little tired of so much hypocrisy. I don’t see that your prayer is making any difference, and to be honest, I’m starting to dislike your overly spiritualized and detached way of living.  

Paco: Sorry, but you’re not any better than me. You have a strong character, little patience, you’re tense, and always on edge…  

(Paco prays, and the Lord speaks to him: “Paco, why do you resist the message I want to give you through your wife? It’s true that you pray a lot, but you put little effort into making her happy. Treat her as if she were Me, because the way you treat her is the way you treat Me.” Paco heard the Lord’s voice through Lucía.)  

Paco: Lucía, sit here with me. I can see you’re uneasy, that you’re not comfortable with me. I’d like to understand why and how I can help.  

Lucía: Paco, I feel alone, confused… (*And she continues explaining…*)  

Paco: I understand, Lucía. You feel like I demand too much from you, that I expect perfection, but what you really need is to feel loved as you are. You need to be at ease with me, without worrying about whether I’m judging you… I’m sorry, Lucía. I want you to know that I love you as you are, including your shortcomings. I love you just as you are, and I will show you.  

Lucía: Now I do feel strong enough to try praying with you. Will you help me?

Mother,

Queen of the Family, pray for us.  

Mother of Conjugal Love, pray for us.  

Gospel of the Day

Gospel of the Day

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 15:1–3, 11–32

At that time, all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to listen to Jesus. But the Pharisees and the scribes were murmuring, saying:
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So Jesus told them this parable:
“There was a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that belongs to me.’ So the father divided his property between them.
Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and set off for a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in reckless living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that land, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill himself with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
Then he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough to eat, and here I am starving to death! I will arise and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me like one of your hired servants.”’
So he arose and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him tenderly.
The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us eat and celebrate, for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
Meanwhile, the elder son was in the field. As he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what was going on.
The servant said, ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’
The elder brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
The father said, ‘My son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. But it was right to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

In a Spectacular Way

The Lord comes to reveal the heart of the Father, and this Gospel is especially fitting for that purpose, as we contemplate the Father’s response to both of His sons.
Let me learn to look upon the lost sheep with the same Love with which He looks upon all His children.

Applying It to Married Life

Teresa: I suggested to my husband that we go on a retreat, and he said no—that he’s fed up with retreats and Church stuff, and just wants to stay home. In prayer, the Lord gave me a glimpse of His mercy, and I went out to meet my husband with a desire to delight him, to welcome him in his weakness. He felt truly loved. I don’t know if he’ll come to the retreat or not, but this moment brought us closer. Glory to God!
Luis: This afternoon, my wife wouldn’t stop correcting and reproaching me—even insulted me. But with God’s grace, I sat down with her and tried to understand where her pain was coming from. She told me she didn’t feel important to me. So I began to treat her like a queen, until she truly felt loved. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but today, this situation has drawn us together. Glory to God!

 

Mother,

Today, I only want to praise God for the many times I have failed Him—spectacularly, shamefully—and yet He has come out to meet me, has loved me, forgiven me, and healed me.
Glory to You forever, Lord. Praised be You, my God!