GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John
Jn 14:21-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
“Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name–
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.”

The word of the Lord

 

Two Loves in One

The one who loves will keep His Word, His commandments. And what is His commandment? That we love one another, as spouses, just as He has loved us. Therefore, I cannot love God, whom I do not see, if I do not love my spouse, whom I do see. But the reverse is also true: I cannot love my spouse except with the help of the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send, because He will teach me everything. He will teach me to love my spouse and remind me of all that Christ has said, so I may apply it to my marriage. We must strive to unify our love for God and our spouse.

 

Applied to Married Life:

Carlos: First, I loved you, but as time passed, my love has cooled, disappointed by how I judged your love for me. Then, you helped me encounter the Lord, and I fell in love with Him, but I was not united with you. Something was missing, and I was not happy. Then, I had my marital conversion, and I understood that loving God and loving you are one and the same. Now, I am complete.

Alicia: Yes, I helped you fall in love with the Lord. I saw His perfection, His mercy, and His infinite greatness, whereas with you, I saw only imperfection—I considered you unworthy of me. I endured faithfully, for God, but it was mere resignation. But then, you helped me discover and fall in love with my vocation. The process has been beautiful. Now, the Spirit is within us and guides us—it is truly amazing.

Mother,

Pray for us, Holy Mother of God, that we may be worthy to attain and enjoy the promises of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.