From the Gospel according to John. Jn 15:26, 16:4a

Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Witnesses in Hard Times

When we give testimony, we usually talk about how well things have worked for us in life; of course, thanks to God. But the reality is that we can only truly give testimony of Christ when we are on our cross and through the intervention of the Holy Spirit. Only when we love in difficult situations—when the world is incapable of loving—can others see the supernatural action of the Holy Spirit in us.
The question is: Am I offering myself as a witness who suffers? If the answer is “yes,” then, as Jesus said: “When the time comes, you will remember that I told you.”

Applied to Married Life:

Michaela: Shawn, I love the Lord so much that I deeply desire for everyone to know Him.

Shawn: Then you have to bear witness to Him as a wife. How do you plan to do that?

Michaela: There’s only one way: by loving you in the most difficult moments.

Shawn: That’s a tough challenge, because when I get difficult… I really make it hard for you.

Michaela: Tell me about it… But I offer myself as a witness, ready to love you even through suffering, so that the Holy Spirit can act if He wills it.

Shawn: I can see you love the Lord very much.

Michaela: But I also offer myself because I want to love you deeply, in all those situations where I’ve not yet been able to love you as I should.

 

Mother,

We want to be spouses who bear witness to the Love of Christ. May He be praised forever.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 14:23-29

Jesus said to his disciples:

“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,

will teach you everything

and remind you of all that I told you.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give it to you.

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

You heard me tell you,

‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’

If you loved me,

you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;

for the Father is greater than I.

And now I have told you this before it happens,

so that when it happens you may believe.”

The word of the Lord

 

Give me what You command.

The Lord grants us peace through the wounds of the cross upon His body. That is why He tells us not to let our hearts be troubled or afraid. We might worry, but thankfully, the Spirit will show us the way in all those situations where, despite suffering, we must love as He has loved us.

 

Applied to married life:

Juanjo: Some people are not open to listening to the Lord because they fear what He might ask of them. Do you fear that?

Marta: Well, I do worry that I may not be up to the task He asks of me, but I trust that the Holy Spirit will assist me in what I need.

Juanjo: Yes, as Saint Augustine said: “Give me what You command, and ask of me whatever You will.”

Marta: Exactly. With that confidence, I present myself before the Father.

 

Mother,

Grant me the gifts of the Holy Spirit that I need to be one with my spouse, as this is the mission God has entrusted to me. Thank You, Mother.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

John 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples:

“If the world hates you, realise that it hated me first.

If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;

but because you do not belong to the world,

and I have chosen you out of the world,

the world hates you.

Remember the word I spoke to you,

‘No slave is greater than his master.’

If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,

because they do not know the one who sent me.”

The word of the Lord

 

Chosen!

Lord, today I rejoice in appreciating the truth that I have been chosen by You to be taken out of the world. You have taken all the chosen ones out of the world, but especially my husband and me—you have drawn us out. The price to pay? That the world hates us. Blessed price, which also makes us resemble You, our Master.

 

Applied to married life:

Ana: My parents tell me that I have joined a sect and that I have been brainwashed. That so much prayer and so many Masses cannot be normal.

Jaime: I know. In my case, it’s my sister who doesn’t understand me. She thinks I should spend more time with family. But the Lord has called us, and we must obey God before men.

Ana: May the Lord enlighten us, and may He not hold it against them.

Jaime: Poor souls… I understand why they don’t understand us. Before the call of Our Mother, I would have felt the same way. But I am so happy that we are His chosen ones…

Ana: And I am too…

 

Mother,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for Your call. We are Your chosen ones. Thank you, Blessed Mother.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 15:12-17

Jesus said to his disciples:

“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.

No one has greater love than this,

to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

I no longer call you slaves,

because a slave does not know what his master is doing.

I have called you friends,

because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you

and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,

so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

This I command you: love one another.”

The word of the Lord

 

Spouses, Friends of the Lord

As married couples, we have been chosen by the Lord to be His friends by loving one another as He has loved us. In doing so, we build a friendship with Him. We might consider other ways to cultivate our relationship with Him, but it seems that His priority is this: That we love each other as He loves us. So, it’s not enough to just pray—though it’s also true that without prayer and the sacraments, it is impossible to love as He does.

 

Applied to married life:

Carmen: If we don’t make the effort to value each other more, then we’re not really being friends of the Lord. Do you understand?

Luis: I understand. Praying to God while doing the work.

Carmen: Right, but do you love me just as I am?

Luis: Of course I do.

Carmen: Then why do you keep complaining about me all the time? You create an atmosphere that doesn’t help me at all, you know?

Luis: Yes, I get it. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and I don’t let you be yourself. Will you forgive me? Because what I want most is to love you.

Carmen: I forgive you. But try a little harder, okay? I know you’re in love with the Lord, and that’s why I say this.

Luis: Yes, and I appreciate it.

 

Mother,

Spouses who love one another as He does—that is what we want to be. Praise be to the Lord.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples:

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.

Remain in my love.

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,

just as I have kept my Father’s commandments

and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that

my joy might be in you and

your joy might be complete.”

The word of the Lord

 

Do we take it seriously?

Jesus’ commandments are summarised in two: Love God above all things and love one another as He has loved us. That is why, if we do not love each other—especially as spouses—we will not be able to remain in His Love. It is impossible. The second conclusion of this Gospel is that if spouses truly love each other, their joy will reach its fullness. Do we want to miss out on that?

 

Applied to married life:

Isabel: We give so many premarital catechesis sessions, but we lack joy. Don’t you think?

Nico: We lack joy because you and I do not love each other as we should. Maybe we don’t even know how to love each other.

Isabel: Then, why continue with the premarital catechesis?

Nico: No, the problem is not the catechesis. The problem is that we do not have a path to move forward in our love.

Isabel: What if we recommit to the Proyecto Amor Conyugal with determination? Nico: That path is a guaranteed success. We stopped working on it seriously out of laziness, and that is hurting us.

Isabel: I’m calling right now to find out when the next catechesis is, and we’ll prepare together. Does that sound good?

 

Mother,

Thank you for Proyecto Amor Conyugal. Thank you, Blessed Mother.