GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John 17:11b-19

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying:

“Holy Father, keep them in your name

that you have given me,

so that they may be one just as we are one.

When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,

and I guarded them, and none of them was lost

except the son of destruction,

in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

But now I am coming to you.

I speak this in the world

so that they may share my joy completely.

I gave them your word, and the world hated them,

because they do not belong to the world

any more than I belong to the world.

I do not ask that you take them out of the world

but that you keep them from the Evil One.

They do not belong to the world

any more than I belong to the world.

Consecrate them in the truth.

Your word is truth.

As you sent me into the world,

so I sent them into the world.

And I consecrate myself for them,

so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”

The Word of the Lord

 

The Invisible Enemy

It is moving to hear Jesus speak with the Father, and even more moving to discover that we are the reason for His prayer. Jesus prays just before going to Gethsemane, and it is striking to contemplate how, at such a moment, He does not think of Himself but of His disciples. And among them are also we ourselves, our marriages, our families…

In an individualistic world, full of attractions that scatter and divide the human heart between God and the things of the world, Jesus asks the Father for this gift for us: “that they may be one.” This is the great longing of the Heart of Jesus. And it is also our desire: to live united to the Lord. In marriage, that unity involves becoming one with our spouse. But what prevents it? Self‑love. That great invisible enemy that divides, hardens the heart, and makes communion difficult. There lies the battle — against myself.

Guard us, Lord, from this evil; may I stop looking so much at myself and learn to protect and support my spouse so that we may walk together towards You. Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful vocation, in which I am united to You through union with my spouse. And when together we live united to Christ, we can remain in the midst of the world… without losing our soul.

Applied to married life

Beatriz: Charles… do you realise we’ve spent forty minutes arguing about which series to watch?

Charles: It’s because the ones you choose are painfully slow.

Beatriz: Well, and you only ever want explosions and car chases.

(The argument escalates, and their hearts end up distant.)

Charles: Wait… Bea, in the end what’s pushed us apart isn’t the series — it’s our self‑love, wanting to impose our own way… We started with something silly, but look how we’ve ended up.

Beatriz: True. We’re always trying to impose our own will.

Charles: That famous self‑love always shows up… “My plan is better”, “I’m right”, “Why should I be the one to give in”… Me, me, me, me…

Beatriz: And while we’re fighting over a series… Jesus is praying to the Father that we may be one. The Lord has such patience with us.

Charles: Right then, here’s my proposal: you choose the series, and I’ll offer up my renunciation… for the sake of our communion.

Beatriz: (laughing) A martyr of conjugal love!

Charles: Well… one step at a time. Holiness begins with forty‑minute episodes, hahaha…

 

Mother,

Teach us that our unity so often begins with small daily acts of self‑denial. Help us in this battle, so that our unity may speak to the world of the love of Christ.

Blessed be the Lord!