Monthly Archives: August 2026

Just and holy. Reflections for married couples. Mark 6:17-29

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Gospel according to Mark 6:17–29
At that time: Herod had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
  But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.’ And he vowed to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.’ And she went out and said to her mother, ‘For what should I ask?’ And she said, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Just and holy
Today we celebrate the martyrdom of St John the Baptist, the first martyr who gave his life defending the truth about marriage. His mission was to prepare the way for an encounter with Jesus, to prepare hearts, and, being docile to God’s will even to the point of giving his life, he fulfilled it by calling people to conversion and proclaiming the truth on every occasion. And this made him just and holy.

We too, as husbands and wives, are called to be like John the Baptist for one another, helping each other to prepare our hearts on the journey towards an encounter and union with Jesus. But not through imposition or control, because we are not the source of the other person’s good: God is the source of all Good. We are instruments and stewards of that Good, called to receive it and give it to one another.

My spouse is a gift from God, but does not belong to me. To love is not to possess: whoever loves seeks the good of the beloved and desires to please them, while respecting their freedom. The Catechism reminds us that “there is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just” (CCC 1733). Free will allows us to choose; God’s Will shows us the good to which we are called. Our freedom reaches its fulfilment when we freely choose that Good and unite ourselves to God’s loving will.

Therefore, we spouses, who promised to love and respect one another every day of our lives, are called to live out this respect especially when accompanying one another on the journey towards Christ, even when our pace is different. Marriage consists in giving ourselves to one another, placing our gifts at the service of the common good, and helping each other to grow in intimacy with Christ, without becoming an obstacle to one another and always seeking the true good of our spouse and of the whole family.

God Himself respects our freedom and awaits our “yes”; Mary too, as our Mother, leads us towards Him without imposing herself upon us. Therefore, in marriage we are called to accompany one another without becoming an obstacle, fostering a personal encounter with Christ, caring for our prayer as a couple and walking together, each at our own pace, while also helping our children to walk towards our true destination: Heaven.

Brought into married life

Bea: Bruno, I’ve been offered the opportunity to go on a retreat this weekend. As I was praying about it, I feel that the Lord is placing it before me so that I can draw closer to Him.
Bruno (he remains silent, but inwardly it hurts him that his wife wants to spend a weekend away from him. The following day, after praying about it, he says): At first, I wanted to tell you no. I thought about the children, everything that needed to be done and how it wasn’t the best time. But, if I’m honest, there was also some selfishness in me: it was difficult for me to accept you going away and having to stay here on my own.
Bea: Oh, my dear Bruno! How grateful I am that you’ve told me. I don’t want to impose it on you either. I want to discern it together with you, because whatever God wants for me must also be a good for our marriage and our family.
Bruno: That’s what I realised afterwards in prayer. You are a gift from God to me. So, if the Lord is calling you to this encounter, I don’t want to be an obstacle. To love you is to desire your good and respect your freedom, and I love you, Bea.
Bea: Thank you. I love you too, and if I want to go, it is so that I can be filled with more of God, not so that I can distance myself from you all. I want to come back with a heart more filled with Him, so that I can love you and our children better.
Bruno: Then go in peace. I’ll stay with the children and support you. I understand now: if He wants to give you something there, it can also become a gift for all of us. Go and fill yourself up, and then come back and fill me with goodness through lots of kisses and cuddles… hahaha.
Bea: Hahaha… that’s exactly what I’ll do, my love. Thank you so much. You help me greatly to prepare the way towards the Lord: not possessing one another or holding each other back, but drawing closer to Him together.

Mother,
Teach us to be truly free, always choosing what is good and God’s will, always saying yes to Him, with a meek and humble heart like yours. **Blessed and glorious are you, Mother! May the Lord be praised for ever!**

Living in a state of Grace. Reflections for married couples. Matthew 25:1-13

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Gospel according to Matthew 25:1–13
At that time: Jesus told his disciples this parable, ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise answered, saying, “Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.” And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterwards the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he answered, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.” Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.’
Living in a state of Grace

When reading this parable, we may think that the wise virgins should have left some of their oil for the foolish ones. Humanly speaking, we may feel “sorry” for those five careless virgins who left their reserve of oil behind and went out to meet the bridegroom without being properly prepared. But the Lord gives us a very profound teaching here: the wise virgins represent the attitude of the believer who lives with their heart ready for Christ’s coming, and this attitude is personal and cannot be transferred, just as faith and Grace are. We can thus see the importance of living in a state of Grace, prepared to meet the Lord, for we never know when that moment will come. So, married couples, let us be prepared! Let us frequently receive the Sacraments, especially Confession, the Eucharist and our Sacrament of Marriage, in which Grace is made present in every act of self-giving and welcoming. And let us deepen our spousal relationship and our relationship with the Lord through marital and personal prayer. In this way, we will be prepared and watchful when the Bridegroom comes.

Applied to Married Life:

Michael: Hi, darling. How are you? You look very serious.
Amelia: Ugh! You can’t imagine… my mother has just called me and told me that my cousin Robert has died.
Michael: Oh, I’m so sorry. What happened?
Amelia: It was a car accident. He was on his way to a work meeting when another car crossed his path. I still can’t believe it; it feels like a nightmare. Just yesterday I was talking to him and he told me about a Marriage retreat they had attended and how it had changed their lives. And now this, with his children being so young. And do you know what my mother told me?
Michael: What?
Amelia: That Maria, who is now his widow, is at peace. She has the consolation that this weekend they had been to Mass and Robert had gone to Confession. So, despite the great pain, she has the consolation that he died in a state of Grace.
Michael: What faith! What an impressive and beautiful testimony. If you agree, let’s pray for Robert’s soul, and when some time has passed, we’ll go and visit Maria. I’m sure she will appreciate it, and we can ask her about that retreat and how it changed their lives. It must be something truly special.
Amelia: Thank you so much, Michael. I would really like to go and see her and make that retreat in memory of Robert. I know he would have loved it.

Mother,

You are our example of faith and humility. Help us to persevere so that, on the day the Lord calls us, we may have our lamps filled with the finest oil. Blessed be our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar!

Be alert. Reflections for married couples. Matthew 24:42-51

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Gospel according to Matthew 24:42–51
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, Stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
  ‘Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, “My master is delayed”, and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Be alert.

The Lord does not ask us to guess when He will come, but to let Him find us loving. It is a call to live in vigilance, faithfulness and responsibility, not out of fear, but out of love for the Lord who is coming. The best preparation for His coming is faithfulness in the little things: a kind word, a forgiveness offered, a service carried out with joy. To keep watch means not allowing routine, selfishness or comfort to cool our love, but remaining attentive to the needs of the other and open to God’s grace. In marriage, this vigilance does not consist in waiting for some extraordinary event, but in being attentive to the heart of our spouse. The Lord comes to meet us through the needs of the other: in a tiredness that calls for understanding, in a silence that hides a wound, in a request for help or in an opportunity to forgive. The “faithful and wise servant” is the husband or wife who never stops caring for the love they have received. It is the one who does not wait to feel inspired to serve, but has made service a way of life. Marital fidelity is built in everyday life, when no one notices and it seems that the effort goes unnoticed. We are in danger of thinking: “My master is taking a long time to come.” In the day-to-day life of marriage, this happens when we stop caring for the relationship because we think there will always be time to talk, ask for forgiveness, pray together or show affection. Little by little, routine, indifference and the pursuit of our own interests appear. The heart falls asleep and love loses its strength. Christ invites us today to remain awake. Every day is an opportunity to love as He loves. Every act of self-giving prepares our hearts for His coming and strengthens the marital union. The best way to wait for the Lord is to let Him find us loving one another, serving one another and walking together towards holiness.

Applied to Married Life:
Mónica: Raúl, we have had a heavy workload for several weeks and it seems that we do not even have time to talk.
Raúl: Just a moment, Mónica, I have to reply to a message on my phone and then we can talk for a while.
Mónica: You see, it seems that the phone is the most important thing, the best refuge for not wanting to see how we are becoming distant.
Raúl: You’re right, Mónica. I’ll put the phone away now. I have noticed it too, but I didn’t want to take the first step to try to resolve this difficult moment. I have let myself be carried away by my selfishness, even thinking that you hadn’t noticed.
Mónica: Don’t worry, I have also let myself be carried away and I haven’t done much to try to draw closer to you. I have taken refuge in work and, when I get home, the phone has also been a great excuse.
Raúl: This morning, when I had a little time to read today’s Gospel, it really struck me, and I realised that I had been waiting for you to take the first step for some time, because I was only looking at myself. I came home intending to change, and the first thing I did was put the phone between you and me.
Mónica: I also found a little time to pray with the Gospel and realised something similar to what you are telling me. Let’s begin: how was your day?
Raúl: You’re wonderful. How about we work together on the things that need doing around the house now, put the children to bed and then spend some time together, sharing what we have in our hearts and, while we’re at it, getting back to our time of prayer.
Mónica: I think that is the best way to start again. That way I can tell you everything I have been reflecting on in my heart for some time.
Raúl: I can’t wait for that moment. I have left you alone these past few days, and it is affecting me much more than it seems. I’ll start tidying the kitchen and preparing dinner.
Nothing spectacular happened. Simply, one of them decided to watch over their love instead of waiting for the other to take the first step. That was how the Lord found them being a faithful marriage in the little things.
Mother:

Help us to be a marriage that is faithful in the little things every day and to keep watch so that the love of God may reign in our lives. Glory to God.

Appearances. Reflections for married couples. Matthew 23:27-32

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Gospel according to Matthew 23:27–32

At that time: Jesus said, ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
  ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, “If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.” Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.’

Appearances

The Lord leads us again and again to look into the depths of our hearts. The image of whitewashed tombs is a strong one, but it is also a lesson for us. The problem is not having wounds, weaknesses or sins; we all have them, but as long as we acknowledge them and struggle not to sin, we continue walking towards God. The danger begins when we stop fighting against sin and make peace with it. First we fall; then we justify it: “It’s not that bad”, “That’s just how I am”, “Everyone does it”. Little by little, we become accustomed to living with it and begin to hide it, worried that it might be noticed and that others might see it. That is where hypocrisy begins: we make evil look good on the outside while allowing it to settle within us. Saint Paul warns us: “Therefore, sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires” (Rom 6:12). Because the sin we give a place to eventually wants to occupy the throne. That is why we need the humility to open our wounds to Christ and surrender them to Him: what is acknowledged can be healed; what is hidden becomes entrenched. In marriage too, we can become accustomed to small forms of selfishness, harshness or resentment and end up justifying them. What does Jesus find in my heart when no one sees me? Is there something I am no longer concerned about changing? Jesus does not want us merely to appear clean on the outside; He wants to make our hearts pure.
Applied to Married Life:

Rocio: Arguing about the same thing again…
Ignacio: Well, we know each other and it’s always like this… we get angry, say a few things to each other and then it passes… the “normal arguments” of any marriage.
Rocio: “Normal arguments”? Well, that worries me, because we have normalised it… we have been like this for so long that we have become accustomed to it.
Ignacio: You’re right, we have started making peace with something we know is wrong. We only worry about it when the children, friends or family are at home.
Rocio: Well, you know what I think? We need to acknowledge our wrongdoing, because no one goes to a doctor for a wound they want to hide. I think this is the most dangerous thing. We need to turn to the Lord, we need His grace and we need to begin a journey of conversion in our hearts.
Mother,

When we become accustomed to our weaknesses, awaken our hearts and lead us back to Jesus. Blessed are you!

Could anything good come from this? Reflections for married couples. John 1:45-51

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Gospel according to John 1:45–51
At that time: Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to him, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered him, ‘Because I said to you, “I saw you under the fig tree”, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’
Could anything good come from this?

When, in our marriage, we receive the revelation that our vocation involves communion with our spouse in such a way that it reflects the very life of the Most Holy Trinity, and that this is the only path to our sanctification, the devil makes us recall all our weaknesses and sows doubt in our hearts: can anything good come from what we are living?

But if we remain open to His Grace, God, who knows the depths of our hearts, never stops inviting us and offering us opportunities each day to grow in that communion through acts of mutual self-giving and acceptance, and to grow in intimacy with Him. Then we will be able to see and experience all the wonders He has dreamed for our marriage, so that together we may reach Heaven.

Applied to Married Life:
Laura is very excited about sharing her life with Daniel. They have not been married for long, and she longs to have a united marriage, but…
Laura: I was waiting for you to come home from work so that we could pray together, but instead you’ve been staring at your phone for half an hour and it’s as though I don’t even exist, as if you were still at the office! Is this what we got married for?
Daniel: You’re right, Laura. I’m worried about a serious problem, and I’ve got hooked on watching silly videos that get me nowhere, just so I don’t have to think about it.
Laura: I’m sorry, Daniel. I’ve let myself be carried away by what I was expecting, and I haven’t thought about you. Why don’t you go take a shower, as that always helps you switch off, and then we can share what’s worrying you in prayer?
Daniel: Perfect. Thank you for being patient with me on this journey of marriage that we are walking together.

Mother,

May we not remain focused on our weakness, but instead look towards the plan God has prepared for our marriage. Praised be God!