Gospel

‘I have not come to give peace but division.’
Luke 12:49–53

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptised with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided: three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’

The Gospel of the Lord

The Fire of Love.

Lord, the fire You speak to us about is the fire of Your Love, the love of God, the truth that transforms the heart and the Spirit who urges us to live in a new way. You desire this fire to burn because You have not come to leave us indifferent. Your message invites us to change, to abandon selfishness, to forgive and to love even when doing so is difficult. When You tell us that You have not come to bring peace, but division, You are not inviting us to provoke conflict; You are warning us that living according to the Gospel can lead to misunderstanding, even among the people we love most. Not everyone accepts the same values or is willing to follow the same path. We can experience these difficulties in our own families, too. Jesus, You do not ask us to stop loving our loved ones, but rather to let our love for God help us to love them better and draw them closer to You: without controlling, without humiliating, without lying and without abandoning what is good out of fear of conflict. And when You speak of the baptism You must undergo, Jesus, You express the anguish You feel at the suffering that awaits You. You know the price of Your self-giving, and yet You continue on Your way out of love for us.

Applied to Married Life

Rose: Hi, John. You seem a little quiet and distant. Is something wrong?
John: Yes, Rose, you know me so well. There’s something I need to tell you, and I don’t know how to do it because you might not like it.
Rose: Tell me without fear. You know you can always count on me, whatever it is.
John: I know, Rose, but I don’t like hurting you, especially through my clumsiness, and even less through my selfishness. I’ve committed us to helping the parish with a marriage preparation course.
Rose: Well, John, that’s not a bad thing at all; quite the opposite, it’s a great idea, and you know I’ve always agreed with you about taking part in anything that helps others.
John: It would be for the whole weekend, and it’s the last weekend of this month.
Rose: Oh, that’s the same weekend we were going to have a family meal with all my family. Well, I think they’ll understand, although I was really looking forward to it. But helping with what you’ve been asked to do seems more important to me.
John: But there’s more. I could have chosen another weekend because the parish priest, Father Manuel, was happy to change the date so that we could take part. But I chose that weekend because I really didn’t feel like going to your family gathering. At the time, I saw the opportunity and put myself before everyone else.
Rose: Now I understand your silence. But don’t worry; it means much more to me that you’ve told me yourself than if I’d found out another way. Although I already knew, Father Manuel called me to tell me about it and explain how he wanted us to run the course.
John: And you’re not going to get angry?
Rose: Honestly, it makes me sad, but I can’t get angry over something like this. I understand you because I know my family isn’t easy, and I know you always make an effort. And although I was really looking forward to it, I understand. There will be other opportunities.
John: Forgive me, Rose, and thank you so much for welcoming me and accepting me in this situation. You’re wonderful. I love you.

Mother,
Help us to allow God’s love to transform our lives, even when that transformation is not always understood by others. Blessed be God.

Gospel

‘Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required.’
Luke 12:39–48

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, Know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’
  Peter said, ‘Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?’ And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of 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 servant says to himself, “My master is delayed in coming”, and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 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 unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.’

The Gospel of the Lord

A Faithful and Prudent Steward of Love

God loves us passionately. He has created us and given us the gift of life, faith, our vocation, our spouse, the Sacrament of Matrimony and our family. What have we done to deserve so much? Nothing. His Love is freely given: we do not have to earn it, nor can we buy it; He gives it to us because He loves us. And yet, although He gives it to us as a gift, it has cost God the life of His own Son. Such is the immensity of His Love for us!
And now, through the Sacrament of Matrimony, God entrusts me with a beautiful mission: to bring that Love to my spouse. What is a faithful and prudent steward of love like? He is faithful when he never stops loving, even when it is difficult, when he is tired, when he does not understand what is happening or when he does not receive what he expected… And he is prudent when he knows how to find a way to convey that Love in every circumstance: with patience when his spouse fails, with understanding when they are overwhelmed, with tenderness when they need comfort and with mercy when they make a mistake. Today, in my prayer, I can ask myself: Am I attentive to what my spouse needs from me at every moment? Could my spouse discover, through me, just how much God loves them?
Lord, teach us to be faithful and prudent stewards of love, who know how to give our spouse each day the Love we receive from You.

Applied to Married Life

David: I messed up at work today. I made a mistake in something I really ought to know perfectly well. I’m so frustrated. Sometimes I think I can’t do anything right, and I feel as though I’m letting you down.
Rachel: David, do you think I love you because you do things well? If tomorrow you couldn’t work, if you couldn’t do any of the things you do now, do you think I would love you any less?
David: Sometimes I’m afraid that if you saw me as I really am, with all my insecurities and failures… I try so hard to be strong, to solve problems, to make sure you and the children never go without anything… And it frightens me to think that one day I might not be able to cope with everything…
Rachel: David, I didn’t marry a man who could cope with everything. I married you. Do you think God loves us less on the days when we fail?
David: I suppose not…
Rachel: I don’t think so either… Sometimes we forget how precious we are in God’s eyes… You don’t have to prove anything to me for me to love you. And if you can’t cope with everything today, let me be here for you… Come on, give me a kiss!

Mother,
Lend me Your eyes so that I may discover each day the treasure God has given me. Blessed and praised be You!

Gospel

‘Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.’
Luke 12:35–38

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service, and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!’

The Gospel of the Lord

What Are We Keeping an Eye On?

The Lord is constantly inviting us to embrace a new way of living. This time, He calls us to be awake, attentive, watchful for Him, for His Word, for His Heart, so that we can open the door of our own hearts and receive His divine love. We will be happy to the extent that we fill ourselves with His love and give it to others. Ask yourself without fear: Am I truly happy? Do I regularly experience joy, peace, patience, kindness, love…? For these are the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the fruits of a life that allows itself to be loved by God and surrenders itself according to His Will. If you want to experience this, ask yourself honestly: What am I keeping an eye on? Perhaps my mobile phone, my appearance, my clothes, having a perfectly tidy house, work, or even my children, parents, friends…? What steals my time and attention? How many things seem to be demanding my heart! But what about my husband? Am I attentive to him, to what makes him happy, to building intimacy with him? Or do I find that I often give him only the leftovers of my time and my heart, when I gave them to him in the first place? Today is the day to start living differently! Turn your gaze back to the Lord, allow yourself to be loved by Him and give yourself to your husband with all your heart! Do not keep score or wait for him to make the first move; you do it. That is the path to true happiness! Do not look for it anywhere else!

Applied to Married Life

Luke and Emily have been arguing about everything for weeks, but they are receiving support from mentors and want to grow in love. One evening, after putting the children to bed, they sit down on the sofa.

Emily: Luke, don’t you feel that things have been really bad between us lately?
Luke: Yeah… We just never stop. Between work, the children and everything else we have going on…
Emily: Well, you always find time for work. And for looking at your mobile phone, too.
Luke: Here we go again… You never stop either, what with the children, your mother, the shopping, the house… It feels as though I’m last on the list.
Emily: Here we go again! Let’s try to build each other up, please, and stop accusing one another, because we always end up in a terrible state.
Luke: Okaaay.
Emily: Well, that’s it. I feel exactly the same way, Luke. We spend all day doing things for everyone and doing everything except making time for each other.
Luke: It’s true… How long has it been since we sat down and talked peacefully, and prayed together?
Emily: That’s true… I can’t even remember. And then we wonder why things are like this…
Luke: Perhaps the problem isn’t that we don’t have enough time, but that we’ve stopped making time for each other.
Emily: Well, we’ll have to change that, won’t we?
Luke: We’d better, because you’re becoming unbearable (laughing).
Emily: Well, you’re one to talk! (laughing)

A few laughs, a hug, looking into each other’s eyes and a firm determination to put our loves back in the right order. Is it that easy? That “easy”.

Mother,
May we never tire of waiting for the Lord, may we know how to recognise Him in our spouse, and may He find our hearts open when He comes. Praised be the Lord, who never ceases to teach us how to love!

Gospel

‘The things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
Luke 12:13–21

At that time: Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions.’ And he told them a parable, saying, ‘The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, “What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?” And he said, “I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ ” But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So is the one who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Never Enough

Greed leads us to place our security in the things of this world rather than in God. When we allow ourselves to be carried away by it, we devote our efforts to obtaining what we believe we need, gradually moving away from God and from our vocation as husband and wife. The disordered pursuit of greater wealth, more power, more prestige or recognition, even the desire to stand out spiritually, ends up drawing us away from what truly matters: loving God and growing in communion with our spouse. The truth is that greed is never satisfied. We always want something more, because we can never have enough of what we do not really need. We live searching outside ourselves for what only God can fill within us. Greed prevents us from truly loving, because it places our desires before self-giving. We stop looking at our spouse and being attentive to their needs because our hearts are occupied with other things. Today, Jesus invites us to recognise those little forms of greed hidden in our hearts and to detach ourselves from them, so that we may recover the freedom to love and give ourselves fully to our spouse.

Applied to Married Life:

Louise: You’ve come home late again! You said we would have dinner together tonight. Andrew: I know, but a last-minute meeting came up. I need to give it everything I’ve got, now more than ever. I’m doing all this for our family.
Louise: You always say the same thing, but you’ve hardly been at home for months. Our children wait for you, and I feel lonely.
Andrew: Thanks to our jobs, we have this house, the schools and the life we lead.
Louise: I admit I’m afraid of losing our comforts, but I’m even more afraid of continuing to lose our marriage.
Andrew: I hadn’t realised you saw it that way.
Louise: We have both fuelled this. You want to earn more and prove that you can go further; I’m afraid of giving up our comforts and the image we have built. We say it’s for the family, but often it’s really because of our own greed.
Andrew: Perhaps I’ve been looking for a sense of security in money that only God can give.
Louise: And I’ve been looking for satisfaction in other people’s recognition, but that doesn’t fulfil me either. We always want more, and it’s driving us apart.

That night, before going to sleep, they knelt down together.

Andrew: Lord, forgive us for placing our trust in our work and in what we possess. Teach us to put our priorities in the right order.
Louise: Help us to let go of whatever is necessary to care for our marriage and to seek Your Kingdom first.

Mother,
Help us to place our trust in God alone. Praised be the Lord!