From the Gospel according to John
John 6:60-69
Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said,
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer walked with him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
Stumbling Stones?
Lord, sometimes my misery, my failures, or my lack of virtue may seem like obstacles on the path to You, and I live them as stumbling stones. They are stones that could discourage me. But today I have discovered that no, they are actually a help. The more I fall into the valley of personal humiliation, the more ready I am to love. The more open I am to embrace others, anyone, no matter how despicable they may seem—because I am also despicable. And what’s more, I discover that only You, only You can do it. I have only You. I have nothing else… and nothing less. Lord, You have the words of eternal life, and I know that You are the Holy One, and only You can lead me to holiness.
Grounded in married life:
Ramón: Tere, I think I’m not going to the marriage group anymore. We learn things, but then they don’t help us. We still argue often, you lose your temper, like yesterday, and become furious.
Tere: I know, Ramón, but we’re still on the journey. We’re moving forward little by little. We’re learning about the truth of marriage, and we’re making an effort, even though we should take it more seriously. We’re starting to recognize our mistakes, and there are seasons when we improve. But I’ll tell you one thing: if we stop learning about the truth of marriage, if we don’t sit down to talk about it at least once a month, if we don’t have a reference group, if we don’t commit to meeting once a month—where are we going to end up? The Spirit is in the Church, and we are part of it. That’s the path, Ramón.
Ramón: I understand—I’m being tempted. It’s true that leaving this path wouldn’t be a better alternative. On the contrary, it would lead me to ruin. Only perseverance in the path the Lord shows us will save us.