To see upcoming RETREATS AND MISSIONS click HERE

GOSPEL

In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.

Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 14:1-6

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Wanting and doing.

“I will come back and take you to be with me,” says this Gospel. Saint Ambrose of Milan says that in Christ, wanting and doing are the same. His desires perfectly align with His actions. The thing is, He desires for us to be with Him, and that means if there are no obstacles on our part, the day He returns for us, we will be with Him forever.

Applied to married life:

Julio: I loved the third cycle of catechesis by St. John Paul II where he talks about the eschatological man. After all, it shows us our ultimate destination, where we are heading for all eternity.

Marta: Yes, it’s good to know and understand what we need to prepare for, what our final destination is, so that we can align our lives with what will be our life forever. The union through complete divinization. An incredible experience!

Julio: There could be nothing more beautiful than being together in the kingdom of heaven. Fullness, perfect union, forever, forever, forever.

Marta: God is great and He is all love. He wants us to be with Him, and we desire nothing better than to be with Him.

Mother,

What a blessing it would be to be with your Son and with you, to look into your eyes, hold your hand, embrace you… How much we have to thank you, Mother. Blessed be you.

To see upcoming RETREATS AND MISSIONS click HERE

GOSPEL

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 5:1-12a

“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

This is the Word of the Lord.

Desires and happiness.

We all have a desire for happiness, and that is good because God has planted it in our hearts. But due to our disorderliness, we seek it on our own and through wrong paths. Let us see the disordered path and that of all the Saints.

Applied to married life:

The poor in spirit: We long for trust and security. We seek it through the path of Greed. The right path is generosity, which leads us to attain the Kingdom of Heaven.

The meek: We long to become great. We seek it through the path of pride and vanity. But the right path is humility and meekness, which will make us inherit the Earth.

Those who mourn: We long for well-being. We seek it through the path of gluttony. But the right path is temperance. Self-control brings us suffering, but God will give us comfort.

Hunger and thirst for righteousness: The longing is for justice. The wrong path is that of Anger. The right path is patience, trusting in divine justice that will satisfy us.

The merciful: We long for tremendous dignity. The wrong path is envy. The right path is kindness, for by being kind, God will have mercy on us, and we will be dignified by being divinized.

The clean of heart: The longing is for communion. The wrong path is lust. The right path is chastity, for purity will allow me to see God.

Those who seek peace: The longing is for inner harmony. The wrong path is laziness. The right path is diligence, which will make me be and act as a child of God, granting me the desired harmony.

Those persecuted for His sake: The longing is to attain fullness. The wrong path is to be led by all the previous ones. The right path, which is the Beatitudes, will lead me to be persecuted, but it will be a sign that I will be with Him in the kingdom of Heaven.

Mother,

You will lead us to be happy among ourselves, with the Lord, and with you. Thank you, Blessed Virgin Mary.

To see upcoming RETREATS AND MISSIONS click HERE

GOSPEL

The grain grew and became a tree.

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 13:18-21

Then Jesus asked:

“What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Grandma’s Stew

God gives us the grace to become saints. On one hand, there is permanent grace, and in times when we especially need it, there is actual grace. Let’s say there is a supernatural virtue that drives any natural virtue we acquire.

Therefore, we have no excuse not to reach holiness.

However, impatience has no place here. Holiness is a slow process that is achieved through a deep union with God and our continuous efforts. Through these efforts, we accumulate the necessary merits and receive God’s reward, allowing us to advance to the next level in love.

We are like a good stew cooked slowly by the Holy Spirit, absorbing all the flavors of the supernatural ingredients that God instills in us through the merits of the Blood of Christ.

Applied to married life:

Nacho: I love it because when I look back, I see the wonderful action of God in you. There has truly been a transformation. You used to be very materialistic, but you have changed. You used to be critical, but now you are merciful. You used to be fearful, but now I see you filled with confidence in God. Your religious practice used to be superficial, but now you are in love with the Lord. You used to walk your own path and only demanded what you needed from me, but now you truly love me and strive to surrender yourself to me and build communion with me. And many more things like that.

María: And you, you were very superficial before, but now you have become so much deeper. You had a bad temper before, but now you are much more gentle. You used to be more selfish, but now you dedicate yourself more to others. You used to approach our sexual relationship for pleasure, but now you are so tender and cherish the sacredness of our marital union. And many more things like that.

Nacho: All by the work of the Almighty.

María: These are the wonders of the Lord’s mighty hand.

Mother,

Blessed is the seed that God has planted in us, allowing us to become one with each other and with God. Praise Him forever.

To see upcoming RETREATS AND MISSIONS click HERE

GOSPEL

This daughter of Abraham ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day

from this bondage?

From the Gospel according to Luke 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said:

“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”

He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply:

“There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”

The Lord said to him in reply:

“Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day

from this bondage?”

When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him

The gospel of the Lord.

Patience…

Today, this Gospel reminds us of the importance of being patient. How important patience is in our loving relationships when dealing with each other’s imperfections (bondages) and how crucial it is to maintain patience with the flaws within our own hearts: I don’t settle, and even though I put in my best effort, and even though I put forth our best efforts, I don’t despair and remain at the Lord’s disposal for Him to decide the timing of my healing and that of my spouse. As Saint Paul wisely noted, love is patient. Do I truly love my spouse? Do I genuinely love God? Well, then, patience…

Applied to married life:

Steve: I recognize the pride in my wife, Lord, because she is determined to have her way and imposes herself with great strength. Yet, Lord, I begin by questioning my own judgment, and if I am right, I trust that You will heal her as I offer You my honor.

Natalie: Lord, I observe a great deal  of selfishness in my husband, but I place my hope in You to address this disorder, just as I hope You will heal me of my own pride. Meanwhile, I will continue to work on fighting against my sins, as I know he is also fighting against his.

Mother,

I see in this Gospel that the Lord will not delay our healing us unless He deems it necessary for us. In Him, we trust. Praise the Lord.

To see upcoming RETREATS AND MISSIONS click HERE

GOSPEL

You shall love the Lord, your God, and your neighbor as yourself

From the Gospel according to Matthew 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law tested him by asking:

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

He said to him:

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

The gospel of the Lord.

Huge.

We are not only made in God’s image, but everything in our lives finds its meaning in God. My marriage has completely changed as I now see it from a divine perspective. I have learned to venerate my spouse! Can there be a more profound transformation?

Applied to married life:

Ethan: The Lord has greatly blessed our marriage. He looks at us and reveals His mystery between us.

Helen: Everything changes when we look at it in alignment with God’s plans. Seeing you as a gift and support, allows me to partake in His love with every selfless act, making even the small things incredibly fruitful, embracing our role as parents…

Ethan: Everything becomes huge when we are born of the Spirit. Thank you, Lord.

Helen: Praise be to You.

Lord,

That by embracing my husband and my family, I may welcome You; that by I giving myself to them, I may give myself to You. By loving them, I may love You. Mother of marital Love, pray for us. Amen.