GOSPEL

Whose will it be, what you have prepared?

Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke 12, 13-21.

A man in the crowd said to Jesus:

“Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.”

“My friend,” he replied, “who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?”

Then he said to them:

“Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.”

Then he told them a parable:

“There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself:

“What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.”

Then he said:

“This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.”

But God said to him:

“Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?”

So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.”

The gospel of the Lord.

Focusing on myself.

If I place my security in earthly possessions, I have a name: Fool. It’s also not worthwhile to place our emotional security in limited and transient earthly loves. The solution is to be rich before God. How? By listening to His Word and following it.

Applied to married life.

Luis: Today, I confessed the sin of greed.

Carmen: Greed? I don’t see you as particularly greedy.

Luis: Not in material possessions, but I am greedy in earthly loves. I’m always seeking more affection from you, wanting you to be more attentive to me… It seems like I constantly need your affection to feel good, but that is not the way of God’s love. I shall love you by wholeheartedly dedicating myself to you, this will be the source to receive the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Carmen: Now I understand. I see the wisdom of God in you. How wonderful…

Mother,

Only God is enough. Praise be to Him forever.

GOSPEL

Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.

Reading of the holy Gospel according to Mathew 22, 15-21.

The Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Jesus in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with the Herodians, to say:

“Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you. Tell us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied:

“You hypocrites! Why do you set this trap for me? Let me see the money you pay the tax with.”

They handed him a denarius, and he said:

“Whose head is this? Whose name?”

“Caesar’s’”, they replied.

He then said to them:

“Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Human Arguments.

I must give God the glory He deserves because as soon as I enter into human reasoning, I mix the things of Caesar with the things of God. As a child of God, what corresponds me is to follow Jesus and to die to my own reasoning, in order to bear fruit through the sacrifice of the cross.

Applied to married life.

Laura: When I engage in human arguments, I lose myself. I focus on defending my rights and demanding perfection from you, and within that darkness, my perspective darkens, I judge you, condemn you in my heart, complain, and despise you.

Martin: I understand you, Laura, because the same happens to me. But thanks to God, He is very close to you, and He quickly opens our eyes and rescues us. Laura: Yes, God is great and merciful, and He doesn’t allow us to get lost. He lets us stumble to make us humble, but He quickly rescues us and brings us back to Him and His kingdom.

Martin: I love, Lord, the wonderful wife you have given me. Blessed be the Lord.

Mother,

Do not let us fall into temptation. Carry us in your arms so that we do not separate from you or Your Son. Thank you, blessed Mother.