GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

John 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples:

“If the world hates you, realise that it hated me first.

If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;

but because you do not belong to the world,

and I have chosen you out of the world,

the world hates you.

Remember the word I spoke to you,

‘No slave is greater than his master.’

If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,

because they do not know the one who sent me.”

The word of the Lord

Chosen!

Lord, today I rejoice in appreciating the truth that I have been chosen by You to be taken out of the world. You have taken all the chosen ones out of the world, but especially my husband and me—you have drawn us out. The price to pay? That the world hates us. Blessed price, which also makes us resemble You, our Master.

Applied to married life:

Ana: My parents tell me that I have joined a sect and that I have been brainwashed. That so much prayer and so many Masses cannot be normal.

Jaime: I know. In my case, it’s my sister who doesn’t understand me. She thinks I should spend more time with family. But the Lord has called us, and we must obey God before men.

Ana: May the Lord enlighten us, and may He not hold it against them.

Jaime: Poor souls… I understand why they don’t understand us. Before the call of Our Mother, I would have felt the same way. But I am so happy that we are His chosen ones…

Ana: And I am too…

Mother,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for Your call. We are Your chosen ones. Thank you, Blessed Mother.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 15:12-17

Jesus said to his disciples:

“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.

No one has greater love than this,

to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

I no longer call you slaves,

because a slave does not know what his master is doing.

I have called you friends,

because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you

and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,

so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

This I command you: love one another.”

The word of the Lord

Spouses, Friends of the Lord

As married couples, we have been chosen by the Lord to be His friends by loving one another as He has loved us. In doing so, we build a friendship with Him. We might consider other ways to cultivate our relationship with Him, but it seems that His priority is this: That we love each other as He loves us. So, it’s not enough to just pray—though it’s also true that without prayer and the sacraments, it is impossible to love as He does.

Applied to married life:

Carmen: If we don’t make the effort to value each other more, then we’re not really being friends of the Lord. Do you understand?

Luis: I understand. Praying to God while doing the work.

Carmen: Right, but do you love me just as I am?

Luis: Of course I do.

Carmen: Then why do you keep complaining about me all the time? You create an atmosphere that doesn’t help me at all, you know?

Luis: Yes, I get it. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and I don’t let you be yourself. Will you forgive me? Because what I want most is to love you.

Carmen: I forgive you. But try a little harder, okay? I know you’re in love with the Lord, and that’s why I say this.

Luis: Yes, and I appreciate it.

Mother,

Spouses who love one another as He does—that is what we want to be. Praise be to the Lord.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples:

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.

Remain in my love.

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,

just as I have kept my Father’s commandments

and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that

my joy might be in you and

your joy might be complete.”

The word of the Lord

Do we take it seriously?

Jesus’ commandments are summarised in two: Love God above all things and love one another as He has loved us. That is why, if we do not love each other—especially as spouses—we will not be able to remain in His Love. It is impossible. The second conclusion of this Gospel is that if spouses truly love each other, their joy will reach its fullness. Do we want to miss out on that?

Applied to married life:

Isabel: We give so many premarital catechesis sessions, but we lack joy. Don’t you think?

Nico: We lack joy because you and I do not love each other as we should. Maybe we don’t even know how to love each other.

Isabel: Then, why continue with the premarital catechesis?

Nico: No, the problem is not the catechesis. The problem is that we do not have a path to move forward in our love.

Isabel: What if we recommit to the Proyecto Amor Conyugal with determination? Nico: That path is a guaranteed success. We stopped working on it seriously out of laziness, and that is hurting us.

Isabel: I’m calling right now to find out when the next catechesis is, and we’ll prepare together. Does that sound good?

Mother,

Thank you for Proyecto Amor Conyugal. Thank you, Blessed Mother.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.

He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,

and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.

You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.

Remain in me, as I remain in you.

Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own

unless it remains on the vine,

so neither can you unless you remain in me.

I am the vine, you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,

because without me you can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me

will be thrown out like a branch and wither;

people will gather them and throw them into a fire

and they will be burned.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you,

ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.

By this is my Father glorified,

that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

The word of the Lord

Abundant Fruit.

Bearing abundant fruit—this is the Father’s plan for our marriage. And not just any fruit, but an abundance. This is what can happen if we remain in the Lord.

Now, the challenge is to remain in Him. And even while doing so, to understand that He will prune us so that we may bear even more abundant fruit.

Applied to married life:

María: Even though I have given my life to God, I still feel humiliated by you in certain situations. How long will this continue?

Pedro: First, until I learn to be more considerate towards you. And second, until our marriage bears many fruits of love. These trials are typical of a marriage that God wants to make holy. What do you think?

María: Seeing it that way, it gives me a lot of hope.

Pedro: Stay with the Lord, and you will see how joyful you become.

Mother,

May we never stray, even the slightest bit, from Your Immaculate Heart. Thank You! Blessed Mother.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 14:27-31a

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give it to you.

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

You heard me tell you,

‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’

If you loved me,

you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;

for the Father is greater than I.

And now I have told you this before it happens,

so that when it happens you may believe.

I will no longer speak much with you,

for the ruler of the world is coming.

He has no power over me,

but the world must know that I love the Father

and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”

The word of the Lord

Peace amid misery.

What a mysterious relationship that binds you, Lord. Full of humility (“The Father is greater than I”), with obedience (“As the Father has commanded me, so I act”), with love (“The world must understand that I love the Father”), and with peace (“My peace I give you”). What kind of love is this, Lord? The one you want to share with us, though we struggle to receive it. What do you see when you look at the Father? How much of Him is in your heart? Mysterious love—profound, full, overflowing…

Of course, I want to reach that love in our marriage. But am I willing to drink from the cup of humility? And from that of obedience? You, Lord, do not give peace as the world gives it—imposing it—but as you give it, like the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies, bearing fruit in peace. May my heart not be troubled, Lord, and may I dare to take the step of truly believing in your way.

Applied to married life:

Paco: It seems like we’re a bit stuck. We’ve had good moments, even great ones, but now, it feels like we’re not moving forward.

Mayte: Saint Teresa, in The Interior Castle, spoke of pride. It’s like a barrier on the spiritual path that prevents you from moving to the next level, so to speak. Do you tend to think well of your wife? Do you see her as better than yourself? Do you admire her often? Do you thank her frequently? These are the questions that can help you discover whether humility exists in your heart.

Paco: Well, the diagnosis is clear. What can I do?

Mayte: First, ask for Grace and pray often, so that the Lord reveals who you truly are. But beyond that, acts of obedience will be good for you. Does your wife correct you?

Paco: Often.

Mayte: And how do you react?

Paco: Honestly, not well. I see so many flaws in her that I don’t understand how she dares to correct me.

Mayte: Well, if instead of focusing on her, you choose to obey her, it will do you an incredible amount of good.

Paco: And what about her?

Mayte: What she has to do, that’s her concern. What about you? Do you want to experience what Christ feels in that sincere, joyful love that fills life with peace? Then do what He does, to reach with Him what He reaches. That is the prize. That is the promise.

Mother,

Thank you for introducing us to this Project of Love. Thank you for allowing me to live these experiences. Thanks be to God for the gift of love. I am not worthy to share these experiences with you. I love you. Praise be to the Holy Trinity!