Author Archives: Esposos Misioneros

Asleep or Awake? Reflection for marriages Luke 12:39-48

Leave a Reply

Gospel

From the Gospel according to Luke
12:39-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Asleep or Awake?

We live surrounded by hurry, noise, and endless responsibilities—so often pulled away from what truly matters: our love and our calling as husband and wife. These distractions numb our hearts. We end up living half-asleep, forgetting—or maybe never really knowing—who I am, what I’m here for, and what my ultimate goal is.

If my life and my choices don’t answer those questions, I’m lost—wandering without direction or purpose. I might be busy all the time, swept along by the pace of life, by noise, by shopping, by social media… but really, what am I doing with my life? Am I the person God wants me to be? Are we the kind of spouses God is calling us to become?

One thing is certain: our last day will come. We don’t know when—but we do know that the Lord wants to find us loving, because we are His children. We’re here to love, and Heaven is our final home.

To help us love well, God gives us many gifts. Saint John Paul II, whom we remember today, said in a catechesis:

“God entrusts talents and gifts to us; we will be judged by how we use them—by the faithfulness with which we manage them in our personal, family, and social lives.”

(General Audience, 1994)

When the Lord returns, may He find us using these gifts with joy and responsibility. To be faithful and wise means to care for what He’s given us—and to use it for the good of our spouse and our family, doing in each moment what love asks of us.

Applied to Married Life:

Paul: Teresa, you won’t believe this—my phone just sent me a screen-time alert saying I’ve been on it way too long today… I’m embarrassed to even tell you how many hours!

Teresa: Oh wow… I have to admit, I got that same alert yesterday and didn’t say anything. It’s crazy how much time we waste without realizing it! It’s honestly kind of scary—because it distracts us, scatters our attention, and makes it so hard to stay aware of God’s presence during the day… with all the messages, memes, and videos constantly popping up.

Paul: Yeah… but what really hits me is that time itself is a gift from God. He’s going to ask us how we used it. What will we say?

Teresa: You’re right. Enough is enough. The enemy has us fooled—numbed—and he’s stealing our time. And time belongs to God. No wonder he works so hard to take it from us.

Paul: Exactly! So, since we’re on this topic, maybe we should take a look at everything God’s given us—our faith, our marriage, our virtues, His grace. Let’s make sure we’re not letting those gifts slip away too. Come on, Teresa—let’s get to work. God’s entrusted us with so much.

Mother,

Don’t let us be deceived. Help us wake up from our numbness and recognize the gifts the Lord has placed in our hands. Everything belongs to Him, and to Him we offer it—

All for His glory, forever and ever. Amen

Ready to Love! Reflection for marriages. Luke 12:35-38

Leave a Reply

From the Gospel according to Luke 12:35-38

Jesus said to his disciples: “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants.”

 

Ready to Love!

Jesus invites us to live with our waists girded. In those times, girding one’s waist meant being ready for work, service, or mission, because a loose tunic would hinder free movement. Today, that gesture challenges us: to rid ourselves of our lazyness, of any attachment that hinders our self-giving, such as the pursuit of our own pleasures, the stubborn defense of our own viewpoints, our selfish love, and so on.

Let us live in grace, imitating Christ, who came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life. As Christians, we know that, in the image of Christ, we are not here just to live life, but to give it away, and in doing so, we find the joy of living for what we were created for: to love. Let us live, then, awake and watchful, ready to give of ourselves at every moment, for love of Christ and for the one He has entrusted to us; our husband or wife. Blessed will we be if, when the Lord comes to take us to our eternal home, He finds us like this: girded, vigilant, and poured out in love. Ready to love!

 

Applied to marriage life

Clare and Matt sit in silence late at night in the living room. The children are asleep, and only the ticking of a clock can be heard.
Clare: What are you thinking about, Matt? You’ve been quiet for a while.
Matt: Today, one of my coworkers asked me a question that really got to me. He said, “If you had only one week left to live, what would you do?”
Clare: And what did you say?
Matt: At first… nothing. I just stood there thinking. Then I realized that if I only had one week, I’d want to spend it on what really matters: you, the kids, God, loving you all better. And that’s when something clicked.
Clare: What was it?
Matt: That if those are the truly important things… why do I always put them off? Do I need to be a week away from dying to start living what really matters? I realized I give too much of myself to things that won’t last… work, worries, wasting time on nonsense on my phone, even basketball, which I love of course, but in the end, none of that goes with me to eternal life. But our love, our dedication to our children, our faith… those do.
Clare: I’m so glad you realized that, my love. We have to stay so alert… Sometimes we run so fast after what fades away that we forget to care for what never dies: love, self-giving, union with God, in in summary, what leads us to eternal life.
Matt: Yes, Clare… I hope that if one day someone tells me I only have a week to live…
Clare: Oh Matt, don’t start with that…
Matt: [laughing a little] Well! Or if someone asks me that question again, I won’t feel like I have to change much maybe nothing at all. That would mean I’m already living the way I should.

Clare: Then let’s do it, Matt. Because listen… shhh (you can hear the ticking clock): time is passing… and it won’t wait. Let’s go!

 

Mother,

Your life was one of constant readiness for God’s will. No excuses, no delays, always ready to give yourself, to love, and to serve.
I want to live like you and give glory to God! Praised be you forever!

Tiredlessly. Reflection for marriages. Luke 18:1-8

Leave a Reply
Gospel
From the Gospel according to Luke. Lk. 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being.  And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'”
The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Tiredlessly

The Lord longs to have a personal relationship with each one of us. We just have to truly believe it. But sadly, He asks us whether He will find faith expressed in that kind of intimacy. How often do we come to the Lord only to ask and ask… and after a while, we stop asking, we stop speaking to Him about that one thing, and we start asking for something else. And so it goes on without ever entering into a true intimate relationship with Him, where our concerns become His concerns, and our life becomes a continuous conversation with Him, marked by trust.
The same can happen in marriage, our relationship with our spouse can become just about asking for things or managing responsibilities, without any real intimacy. Functional marriages without true communion. Just as a soul without prayer is like a dead soul, a marriage without prayer eventually begins to “die.” Daily conjugal prayer is the best way to build that intimacy shared by three: between the spouses, with the Lord in the center leading us to true life.
Husbands and wives! What are you waiting for to begin that journey of prayer with perseverance? The Bridegroom is waiting for us!

Applied to married life:

Martin: Tess, don’t you think Anthony and Rachel are a bit over the top with all that prayer stuff?
Tess: Well, sometimes I think so too. Honestly, it even stresses me out a little.
Martin: But it’s also true that when we do pray, we’re better.
Tess: You’re right. Now that I think about it, when we pray and persevere like they tell us to, something changes in the way we see each other, or at least I feel like you look at me and I look at you with more… mercy?
Martin: It’s like we wake up from a long sleep. And on the other hand, when we don’t pray, we get lazy, sluggish, and everything feels harder.
Tess: I think in the end, they’re right. Without prayer, without grace, we can do nothing.
Martin: That’s true. I’m thinking today we could go to Mass and then stay a bit afterwards to pray before the Blessed Sacrament.
Tess: That actually sounds good to me.
Martin: Maybe we’ll even start to enjoy it! [laughs]

 
Mother,

You who kept all things in your Heart, teach us to pray like you, with that silent, intimate prayer so pleasing to God.
Blessed Mother! Blessed be God!

We have everything we need. God alone is enough. Reflection for marriages. Luke 10:1-9

Leave a Reply
Gospel

From the Gospel according to Luke. Lk. 10:1-9

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'”

We have everything we need. God alone is enough.

The Lord tells us, “set out on the journey.” He always takes the initiative through a catechesis, a retreat, a conversation with a married couple… we receive the Truth, His merciful love, and then He tells us again, “set out on the journey.” Stop moving in circles, don’t get stuck in doubts or mediocrity. Start walking toward the One who is Truth and Love. He also tells us He is sending us out “like lambs among wolves.” In that call to go forth, He is telling us to prepare our hearts, to be strengthened through prayer, to live in communion in marriage by persevering in self-giving with humility, and receiving one another with love, because when we live this way, we allow the Lord to dwell in our hearts, so that it is He who leads us in mission, and not our own ego. The Lord tells us, “carry no purse, no bag, no sandals,” meaning: trust in Him and in His providence, free from worldly attachments, so that our decisions are not driven more by money, material goods, or security than by being in communion with Him. Then He says, “greet no one on the road,” which means: do not get distracted, even by seemingly good reasons that might be excuses for not doing God’s will. The Lord is in a hurry. He tells us, “the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.” Let us be constant in prayer so that God may bring more workers to His harvest.

Applied to married life:

Paul: Mom, sometimes I feel weird around my friends… Like I don’t fit in. They make fun of me or look at me differently because I don’t talk like they do or do the things they do.
Maria: I understand, son… and it hurts me to see you like this. But you know what? Jesus already knew this could happen to us. That’s why He said He was sending us out like lambs among wolves.
Paul What does that mean, Mom?
Maria: Sweetheart, it means that sometimes, when you follow Jesus, you’re going to feel different… but you’re not alone. Being a lamb doesn’t mean being weak. It means being strong while still being good, and you’re being very brave. Dad and I have often felt the same way, but our trust in the Lord has made us stronger.
Paul: But sometimes I get tired, Mom…
Maria: I know, love. But every time you choose to do what’s right, even if no one applauds you, you’re being a light to everyone around you. And that, even if you can’t see it now, can touch many hearts. Jesus is very proud of you and so are we.

Mother,

Thank you for calling us to live like You. Even when we are not understood, give us love, meekness, and strength to be Your witnesses in our family. Blessed and praised be the Lord forever.

Part of the Plan. Reflection for marriages. Luke 12:1-7

Leave a Reply
From the Gospel according to Luke 12:1-7

At that time: So many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot. Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven that is, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops. I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one. Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”

Part of the Plan

In today’s Gospel, the Lord reminds us that even the hairs on our head are all counted. Nothing escapes Him. In our day-to-day lives, there are no coincidences, nothing is left to chance by God the Father.  Everything is part of His plan of salvation for us. And for us as spouses, the Lord has a very specific plan: that plan is my spouse. He is counting on my spouse for my salvation and on me for hers/his. In a way, He makes us co-redeemers! That means my talents and my spouse’s talents are there to be given away.  And so are our weaknesses and failures, because it’s through those challenges and trials that we both grow. By receiving my spouse even in his/her sin or struggle, our marriage is strengthened and refined in the fire of testing.
There’s nothing greater or more exciting than knowing the Lord invites us to be part of one another’s salvation!

Apply to married life:

Sam: Hey Mary, love, could you bathe the little one today?
Mary: Sam, I’m so tired. I just finished work and I still need to make dinner!
Sam: Well… maybe you could stop work a bit earlier so you’re not so tired?
Mary: (pauses, thinking…)
This is the moment the Lord is giving me to receive His grace and to receive Sam in his weakness.
This is my opportunity to keep purifying my heart.
So… I’ll choose to welcome God’s grace and grow in humility.
Mary: Sam, my love, I’ll bathe the baby. You go rest, I know you’ve had a tough day.
Sam: Love, you have no idea how much it means to me that you understand me. Thank you, muah!
Mary: Of course. Let’s both thank God, because He’s the one changing our hearts and our marriage. Sound good?
Sam: Absolutely, love!

Mother,

You said “yes” to God’s plan. Teach us to say “yes” in every situation, even when we don’t understand. Praised be the Lord forever!