Gospel

From the Gospel according to Matthew. Mt. 21, 23-27.

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. 
“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus replied,  “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said,  “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Gospel of the Lord

He Delights.

Sometimes we try to place ourselves on the same level as the Lord, but the Lord is God. We cannot provoke Him by trying to force our plans upon Him, nor can we negotiate with Him. He is God! We must see ourselves as small, as tiny as we truly are in comparison to Him. The distance between God and us is far greater than the dimensions of the universe.
If I were standing at the edge of the universe, what would He see of me? I would appear utterly insignificant, infinitely small compared to God’s immensity in every way: in greatness, wisdom, power, glory, love… In everything. The diference between Him and me is beyond measure. That’s why today, with all respect and bowing before His presence, I say: Majesty, what do You wish to make of me?

Applied to Married Life:

Bob: Wife, let our “yes” truly mean yes, and our “no” truly mean no.
Lorrain: Let us live with transparency, without pretense or hidden intentions.
Bob: Let us be honest with each other, with nothing left to hide.
Lorrain: I love the purity of the path the Lord lays out for us.

Mother,

Blessed be your purity, and may it forever be so…
Praised be God, who delights in that purity.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 3:10-18

The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.

The word of the Lord.

Fragile love.

Today we spouses also ask John: What should we do?

And he tells us: Just as I baptised with water, you love each other with a fragile love that does not quench thirst. Your love is like the water of the Samaritan woman, but Christ, through your Sacrament, has brought you water that can make you never thirsty and make your love spring up to eternal life.

Grounded in Married Life:

Salva: Lord, I recognise that I cannot fill Herminia’s heart with my love.

Herminia: Lord, I need to satisfy myself with Your love. Salva wants to, and I see how the poor man tries, but he cannot fill it.

Salva: But Lord, give me that living water that you sowed in our marriage from the day of our wedding, so that Your love may be present between us and my wife’s heart may be satisfied. Your love is overflowing. Give me that love, Lord.

(And the peace of the Lord came upon them and His joy was with them)

Mother,

Full of grace, lead us to the Heart of Christ. Praise be to Him.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 11:16-19

Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

The word of the Lord

The right choice

With Elias they did what they wanted. He was a gift from God with a very special mission and they did not recognise him because of the hardness of their hearts. And with my husband, what do I do? What I want or what God wants. Criticism is included in the 5th commandment as one of the mistakes, and perhaps I am not achieving the 5th commandment when I criticise my husband.

Landing in Married Life:

Diego: So what do we decide Monica, what do you think or what do I think?

Monica: I choose to do what you say, Diego.

Diego: But if you disagree…

Monica: Yes, but I make fewer mistakes if I do not do what I want but what you want. At least this way, I choose love.

Diego: “The right choice is love.” How beautiful, Monica. How much I learn from you.

Mother,

Not recognising my husband’s gift can lead me to not recognising God in many situations. Give me faith to see Him better in him or her. Praise the Lord. We do want to recognise Him.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 11:16-19

Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

The word of the Lord

Nonsense or wisdom

Can we quantify the lack of listening and understanding in between us. A real dialogue of breams… And it is a shame, because that means that there is a lot of self-love and less love in between us.

At the end, the Lord has put us together because we have a lot to offer each other, a wonderful plan, and these unfruitful behaviours must disappear from our marital relationship so that it may bear fruits of love. Let us not be fools, let us not waste the gift and let us say today a huge “IT’S OVER!” So that through our works, wisdom may be accredited in us.

Landing in Married Life:

Mario: Maria, how is it possible that I forget how important you are to me? How is it possible that I don’t even take time out of the day to look after yourself as you deserve? And even more so now that you are pregnant…

María: You are very busy with work, Mario.

Mario: Yes, but on the other hand, I have plenty of time to complain, isn’t it?

Maria: That is true. You have to improve that, but I also have many things to improve. I love you as you are, even when you complain.

Mario: You know how to love me. Thank you Lord for this wonderful wife. From now on, You, Lord, will be my first priority, my wife the second and the rest will come later.

Mother,

May we know how to value what the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have given us and give us every day. Amen.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

Mt 11:11-15

“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and violent people take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John came, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let anyone with ears listen!”

The word of the Lord

Keep your emotion.

The prophets were in charge of the revelation that God wanted to transmit to His people. John the Baptist was the last of the prophets, and then, all the revelation is condensed and completed through Jesus Christ, who is the great Prophet with a capital P, the culmination of the revelation that is completed in Him, the Word of God.

All the subsequent messages do nothing but illuminate or enhance this revelation that culminates in Christ Jesus.

Landing on Married Life:

Joaquín: Do you realise Teresa the blessing we have for being children of Revelation?

Teresa: You are right, Joaquín. There is nothing worse than walking in the dark and without direction. Imagine if we did not know what helps our marriage and what does not, what helps the children and what does not, what builds us up and what destroys us.

Joaquín: And hopefully, learn from falls. How sad that there are marriages that resist knowing the truth of marriage. Teresa: How sad that there are people who distort the truth of marriage and teach it in their own way.

Joaquín: I feel the need to kneel down here and thank God for the great gift of Revelation.

Teresa: Here, Joaquín? But we’re going on the subway.

Joaquín: You’re right, Teresa. Sorry, it’s just that today, more than ever, I became aware of what it means to walk through life with the light of the Word and I felt the brutal impulse to thank God.

Teresa: I love it, Joaquín, but be happy, son, be happy… Hahaha.

Joaquín: I’m trying, Teresa, I’m trying. But I’m not promising you anything… Hahaha.

Mother,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing the Light to the world. Praise be to He who is the Word of God.