John: Yesterday I saw your brother looking quite sad. I don’t know… it seems like things aren’t going well with his wife. I think we should talk to them and invite them to a Marital Love Project retreat. What do you think?

Lola: I don’t know, he’s always like that… but maybe you’re right and I haven’t noticed…

John: More than that, I see him—just like the Gospel says—exhausted and abandoned, like a sheep without a shepherd. He needs to recover his joy.

Lola: Oh John, I love you so much… you’re so compassionate! You always put yourself in others’ shoes and look for a way to help and ease their suffering. I learn so much from you!

John: Well, Lola… you too… you’re always willing to listen, and you welcome what I propose.

Lola: I’ll call him right now and invite them over for dinner tomorrow so we can talk peacefully and invite them to a retreat so they can discover what marriage is like as God intended it to be.

John: What a joy it is to work together in the Lord’s harvest!

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others

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 labourers are few;

so ask the master of the harvest

to send out labourers 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 labourer deserves his 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.’

Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,

go out into the streets and say,

‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet,

even that we shake off against you.’

Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.

I tell you,

it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.”

The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,

“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”

Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.

Behold, I have given you the power to ‘tread upon serpents’ and scorpions

and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,

but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

The gospel of the Lord

Joyfully responding to his call

Lord, it may seem that there are very few married couples who make Your name known by showing what You do in our lives each day through our marriage. But more and more of us are realising that You are always by our side; You are present in our lives—we need nothing else. And with the power You have given us through our sacrament, we are able to crush the enemy, and nothing will harm us, because You are always with us. Saint John Paul once told us: “Do not be afraid! Open the doors to Christ,” assuring us that with Christ, we always overcome.

Spouses, today the Lord tells us to set out on the journey. What are we waiting for? Many marriages are suffering because no one has shown them the beauty of matrimony. The world is deeply in need of God’s love, which we proclaim through our union. Today the harvest is abundant and the workers are few—we cannot delay in responding to His call. We must be messengers of peace and God’s love for families, for marriages, and for the world. Let us joyfully respond to His call. God does not give up on any marriage.

Applied to marriages:

Elena: Did you see they’re asking for couples to help with the next retreat for the Conjugal Love Project? What do you think if we volunteer?

Oscar: Well, I think we’ve gone many times already. Maybe others should go now. We’ve answered the call many times. Plus, who would take care of the kids? We had plans with your siblings to celebrate your birthday—it’s been a long time since we saw them. I think we already have enough on our plate without taking on another responsibility.

Elena: True, there will be time later. But they’ve sent out the message several times and the team still isn’t complete. The retreat is full of those chosen to receive the truth about marriage… You know, the harvest is abundant and the workers are few.

Oscar: Yes, yes, but it seems like it’s always the same people responding to the call. Plenty of others could step up, and we need time for our own things, for family, and for you and me.

Elena: You’re right, but you also know there’s nothing better than giving yourself to others in His name. He needs us to show the greatness of marriage, and though we haven’t deserved it, we’ve received so much through these small sacrifices.

Oscar: It’s really hard for me to leave everything again, but I can’t ignore His call no matter how hard it is. What we’ve received freely, we must give freely. Sign us up—we’ll give it our all once again. I need nothing more than to know He is with us.

Elena: You’ve made me so happy. Thank you!

Mother,

Mary, Queen of Peace, may Your peace reign in all marriages and families. May we who are chosen by the Lord learn from Your faithfulness and Your “yes” to the work of the Lord, so that we may be faithful workers in His harvest. Blessed be God.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew 9:14-17

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,

“Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,

but your disciples do not fast?”

Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn

as long as the bridegroom is with them?

The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,

and then they will fast.

No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth,

for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.

People do not put new wine into old wineskins.

Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.

Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

The gospel of the Lord

“I Do.”

When we read this Gospel, a question may arise: what does fasting have to do with the Bridegroom? Jesus seems to respond in a somewhat mysterious way, but in reality, He is revealing a glimpse of His Heart.

The Jewish people had been waiting for the Messiah for centuries, and in Jesus’ time, they fasted as a sign of that expectation. When asked why His disciples did not fast, Jesus not only answers the question, but says something even greater: I am the Bridegroom you have been waiting for.

He is revealing His identity… He is the Bridegroom! A deeply loving and intimate image. And not only that, but He also makes a veiled announcement of His Passion: “The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Lord, today I contemplate Your Heart as the Bridegroom and your declaration of love that reaches the depths of my soul. I close my eyes and hear You saying in my heart: I want to wed you, and I will give My Life to make it possible—do you want this? You only need a new heart to receive Me, and I will give it to you.

Then, from the depths of my soul, I respond with all my love: “I do.”

Christian marriage is a visible sign of the invisible love of Christ the Bridegroom for His Church, and so these words resound within me: “By welcoming and pleasing my husband, I am pleasing You, Lord.”

Applied to married life:

Rocio: I’m fed up, Adolfo! It’s always the same with you. I’m tired from work too, you know? The laundry doesn’t do itself, the kids don’t bathe themselves… And your solution is always to find someone else to ‘help me.’ I can’t take it anymore! I’ve tried everything…

Adolfo: I’m tired of this too! I need my space, my rhythm, my friends, and my own way of doing things… I’m throwing in the towel!

(On the next day)

Rocio: Adolfo, I thank God because He’s helped me realise that the issue isn’t just about sharing chores. That’s a superficial, worldly patch that only leads to something worse: despair and giving up. What we need is a conversion of the heart. It’s useless to listen and learn if we don’t welcome it and remain anchored in our old ways…

Adolfo: Yeah… I see that now… you might be right. But what can we do?

Rocio: Make a firm decision: we can’t fail in our daily appointment with prayer. We need intimacy with the Lord. He’s the one who will transform our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh like His own. But we need to seek Him, find Him, and love Him in prayer.

Mother,

We thank you because you gave the first “yes” to the Bridegroom.

You recognised His love and welcomed it without reservation. Help us to persevere in prayer, to welcome Jesus with a simple heart like yours. Thank you, Blessed Mother.

 From the Gospel according to Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus passed by,

he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.

He said to him, “”Follow me.””

And he got up and followed him.

While he was at table in his house,

many tax collectors and sinners came

and sat with Jesus and his disciples.

The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,

“”Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?””

He heard this and said,

“”Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.

Go and learn the meaning of the words,

I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.””

The gospel of the Lord

The day I stopped charging you

How many times do we ask ourselves what’s going wrong in our marriage? We argue about house chores, every decision to be made, our children’s upbringing, what we do and what we don’t do. Then we enjoy two days of peace… only to fall back into the same cycle.

Maybe it’s because we’re unknowingly sitting at a tax collector’s booth—there I am, demanding compliments, collecting what I believe are my rights in front of my spouse: attention, an apology, a return for all I’ve given and haven’t received… And all the while, sadness, pain, and despair eat away at my heart, convincing me that there is no solution for us.

But then Jesus passes by, looks at me with love, and calls: “Get up and follow Me!” He wants to lift us from that booth—a prison that keeps us from moving forward on the path of Love, which is the exact opposite of collecting and demanding. Love means giving freely and not keeping score. Be like Matthew—rise, stop charging, and follow Him.

Applied to married life:

Eva: Juan, I feel physically and mentally exhausted. I was giving so much, and during prayer, I realised I was judging you again—measuring what you do.

Juan: Wow… thank you so much for sharing that with me, Eva. Honestly, I admit I sometimes let myself off the hook.

Eva: You give in ways I don’t, but it’s as if all your efforts just disappear from my sight—and I only focus on my own sacrifices, expecting a reward in return. Anyway… here I go again, starting over. What a relief it is to see how the Lord cares for us and reveals the truth of what’s really happening. I was putting all the blame for my sadness on you.

Juan: You’re so beautiful, my sweet Evita. I thank God for you and ask Him to help me see your sorrow more clearly, so I can give myself more fully to you.

Mother,

Let me always say with you: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for He has looked upon the lowliness of His servant. Praised be He forever.