GOSPEL

He will be condemned to death.

Reading from the Gospel according to Matthew. Mt 20,17-28

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,
he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,
and said to them on the way,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day.”

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She answered him,
“Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply,
“You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Can you?

It is Jesus who says that they will hand Him over to the gentiles to mock Him. And after all this, Jesus asks: Can you drink the cup that I am to drink? They said yes. I say No! I cannot. I have tried hundreds of times, thousands… but I cannot stand people speaking ill of me, especially my loved ones. I immediately respond by defending myself, justifying myself, or even taking revenge with similar or even worse insults than those received.

So, today I say to the Lord: Lord, I cannot. Can you do it for me? If so, I am willing to accept all the humiliations that come my way. But only with you. Meanwhile, Your grace is enough for me.

Applied to the context of marriage:

James: Lord, when it seems that I am getting over it and I am able to accept the criticisms or corrections from my wife, which I consider unfair, when I already believe that I am able to not get angry and continue loving her in those situations, I end up defending myself and fall again. I distance myself from her again and respond in kind. It’s as if I see her sin in her and judge her for pride or vanity or who knows what. I turn once more to Your Mercy, Lord.

Anne: Lord, I committed to accompany you on the cross this Lent. I believe I am renouncing many times, but I see that I end up falling. My husband says that everything bothers me, but I think it is he who has no delicacy at all. Anyway, Lord, here I am in the battle of my heart. Purify it, Lord. Above all, we know that your mercy is like those embers where our tears disappear as soon as they come close to you.

Mother,
Praised be the Merciful Lord.