GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John 11:45-56

Many of the Jews who had come to Mary

and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him.

But some of them went to the Pharisees

and told them what Jesus had done.

So the chief priests and the Pharisees

convened the Sanhedrin and said,

“What are we going to do?

This man is performing many signs.

If we leave him alone, all will believe in him,

and the Romans will come

and take away both our land and our nation.”

But one of them, Caiaphas,

who was high priest that year, said to them,

“You know nothing,

nor do you consider that it is better for you

that one man should die instead of the people,

so that the whole nation may not perish.”

He did not say this on his own,

but since he was high priest for that year,

he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,

and not only for the nation,

but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.

So from that day on they planned to kill him.

So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews,

but he left for the region near the desert,

to a town called Ephraim,

and there he remained with his disciples.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near,

and many went up from the country to Jerusalem

before Passover to purify themselves.

They looked for Jesus and said to one another

as they were in the temple area, “What do you think?

That he will not come to the feast?”

The word of the Lord

 

What Do We Do?

In this Gospel we see the reaction of the people who witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus. Faced with this sign, many believed in Jesus, but others, seeing the very same thing, closed their hearts and rejected Him. They were not indifferent — they decided to put Him to death.

Before Jesus there are only two possible attitudes: to welcome Him or to reject Him. Which is mine? Do I welcome Him and believe in Him with all the consequences that entails, or do I look for excuses and reject Him? Because God’s logic is so far from human logic that welcoming Him means making a radical change in my life — a change that leads me somewhere I do not control, that goes against my own criteria, that alters my plans, that pulls me out of my comfort zone. Am I willing to embark on that adventure, or do I prefer to control my own life and, in doing so, reject Him and put Him to death in my heart?

In our marriage, the Lord performs many signs, but if our hearts are not attentive and ready to recognise Him, those signs pass unnoticed. Husbands and wives, let us stay awake so that we may see the signs of Jesus and welcome Him. Let us trust Him, for He has promised us immense and eternal happiness. And the Lord always fulfils His Word.

 

Applied to Married Life

Paula: Nick, what do you think about helping at a retreat next weekend instead of going to the little house in the mountains?

Nick: But Paula, my love, you know we’ve had that getaway planned for weeks — and I’ve really been looking forward to it. Why the sudden change?

Paula: It’s just that Sandra called me. She said a married couple were going to help out, but the husband has fallen ill and now they won’t be able to go.

Nick: And has she asked us to go?

Paula: No, she hasn’t, actually. But she sounded worried and a bit overwhelmed, and I thought maybe we could offer ourselves — perhaps it’s a sign that we’re meant to go.

Nick: The very weekend we were going to the mountains?

Paula: Well, you know God’s plans rarely match ours, and they always unsettle us a bit. How about we take it to prayer?

Nick: But what if another couple has already offered to go in their place?

Paula: Then it’ll mean it isn’t God’s will for us to go this time, and we’ll head to the mountains… how does that sound?

Nick: Alright, fine — let’s pray about it. Because it’s true: when God calls and you say yes, He fills you with blessings, and I wouldn’t want to miss out on them…

(And in prayer they decided to place it in the hands of the Virgin. They would offer themselves the next day and, if no one else had filled the gap, they would go to the retreat, postponing their mountain getaway for another time.)

 

Mother,

Teach us to live attentive to the signs of God, and to submit our will, always ready to do whatever is necessary to fulfil the plans He has for us, just as you did, always welcoming His will. Blessed and glorious are you, Mother. May the Lord be praised for ever.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY 

From the Gospel according to John 10:31-42

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.

Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father.

For which of these are you trying to stone me?”

The Jews answered him,

“We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.

You, a man, are making yourself God.”

Jesus answered them,

“Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, ‘You are gods”‘?

If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,

and Scripture cannot be set aside,

can you say that the one

whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world

blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me;

but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,

believe the works, so that you may realize and understand

that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

Then they tried again to arrest him;

but he escaped from their power.

He went back across the Jordan

to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.

Many came to him and said,

“John performed no sign,

but everything John said about this man was true.”

And many there began to believe in him.

The word of the Lord

 

We Are Children of God

By pure grace, when we receive the Sacrament of Baptism, God makes us His children. What an undeserved gift. This is the dignity my wife has, and it is the dignity I have. No one can take it from me, though I can lose it through sin. And if that happens, the Lord is so good and so merciful that He has prepared another great Sacrament for us: Penance. Once we repent and confess our sins to the priest, we regain that dignity we had lost.

Husbands and wives — we also have the Sacrament of Matrimony. Let us not waste even a drop of the grace the Lord pours out upon us so abundantly.

 

Applied to Married Life

(Mike and Magda in prayer after finishing their meeting with the couple they are guiding)

Mike: Lord, I feel such deep sorrow seeing how this married couple treat each other without respect. If this is what they say in front of us, what must they say when they’re at home? Give us light so that we may know how to help them recognise themselves as your children.

Magda: Indeed — what pain the Father must feel seeing them like this. We need to pray a great deal for them and make reparation for the offences they commit against each other and against the Lord.

Mike: Today it seemed that, by the end of the meeting, they left with a little more hope. Let’s pray that they persevere, begin their conjugal prayer, and go to confession, just as we suggested.

Magda: I’m sure that will set them on a path of purification — and that will be what saves their marriage.

Mike: We place our trust in you, Mother. You never consider any marriage lost, and neither do we. Glory to God.

 

Mother,

May we know how to live these last days of Lent at your side, at the foot of the Cross, making reparation for the many offences we commit against your Son.

Blessed are you.

Praised be the Lord in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John 8:51-59

Jesus said to the Jews:

“Amen, amen, I say to you,

whoever keeps my word will never see death.”

So the Jews said to him,

“Now we are sure that you are possessed.

Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,

‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’

Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?

Or the prophets, who died?

Who do you make yourself out to be?”

Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;

but it is my Father who glorifies me,

of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’

You do not know him, but I know him.

And if I should say that I do not know him,

I would be like you a liar.

But I do know him and I keep his word.

Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;

he saw it and was glad.”

So the Jews said to him,

“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”

Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,

before Abraham came to be, I AM.”

So they picked up stones to throw at him;

but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

The word of the Lord

 

To Remain in the Truth

We have a beautiful Eucharistic hymn (Adorote Devote) that says:

“…When judging of You, sight, touch, and taste are all deceived; but only by hearing can one believe with certainty. I believe all that the Son of God has spoken: nothing is more true than this Word of truth…”

Because of the hardness of our hearts when we hear the word of God, we insist on seeing, feeling, and tasting in order to believe what He tells us. Yet it should be enough simply to hear, believing firmly with the heart that sees, feels, and tastes inwardly. The Gospel may seem always the same to us, but when we pause even briefly each time we read the same passage, the Lord speaks to us and reveals something new on every occasion.

Through His word, God first spoke to us about the union between man and woman, and later Christ directs us back to the beginning, emphasising the importance of the Word, His unity with the Father, and confirming marriage as an indissoluble sacrament. We may find many answers, but none of them is valid if it leads us away from the will of God.

 

Applied to married life 

Mary: I’ve just heard that Marta and Roberto want to separate. It seems things haven’t been going well for them for quite some time.

Albert: Maybe it’s better for both of them. Better to separate and be happy than to stay together just for the sake of it.

Mary: Do you really think that? I married you convinced it was for life, no matter what happened.

Albert: Yes, me too — but we’re not Marta and Roberto.

Mary: It would be good to try talking to them. We can’t just look the other way as if nothing were happening, don’t you think?

Albert: You’re right. I’m sorry — I don’t know what I was thinking, speaking like that. The Lord has given married couples the grace to overcome any situation, however uncomfortable it may seem.

Mary: Now that’s the husband I married. I’m going to call Marta so we can meet today without fail.

Albert: But tell her the four of us should meet. We need to be a light for them and encourage them to come out of the situation they’re in, however difficult it may seem to them.

Mary: If you agree, let’s pray for a while before we see them, so that in the light of the Gospel the Lord may give us the words to help them and shed light on their marriage.

Albert: You’re absolutely right. What better truth than the one we receive through the Word of God. I’ll get the Gospel and we’ll start straight away.

Mother,

Help us to find and to share the message of love of your Son through the word of God. Praised be God.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God

to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,

of the house of David,

and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said,

“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

But she was greatly troubled at what was said

and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary,

for you have found favour with God.

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,

and you shall name him Jesus.

He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,

and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,

and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel,

“How can this be,

since I have no relations with a man?”

And the angel said to her in reply,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore the child to be born

will be called holy, the Son of God.

And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,

has also conceived a son in her old age,

and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;

for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.

May it be done to me according to your word.”

Then the angel departed from her.

The word of the Lord

 

Always Yes

We have reached the end of Lent, and as the mystery of the Cross draws near, this Gospel appears like an oasis in the desert. We contemplate the Annunciation as a great light that teaches us how to live the Cross. Our Lady’s Yes was neither naïve nor easy. Mary knew the Scriptures, and she knew that the path of the Messiah would pass through suffering. Even so, when the angel visited her, and without understanding everything, she responded with openness and trust: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Mary knew that this Yes would involve pain, that a sword would pierce her mother’s heart, and yet she surrendered herself and accepted that God’s will be fulfilled in her.

The Lord also visits us in our daily lives—often in joy, but at other times through the Cross, in circumstances we do not understand, in difficulties, trials, moments of darkness… God speaks to us through the events of life and awaits our response, our trust in Him and in His plan for our marriage. How delicate God is: He does not impose Himself; He wishes to be welcomed and waits for our availability. Mary’s Yes allowed God to become incarnate in the world, and our small daily yes allows Jesus to become “incarnate” in some way in our ordinary life. Lord, who am I that you should want to count on me? Who am I that you should wish to share even a little of your Cross with me? From this sense of wonder, and united with Mary, we want to say to you: “Let your plan be fulfilled in our lives.”

 

 

Applied to married life:

Alicia: (in tears) Sam, the doctor was very clear… we can’t have children.

Sam: I still had hope, but after doing everything within our reach according to God’s law, when he said it, it felt like a stab inside.

Alicia: But how can this be? We always imagined a house full of children… we have so much love to give them…

Sam: It seems our life won’t be as we had imagined. It’s going to be very hard to accept that God has other plans… Perhaps He’s asking of us a different kind of fruitfulness, that we become spiritual parents to many souls, helping so many marriages to be born and to grow, marriages that need to discover God’s love…

Alicia: Now is when we must remember that nothing escapes God, that He allows everything for our sanctification, for our union with Him… that He is our Father, that everything about us matters to Him, and that even the hairs on our head are counted…

Sam: The Lord is visiting us through this cross. Lord, what are you coming to do in our hearts?

Alicia: Let’s unite ourselves to Mary; let’s offer her this immense pain so that she may present it to the Lord. And if you agree, let’s pray with trust, as Jesus and Mary did.

Sam: Lord, we unite our pain to yours. If you will, take this cup away from us, but not our will—yours be done.

Alicia: Let it be done in us according to Your Word. Amen.

 

Mother,

help us and teach us to say Yes to God always, as you did — with trust in Nazareth and with faithfulness at the foot of the Cross. Blessed and praised are you for ever!

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John 8:21-30

Jesus said to the Pharisees:

“I am going away and you will look for me,

but you will die in your sin.

Where I am going you cannot come.”

So the Jews said,

“He is not going to kill himself, is he,

because he said, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?”

He said to them, “You belong to what is below,

I belong to what is above.

You belong to this world,

but I do not belong to this world.

That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.

For if you do not believe that I AM,

you will die in your sins.”

So they said to him, “Who are you?”

Jesus said to them, “What I told you from the beginning.

I have much to say about you in condemnation.

But the one who sent me is true,

and what I heard from him I tell the world.”

They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.

So Jesus said to them,

“When you lift up the Son of Man,

then you will realize that I AM,

and that I do nothing on my own,

but I say only what the Father taught me.

The one who sent me is with me.

He has not left me alone,

because I always do what is pleasing to him.”

Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.

The word of the Lord

 

Do you want your husband/wife to be converted?

“When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that ‘I am’.”

The Lord tells us that it will be when He is lifted up on the cross that His identity will be revealed. On the cross.

Where do we believe that we reveal Jesus Christ?

When we speak about Him to others?

When we tell our husband what he ought to do in order to get things right?

When we help on a retreat or give catechesis?

But He points us to the cross. To love on the cross.

Nothing will reveal Jesus Christ in us more than loving in difficulty. Not even miracles, nor the most impressive preaching.

Do you want your husband or wife to be converted and believe?

Love him on the cross — love him when he doesn’t realise you need him, love him when he forgets to do what you asked, love him when he speaks to you harshly, love him…

Let yourself be lifted up with Christ on the cross, being a light of love in the midst of darkness. Only by continuing to love to the very end, united to Jesus, will His Heart and His divinity shine through you. And then, with God’s help, you will have prepared the way so that, seeing divine love in you, he may believe.

 

Applied to married life:

Elizabeth: Paul and kids, dinner’s ready!

Paul: I’m coming, Elizabeth…

Elizabeth: Come on, kids, set the table and do your little jobs.

Elizabeth thinks: It’s already nine o’clock and the children and I have been waiting for him for half an hour… Paul, come on, dinner’s ready!

Paul: Again? I said I’m coming… I’ve got loads of work, can’t you see? You’re so impatient!

Elizabeth: This is the moment when I need to keep calm, and understand that he’s stressed and tired from the demands of his job. Holy Spirit, help me, because on my own I can’t…Whenever you’re ready, love.

Paul: I heard you the first time…

Elizabeth: How hard this is for me… but this is the moment to understand him and love him.

Love, I made the meat with the sauce you like so much.

Paul thinks: After waiting for me, and after I snapped at her, she still greets me with a smile… It’s clear something has changed since they showed us the truth about the Cross in our lives. Elizabeth, thank you for your patience and for putting up with my bad mood.

Elizabeth: Paul, I love being faithful to what I told you on our wedding day: I take you and I give myself to you in prosperity and adversity, in health and in sickness…

Paul: How wonderful to live out what they taught us about embracing the Cross, just as you do.

Mother,

Thank you for giving us your Son, who gave Himself to the very end. Blessed be the Lord!