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Darkness or Light. Reflection for marriages John 3:16-21

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Gospel
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him. Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John 3:16-21.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
The word of the Lord.
Darkness or Light
Lord, when I center my hopes on worldly things, I drift away from You, and Your things become less appealing to me, and vice versa. I am realistic; I know I have a heart affected by concupiscence, and there is a battle within my heart for its purification. A struggle between worldly passions and the soul’s longings that come from You. I know I must deny myself so that my soul can draw closer to You. This is how to avoid darkness and prefer the light, this will be my judgment. I desire to approach the light, even if my misdeeds are exposed; I do not mind the humiliation as long as I am with You.
Husband, I ask for your loving help on this path of purification.
Applied to married life:
Ángel: After the good intentions this morning, I have messed up again. The attitude of one of our children and their criticisms after I corrected them made me lose patience and kindness. I wanted to use any circumstances of my day to deny myself, accept adversities as a means of purification, but once again, I did not. Anna, I thank you because after the scene, you remained calm and seemingly fine. I assume it must have required significant self-control for you.
Ana: (Remains silent, but it is true that she suffered and offered that suffering without reproaching her husband or making faces.)
Ángel: (After a long silence in which Ángel gives Ana the opportunity to speak) What I can offer you now, Lord, is the humiliation of recognizing my smallness. As I approach Your light, I feel ashamed and annoyed for not taking advantage of this circumstance you gave me so that my heart could be freer and closer to you. But I still love you and above all, I want to be by Your side.
Mother,
I choose the light, I accept any humiliation, any adversity as a means of purifying my heart to make it capable of loving. Give me the opportunity to live them with hope, Mother. I thank you because I know you will grant me this desire. Amen.

Where it seeps in. Reflection for marriages St. John 3, 5a. 7b-15

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GOSPEL

No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
Reading from the holy Gospel according to St. John 3, 5a. 7b-15.
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
‘How can this happen?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Where it seeps in.
The truth is, if I had been Nicodemus, I wouldn’t have understood anything either. Now, in hindsight, after knowing the life of Christ, all of this makes sense. We have even been able to experience things related to what Jesus said.
Now we know that if we let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit, we don’t know where we will go. And we know that things that have happened and that we didn’t understand at the time have made sense because they were His work. Also, thanks to the Lord, we have some experience of heavenly things, through faith. And we also understand what Christ meant when he spoke of being lifted up. We have seen Him lifted up on the cross and we have seen the healing consequences that it has had for us and our Marriage.
The kingdom of God is already here and transforms our lives, if we draw close to the Lord and let Him transmit His Spirit to us.
Applied to Married Life:
Mercedes: It’s amazing, Javier, how much you’ve changed. You who always planned everything and got very nervous every time the plans were disrupted, I am very surprised to see how confidently you now handle the unexpected.
Javier: Well, I learned that from you when you told me that the Holy Spirit seeps in through the unexpected. I have had so many experiences of the Spirit that have been a result of unexpected events… because it is true that if everything goes as I expected, where do I leave room for the Spirit to seep in?
Mercedes: So now, every time there’s an unexpected event, you look at God and ask Him, “What do You want from this, Lord?” I love it. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “God still loves the world and sends you and me to be His love… So, that is our mission wherever we are.”
Javier: Thank you, Mercedes, for being that love of God for me.
Mother,
Your Son has been lifted up, and we have been freed to love through the action of the Holy Spirit. Praise be to Him forever.

Wrapped in a sack. Reflection for marriages Luke 1:26-38

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GOSPEL

You will conceive in your womb and bear a son.
Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint 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 favor 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.
Wrapped in a sack.
Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Annunciation, which is 9 months and 6 days before Christmas. It is a solemn day because it is a particularly important day and it is worth taking the time to reflect on it. The angel of the Lord announces to Our Mother that the Son of God was going to be incarnate in her. It was something that had been announced for some time, and today, now, that much-awaited moment arrives.
But what are the implications of the Incarnation? For God, who becomes man and remains to be man for the rest of eternity: “dwelt among us.” God involves himself with us to the extent of becoming one of us forever.
And for us, what implications does it have? Primarily that God marries us: He accepts our flesh and therefore our nature, to make us children of God, elevate it, and introduce it into His divine nature. Quite something.
Today the Lord tells me: I give myself to you and welcome you, so that everything of yours is Mine and everything of Mine is yours, and I promise to be faithful to you in joys and sorrows for all eternity. Now that is what getting married means.
Applied to married life:
Ivan: If the Lord became man for eternity and thus commits to us, and if my marriage to you is an image of His love for us, then my commitment to you should be as radical as His.
Marian: Absolutely. But what does that translate to in our everyday married life?
Ivan: Well, I was reflecting on the things where I still struggle to give myself to you or in which it is difficult for me to do so. Moments when I don’t listen to you properly or don’t say what you need to hear. Moments when you ask me for things that weigh on me; situations in which it is hard for me to agree with you… I don’t know. I think I need to make more effort so that my love for you resembles that of the Lord.
Marian: And you haven’t even mentioned how hard it is for you to share your favorite dessert with me when I ask. Haha.
Ivan: You know me too well. Haha.
Marian: I know you inside out.
Mother,
How much the Lord involves himself with me. It gives me goosebumps. Praised be the Lord for all eternity.

Accept the conditions. Reflection for marriages John 20:19-31

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GOSPEL

A week later, Jesus came.

From the Gospel according to John 20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

The Gospel of the Lord

Accept the conditions

The mercy of the Lord is so great that He refrains from reproach Thomas and accepts Thomas’ conditions to believe in Him. Something as intimate and even humiliating as putting his hand into His wounds. The result the Lord obtains from Thomas is a precious confession of faith: My Lord and my God. The result we all obtain is a new beatitude: Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.

Applied to married life

Henry: I’m learning from Jesus’ example as a spouse that, when faced with grievances and doubts from His spouse, He responds with even greater love. To bring out from each situation a possibility for her to convert and grow in mutual love.

Ana: I suppose you’re referring to His response to Thomas’ disbelief in today’s Gospel.

Henry: Yes, I would be upset because he didn’t trust what I had told him so many times, that I was going to rise again, especially when the other disciples already testified that it had happened. I love learning from the Lord how to be a better husband.

Ana: Me too, but we have work ahead of us. Let’s make sure not to repeat Thomas’ mistake and trust in the Holy Spirit’s power within us.

Mother,

With you, we say to the Lord: My Lord and my God. Praise be to Him forever.

 

Witnesses? Who to believe?. Reflection for marriages Mark 16:9.15.

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GOSPEL

“Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel”

From the Gospel according to Mark 16:9-15

When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country. They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either.

But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Witnesses? Who to believe?

Jesus “rebuked them for their unbelief.” It’s not common for Jesus to rebuke something. However, disbelief regarding the testimony of others must hold special importance, don’t you think?

The testimony of others is so significant for God and the Church that many saints are elevated to the honor of the altars. Many are considered models of Christian identification. Of course, there’s also falsehood. How do we discern when to trust and when not to? On one hand, there must be a connection between testimony and revelation for it to be reliable. On the other hand, there must be coherence in life so that the person is seen trying to practice what they preach. And then, when someone testifies, they personally commit to the cause, sometimes even to the point of giving their life.

Christ spoke of his resurrection on the third day (revelation), and then some disciples come saying they have seen him risen (they personally commit by coming and facing everyone), and yet they are not believed. Jesus, after rebuking them for their unbelief, sends them to proclaim the Gospel, and woe to those who do not believe them.

Applied to Married Life:

After a life of selfishness and using others for personal gain, James decides to live by the Gospel. Obviously, James had caused significant hurt to his wife and loved ones. Consequently, James, didn’t immediately become a positive example for others It all started with good intentions and with more or less frequent relapses, so his good deeds were interpreted as “surely expecting something in return”. But gradually, by the grace of the Lord, the Gospel was taking root in his attitudes, in his conversations, and in his priorities. James was truly changing. He was truly undergoing a transformation, shifting his focus away from his own interests and towards prioritizing his wife’s needs.

 

James was no longer as admired in his work, but he continued to dedicate himself to it out of love for God. He wasn’t such a “leader” in his home anymore, but he tried to give glory to God; nor did he impress his friends as much by knowing everything. Because the Good News is not effective if it’s not proclaimed by a “new man”. And that, no one denied, neither his wife nor his children. James was definitely a “new man” now.

Now James is, above all, a witness to the resurrection of Jesus, and his wife is madly in love with the “new” James.

 

Mother,

I thank you because I have believed. You have been watching over me until I believed. Christ has risen, and He is here, by my side, within me. And He loves me so intensely that He will never abandon me. And of this, I am a witness, Mother. Praise be to the Lord who has saved us. Hallelujah!