GOSPEL

‘Many will come from east and west to the kingdom of heaven.’
Reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 8:5-11

At that time: When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralysed at home, suffering terribly.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ But the centurion replied, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my servant, “Do this”, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he marvelled and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.’

The Gospel of the Lord

My Faith in Your Faith

What did the Jews value in the centurion? That he had funded the synagogue. That’s why they considered him worthy of Jesus’ attention. But what did Jesus value? The centurion’s humility, to the point that He was astonished by it.

In marriage, we might say it’s not about expecting our spouse to do great things for us. Instead, we should value, as Jesus does, their faith in Christ and in our Sacrament of Marriage. Do I find my joy in your faith?

 

Applied to Married Life:

Louise: I don’t know what to do anymore. Your pride is so big that you don’t even realise it, making decisions on your own or imposing them without considering me.
Peter: I’m sorry. You’re right—I don’t realise when I impose things on you. It’s true that I struggle with pride; I’m aware of that. I regret it every time I act, relying on myself and my own strength. But I ask the Lord to do whatever He needs to do to purify my heart so I can love you better. Please be patient with me, because I’m certain He’s using these moments to chip away at my self-centredness.
Louise: Forgive me too. I’ve been relying more on my demands than on God’s power. I’ll go back to offering myself in these situations for your sanctification. My faith is in your faith.

 

Mother,

May we act always, not with mutual demands, but with trust in the Lord and the grace He pours out through our Sacrament. Praise be to Him forever.

Gospel of the Day

Gospel of the Day

Reading from the holy gospel according to Saint Matthew 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.

If we truly love each other.

Today is Saint Andrew’s day. Very little is known about him despite being named as the fourth apostle. What we do know is that he brought his brother Peter to Jesus, although later Peter will accept the Lord’s call.
How important mediation is, because all of us have participated in bringing someone closer to the Lord so that they can receive His call. It is so significant to recognize ourselves as mediators and continue to lead others to Jesus, even if later nothing is known about us. Andrew brought Peter to Jesus; what does it matter everything else he did or said? Just for that, his life was worthwhile.

Applying to Married Life:

Nacho: Caro, I don’t know how to thank you for bringing me closer to the Lord. Just that has immense value for me.
Caro: Well, Nacho, you would have done the same for me. Also, since you have drawn closer to the Lord, you have helped me a lot in my spiritual life, especially in deepening my marital vocation. Let’s say that I brought you to the Lord and you brought me to my vocation, and both things should be very connected. So, quid pro quo.
Nacho: We must not forget that we are here for each other, to help one another reach the Lord. If something does not help, it’s better to set it aside. Don’t you think? I believe that will give us strength to avoid temptation.
Caro: I think that’s very important. Let’s live with that awareness. If we truly love each other, we will take care to be a help to one another.

Mother,

Thank you for the mediations you placed in our lives to draw us to the Lord. As children, our parents and grandparents. As adults, so many who have intervened: married couples, priests, religious… thank you for so many. Praise be the Lord who has surrounded us with His own.

Gospel of the Day

Gospel of the Day

Reading from the holy gospel according to Luke 21:20-28

Jesus said to his disciples:
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people.
They will fall by the edge of the sword
and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.”

LED fiction

What a small world we have, and how small we are next to the greatness and power of God. At concerts, stars, gurus, and great leaders are shown on giant screens that make them look seemingly large, but it is nothing more than a LED fiction, because in reality, they are just as small as everyone else. We are all of the same fragile flesh, subjected to the same anguish and fears.  
In the face of all that we are, there is the glory of God, which does not need amplifications because nothing greater can exist. Let us also compare His Love with ours. Well, the distance between a couple’s relationships is similar to that between them and the Sacrament of Marriage. Let us leap into the Sacrament with faith and lift our heads, for our marital liberation is near.

Applied to Married Life:

Lauri: You know, Martín? Today’s Gospel reminds me of our marital story. We got married turning our backs on our Sacrament and believing that our relationship and our family were our own concern.  
Martín: Until our whole world started to shake, right Lauri? Until it seemed like everything was crashing down on us.  
Lauri: That’s right. Sometimes we tried to run away, sometimes we fought in vain, and fears and anxieties came in the face of our helplessness.  
Martín: Until we turned to our sacramental strength in faith, reaching out to the love of Christ that is among us, offering ourselves for each other for His sanctification.  
Lauri: And the Lord came with all His glory and rescued us. He is our salvation.  
Martín: Hallelujah!  
Lauri: Hallelujah!

Mother,

May we approach our Sacrament of Marriage with faith. Glory to the Lord forever.