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Gospel

God will administer justice to His chosen ones who cry out to Him.

From the Gospel according to Luke. Lk 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’”
The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Justice!

Many times, I want to enforce justice. That’s why I am demanding, that’s why I defend myself, that’s why I get angry… Anger enters due to the desire for justice in my heart. That desire is good, God has placed it in me, but the path to achieve justice is not to demand it or impose my own. The path is to ask it of God and be gentle, patient, persevering, with the faith that He will do it without delay. Will this faith be found in me? Blessed are the meek.

Applied to marriged life:

David: I want to be meek, but I can’t achieve it. My passions drag me in the face of what I consider injustice, and anger takes over me. I would like to control it, and I make resolutions, but I can’t achieve them.

Carmel: That’s because your lack faith.

David: I don’t understand… What does faith have to do with this?

Carmel: It’s okay to set resolutions, but you also have to ask for it insistently, with the double assurance that God will give you meekness and that He will be the one to administer justice. How will He give you meekness if you don’t believe that He will administer justice, and you have to impose it yourself?

David: You’re right, Carmel. Now I understand. I lack faith. I will ask the Lord day and night until He administers justice. Thank you, Carmel. Thank you, Lord.

Mother,

Increase my faith. Lord, administer justice to me. I trust in you.

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Gospel

The day the Son of Man is revealed.

From the Gospel according to Luke. Lk 17:26-37

Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:

they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, someone who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house

must not go down to get them, and likewise one in the field must not return to what was left behind.
Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.

I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.”

They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?”
He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Who can resist?

He who seeks to save his life will lose it. Who can resist losing their life? Who can resist an accusation? Who does not defend themselves against defamation? Lord, assist me, for I am trying to save my life, and I am losing it.

Applied to married life.

Steve: Humility. Easy to say but impossible to live. Time and time again, I resolve to be consumed, but when the moment comes, I am unable to let myself be consumed. I look at You, Lord, in the Eucharist, and each time, I marvel more.

Rachel: Oblation, I want to be an oblation and surrender myself for Your comfort, Lord, but I am not able to endure a difference of opinion without defending my viewpoint, even if it means accusing others. I am unable to be an offering for You.

Steve: Help me, Lord, for without You, I sink.

Rachel: Help us, Lord, for we perish. In Your mercy, we trust.

(And so, Steve and Rachel were becoming small before the Lord)

Mother,

Will the Lord find us with faith when He comes? Make us perseverant in faith. Praise be to the merciful Lord.”

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Gospel

The Kingdom of God is within you.

From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 17:20-25

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

Then he said to his disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Two Natures.

The Kingdom of God is among us because The Sanctifying Grace allows us to partake in it. We could say that Christ has unlocked the gates of heaven, and there exists a common space shared by human and divine nature. That’s how the Kingdom of God is among us.

Applied to married life:

John: I sense the grace of God. I do things that were unthinkable with my own strength. It’s true that the kingdom of God is here.

Martha: It’s true. The grace of God is evident in the Eucharist, in Confession, in our sacrament… It’s real. It acts within us.

John: I am a witness to your transformation and the fruits of the grace through you.

Martha: I am also a witness to yours.

Mother,

The Kingdom of God is already here. We are witnesses! Hallelujah!

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Gospel

“Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”

From the Gospel according to Luke Lk 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Conversion on Pause:

Recognizing our need and seeking help from the Lord isn’t an act of selfishness; it’s an expression of humility, acknowledging that, by ourselves, we can achieve nothing. But what if God assists me, and I fail to show gratitude? In such a scenario, God may withhold what I request out of pure mercy, ensuring that my lack of gratitude doesn’t hinder my judgment. This idea is endorsed by Saint Bernard, Doctor of the Church. He concludes by stating, ‘only our ingratitude can pause our progress on the path of our conversion…’ A truly thought-provoking statement.

Applied to married life:

Mark: Today I have discovered why I’m not making more progress in my relationship with you.

Catherine: You’re not progressing? Why is that?

Mark: Because I am not grateful for the wonderful graces and gifts I have received directly from God and through you.

Catherine: That’s important, Mark. It’s crucial to be grateful to each other and to God. I often find myself complaining about your shortcomings and sins throughout our life together and those you still maintain.

Catherine: Thank you, Lord, for the faith I have received through my wife. Thank you for her kindness to others, from which I have learned so much. Thank you because she is always attentive to Your will and has helped me prioritize it. Thank you for her human and spiritual motherhood. Thank you for…

Mother,

May I learn to appreciate the gifts and graces that God has given me. Praise be to Him for so much…”

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GOSPEL

Useless servant we are, we have fulfilled our duty

From the Gospel according to Luke: 17:7-10

Jesus said to the Apostles:

“Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

“What I demand from you and do not receive”.

All goodness comes from God. Let me reiterate: every good thing comes from God! The moment I convince myself that something positive originates from me, pride creeps in, and I demand a “reward” from the “loved” person…

That’s why humility is indispensable on the path of Christian love, allowing the grace of God and the Holy Spirit to act, not me.

Applied to married life:

Sharon: Have you noticed that we consistently demand acts of love from each other?

Andy: yes, I have. But I’m aware that, in my case, it’s pride. I demand that you do for me what I don’t receive, and I don’t let anything slide to get back at you for not letting anything slide with me. And so we continue… I am certain that until I begin to act with humility toward you and acknowledge that I don’t inherently deserve anything, I won’t make progress. I pray to the Lord to grant me the grace and strength to embrace this.

Sharon: I pray for it too, Andy. Let’s unite in seeking it together every night. What do you think?

Andy: That sounds very good and very healing.

Mother,

How destructive pride can be. How it insidiously infiltrates, conceals itself, and erodes our relationship… Deliver us from this evil, Father. Do not let us succumb to temptation. Amen.”