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Supernatural Fruits. Reflection for marriages. Luke 1:26-38

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From the Gospel according to Luke. Lk 1:26-38

In the sixth month, 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 Gospel of the Lord

Supernatural Fruits

Mary knew the prophecies and understood that a Virgin would bring Emmanuel, the Savior, into the world. She was entrusted with this mission and chose to surrender her will, becoming the Lord’s servant. Each of us has a mission, and to fulfill it, we must also surrender our will to God, just as Mary did. Are you ready to surrender yours?

Applied to Married Life:

Joe: I’m not sure we fully realize the mission God has entrusted to us: to manifest and live out His eternal covenant through our marriage. It’s something deeply supernatural, which is why we need to open ourselves to God and let Him work through us.
Lola: I don’t really understand what you’re saying. Can you explain it in simpler terms? You’ve been studying so much that you’ve become way too intellectual for me.
Joe: I mean that through our Sacrament, the Lord has given us a grace that is supernatural but that we are unable to fulfill unless He makes it happen.
Lola: Got it. So what’s our part in this?
Joe: Our part is to have faith that every time we give of ourselves to each other and lovingly receive one another, His Love is acting supernaturally. That’s when we’ll start to see supernatural fruits in our relationship. What do you think?
Lola: Wow. That’s amazing—it really is.

Mother,

Help us recognize the greatness of our mission and the incredible gift God has given us through the Sacrament of Marriage. We are truly part of a profound mystery. Glory to God!

Brave or Reckless. Reflection for marriages. Luke 1:5-25

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From the Gospel according to Luke. Lk 1:5-25

In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.
Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”
Then Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel said to him in reply, “I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.” Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.
After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, saying, “So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.”
The Gospel of the Lord

Brave or Reckless

Reflecting on the connection between today’s readings, the angels declare that they will not drink wine or strong liquor. This reminds us of the importance of weakening the flesh so that the Holy Spirit may prevail.
Both women in the readings were barren, but when the spirit is strong, it overcomes the weaknesses of the flesh. The angel announces that John, who will not drink wine or liquor, will go before the Lord with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of parents toward their children and lead the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, preparing a people ready for the Lord. This is the power of the Holy Spirit—when the human spirit rules over the flesh.
Applied to Married Life:

Mary: Andy, I think we should try to give up some of the comforts we enjoy to help strengthen our spirit.
Andy: I’ve been thinking about that too. Building a stronger love between us can’t be based on indulgence.
Mary: How about we try practicing periodic abstinence, as they suggested during the retreat?
Andy: That’s a good idea. We need to make sure that our desires don’t control our relationship and that we prepare ourselves to live with a love that seeks nothing for ourselves but focuses entirely on communion. Though I admit, it’s going to be hard because I’m so attracted to you…

Mary: And I feel the same way about you. But we need to purify our passions and align them with God’s will. Thank you for agreeing—it’s really brave of you.
Andy: I don’t know if it’s bravery or recklessness, to be honest—I’m not sure I can do it.
Mary: The Holy Spirit and the grace of our Sacrament will help us. You’ll see. Where are you going?
Andy: To chain myself to the washing machine.
Mary: Haha! You’re so silly. But I love you so much, Andy.

 
Mother,

Strengthen our spirit through our sacrifice. Praise be to the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.

Finding a Way Out of trouble. Reflection for marriages. Mathew 1, 18-24

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Gospel

From the Gospel according to Mathew. Mt. 1, 18-24.
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”).
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

The Gospel of the Lord

Finding a Way Out of trouble.

We love the Scripture readings of Christmas. How beautiful they are! Even in the midst of Joseph’s trial, we see God’s tender care through the message of the angel of the Lord, as well as His profound respect and love for Mary—His Mother, Daughter, and Spouse.
Now, let’s focus on the key point: Joseph, during a moment of darkness, remained a righteous man before God- similar to what we now call living in a state of grace. In the midst of his struggle, he chose to trust in God and His message, which for us today would mean trusting in the message of the Gospel. And God pulled him out of his trouble.
May we, in our own moments of darkness, trust in the Word of God and those who bring it to us as His messengers.

Applied to Married Life:

Paul: We’ve been struggling for a while now. It feels like we’re stuck in a hole we can’t climb out of. What do you think we should do, Kelly?
Kelly: I spoke with our tutors today and asked them for advice. They reminded me of something simple—something we’ve heard before but aren’t really practicing.
Paul: And what’s that?
Kelly: That where love is lacking, we need to choose to put love there. To truly love, we first need to face the real source of our sadness—our sin. Then, we need to look to the ultimate source of love, who is Christ, and learn how He loves, even in situations like ours. After all, Jesus came to save His people from their sins. When I choose to love you, I am choosing to love the Lord.

Mother,

How much You delight in seeing us love one another, for in doing so, we make Your Son present. May He be praised forever.

The Only Source of True Rest. Reflection for marriages. Mathew 1:1-17

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Gospel

From the Gospel according to Matthew. Mt 1:1-17

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ.

The Gospel of the Lord


The Only Source of True Rest

From David to Jesus, about 1,600 years passed. An eternity during which God’s plan slowly and steadily unfolded. Yet, we often want everything to happen instantly—our own conversion, the conversion of our children, our journey to holiness. But what is an 80-year lifespan compared to God’s eternity? “What is man, that You are mindful of him?”
This is why praying is the only thing that truly brings rest—it’s the only thing that puts me in my rightful place. It helps me see my problems in perspective when I remember that God’s great plan took thousands of years to unfold. And yet, I get frustrated when a problem takes a year to resolve, as if that’s too long. Trusting in God is the key to all of this.


Applied to Married Life:

John: I’ve been waiting for you in the car for 10 minutes. What were you doing?
Ellen: Folding and putting away the laundry. You just leave, and don´t think how much needs to be done before we can go.
(Later that night, in prayer)
John: Lord, when I reflect on how patient You are, I see how impatient I am. I complain about waiting 10 minutes, yet You have waited for me for years. Forgive me, Lord, for demanding of my wife what You do not demand of me.


Mother,

Teach us to see our lives through God’s eyes. May He be praised forever.

He Delights. Reflection for marriages. Mathew 21, 23-27

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Gospel

From the Gospel according to Matthew. Mt. 21, 23-27.

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. 
“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus replied,  “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said,  “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Gospel of the Lord

He Delights.

Sometimes we try to place ourselves on the same level as the Lord, but the Lord is God. We cannot provoke Him by trying to force our plans upon Him, nor can we negotiate with Him. He is God! We must see ourselves as small, as tiny as we truly are in comparison to Him. The distance between God and us is far greater than the dimensions of the universe.
If I were standing at the edge of the universe, what would He see of me? I would appear utterly insignificant, infinitely small compared to God’s immensity in every way: in greatness, wisdom, power, glory, love… In everything. The diference between Him and me is beyond measure. That’s why today, with all respect and bowing before His presence, I say: Majesty, what do You wish to make of me?

Applied to Married Life:

Bob: Wife, let our “yes” truly mean yes, and our “no” truly mean no.
Lorrain: Let us live with transparency, without pretense or hidden intentions.
Bob: Let us be honest with each other, with nothing left to hide.
Lorrain: I love the purity of the path the Lord lays out for us.

Mother,

Blessed be your purity, and may it forever be so…
Praised be God, who delights in that purity.