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Keep your emotion. Reflection for married couples. Mt 11:11-15

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GOSPEL OF THE DAY

Mt 11:11-15

“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and violent people take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John came, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let anyone with ears listen!”

The word of the Lord

Keep your emotion.

The prophets were in charge of the revelation that God wanted to transmit to His people. John the Baptist was the last of the prophets, and then, all the revelation is condensed and completed through Jesus Christ, who is the great Prophet with a capital P, the culmination of the revelation that is completed in Him, the Word of God.

All the subsequent messages do nothing but illuminate or enhance this revelation that culminates in Christ Jesus.


Landing on Married Life:

Joaquín: Do you realise Teresa the blessing we have for being children of Revelation?

Teresa: You are right, Joaquín. There is nothing worse than walking in the dark and without direction. Imagine if we did not know what helps our marriage and what does not, what helps the children and what does not, what builds us up and what destroys us.

Joaquín: And hopefully, learn from falls. How sad that there are marriages that resist knowing the truth of marriage. Teresa: How sad that there are people who distort the truth of marriage and teach it in their own way.

Joaquín: I feel the need to kneel down here and thank God for the great gift of Revelation.

Teresa: Here, Joaquín? But we’re going on the subway.

Joaquín: You’re right, Teresa. Sorry, it’s just that today, more than ever, I became aware of what it means to walk through life with the light of the Word and I felt the brutal impulse to thank God.

Teresa: I love it, Joaquín, but be happy, son, be happy… Hahaha.

Joaquín: I’m trying, Teresa, I’m trying. But I’m not promising you anything… Hahaha.

 

Mother,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing the Light to the world. Praise be to He who is the Word of God.

Take off. Reflection for married couples. Mt 11:28-30

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GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

The word of the Lord

Take off.

Can it be a gentle yoke? Can it be a light load? There is an image that helps me understand it a lot: I imagine a pile of containers, which are the load of my life, a load that I come to Jesus.

Jesus offers me a yoke, which are two jet engines (the fire of the Holy Spirit) and an extra load which are the wings (The Word). For the whole thing to take off, it is necessary to put the load in the fuselage in an order suitable for the flight (unity of life). Then, a certain initial effort to put the aircraft on the runway and achieve the take off (detachment).

Little by little, driven by the Holy Spirit with the fuel of grace and the Sacraments, and supported by the wings of the Word and the doctrine as a rudder, we are gaining height in the right direction…

Who knows. If there were airplanes in Jesus’ time, perhaps he would have told a similar parable .

Landing in Married Life:

Fermín: I don’t understand, Mayte, how Jesus offers us a bearable yoke. It can’t be very bearable.

Mayte: Let’s see, Fermín, I ask you: Does our marital relationship seem like a burden or a help to you?

Fermín: There was a time when it seemed like a bit of a burden, to be honest. But now, since we have understood the greatness and beauty of Christian marriage, it seems like a wonderful treasure to me.

Mayte: Well, our marital relationship is the Lord’s yoke for us.

Fermín: Of course, now I understand. What for the world can be very heavy for Christians is the reason for our life. And for you? Mayte, what is our marital relationship for you? A burden or something rather bearable?

Mayte: I think I couldn’t live without you. I love you madly, Fermín. Is my answer okay for you?

Fermín: I’m okay with it. Boy, I’m okay with it!

Mother, Of Marital Love, pray for us.

Three daggers to the heart. Reflection for married couples. Mt 18:12-14

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GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:
“What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”

The word of the Lord

 

Three daggers to the heart.

Three phrases jump out like daggers from this Gospel text. Let’s see if I dodge them and make excuses or let them reach my heart. The first is: It is not the Father’s will that one of these little ones get lost. This phrase leaves me with no free time.

The second is how the Father rejoices over a repentant sinner. Do I rejoice in the same way when my husband has hurt me a lot and asks for my forgiveness?

And the third is that when faced with an offense, the one who takes the initiative is the offended, the initiative to rescue the offender. Do I take that initiative when I am offended or do I wait for forgiveness before taking a step?

 

Grounded in Married Life:

Miguel: Rocio, I’ve realised that I have not known how to respond in your worst moments. When you have been sunk in the misery of your sin, instead of taking the initiative and going out to rescue you, I have pulled the chain to get rid of your filth without considering that I was also abandoning you.

Rocío: Calm down, Miguel, I understand you perfectly because I get very unbearable.

Miguel: But now I tell you that I am willing to get down to the mud and dive my head first into the filth if necessary in order to rescue you.

Rocío: I am not worthy of you enter my house, but one word from you I will welcome as the Word that God sends me and that will be enough to heal me.

Miguel: Wow, if I had known that one word was enough, I would not have jumped into the puddle.

Rocío: Hahaha. Well, it was one word but I was covered in mud up to my eyebrows.

 

Mother,

We thank God so much for having come out to look for us… I do not have enough life or sacrifices to thank for what I have received by collaborating with His redemptive work.

Praise the Lord who has loved us so much.

So Small, Yet So Powerful. Reflection for married couples. Luke 1:26-38

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Gospel

‘Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son.’
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Lk 1:26-38

At that time: The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’
  And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, ‘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, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.

So Small, Yet So Powerful

Today we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary. I can’t resist reflecting on this moment that took place in complete secrecy. Only God, and perhaps the angels, knew of this event. The first immaculate zygote, the first seed of holiness in the universe after the Fall, would lead to the greatest revolution in history: the Redemption. So small, yet so powerful.
This is the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven—a tiny seed that grows to become vast enough to hold God Himself.

Applied to Married Life:

Patrick: Rachel, don’t worry. I know you deeply desire for us to experience true communion in our marriage, but that’s something only God can achieve. And He works silently, little by little. At first, it’s almost imperceptible, but then it becomes immense.
Rachel: Thank you, Patrick. I know. I know our marriage is going to be something amazing because God is great. I just need to be patient with you, just as God is patient with me.

Mother,

Love is patient. It’s the first rule in St. Paul’s letter. I won’t forget it. Praise be to God.

From the Grandstand. Reflection for married couples. Luke 3:1-6

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Gospel

  
‘All flesh shall see the salvation of God.’

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 
Lk 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” ’
The Gospel of the Lord

From the Grandstand

There are two reasons why we might prepare for the arrival of someone important. One is the influence or power they may have over us and our interests. The other is the love we have for them. Yes, because love makes the people we care for important. This is how God sees us. If someone important is coming to our home, we tidy up, clean thoroughly, paint if needed… we put in more effort than we normally would.
Now, this “Someone” important who is coming is the Son of God. He matters both because of His power and because of how much we love Him. And He comes to dwell in my heart, where all my innermost thoughts reside. There, nothing can be hidden from Him. And He will see, above all, how my relationship with my spouse is. What will He find when He arrives? It’s time to make a special effort to organise my desires, tame my passions, purge my heart of the vices that have taken root, and brighten the darkness that clouds my vision when I look at you.
The Lord is coming, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Applied to Married Life:

Andrew: Thelma, I’ve looked deep into my heart, and I’ve seen what Christ will see from there. In my heart, nothing is hidden, nothing is protected—it’s all laid bare. What I see and my intentions, the judgements I make, the thoughts I sometimes have about you, my rejections, my desires, my feelings… Everything, absolutely everything, passes through my heart. And that’s where God is coming to be born again this Christmas.
Darling, I sat for a while at the foot of the throne reserved for God in my heart. It was like the grandstand, the prime seat reserved for VIPs, from where everything that happens can be seen. On the playing field of that great stadium, every move, every foul, every pass, and every shot was visible. But I saw so many shameful and disgraceful plays: dirty tactics due to my darkened outlook, elbowing to assert dominance, quick judgements and internal condemnations. I had to leave because I couldn’t bear the thought of the Son of God witnessing my poor behaviour.
Thelma: Well, darling, God is merciful, and He will see all of that through a different lens.
Andrew: I know, Thelma, but I need to do something so He doesn’t have to watch my selfishness, negativity, and quick judgements. I want to train my team to play with humility, joy, and patience. I want to prepare a team built on virtues so that when the King arrives to watch the match, He delights in every goal. And I want to defeat evil with a resounding victory. Will you be my coach?
Thelma: You’re so funny… Alright, deal! To start with, how about you give up watching so much football this Advent? You seem a little obsessed…

Mother,

Whatever it takes to prepare the way for the Lord. May that voice not cry out in the wilderness but resonate within me these days. Preparation, discipline, training… the Saviour is coming, and all flesh shall see Him. Praise be to Him forever.