GOSPEL

“He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.”

From the Gospel according to Luke 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his Body; they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

The Gospel of the Lord

It always wins.

We find it difficult to understand that in order to reach Glory, the Lord had to suffer a lot beforehand. Since God gave us freedom and we chose to fall into sin, there is the possibility of not loving ourselves and not loving Him. In such circumstances, the only possibility to demonstrate love is through suffering. There is no other way. So, there is no greater love than the one that gives life for one’s friends.

Christ establishes a new covenant of love between God and mankind, giving his life for the salvation of humanity, so there is no greater love than that of God and humanity, since Christ is also human and He did it on behalf of all of us. And for this reason, the Father glorifies him, and through Him, He will glorify us.

Applied to Married Life:

Susanne: I had pictured our marriage as a journey filled with delightful surprises, intimate confessions, and shared understanding, where we would be deeply connected. However, as our marriage began and I soon realized it wasn’t what I had hoped for, I was deeply disappointed. I married you with the expectation that we would love each other. Over time, I shifted my focus away from our relationship, believing I needed to find another path to find fulfillment within myself.

Charles: It’s true that we feel disappointed in each other. I had imagined a wife eager to welcome me every day, who would look at me with excitement every morning when we woke up, who would make me feel like a better  man and sweeten our life.

Susanne: Certainly, everything seemed fine until I encountered suffering. I resisted it, unwilling to accept it. However, I came to understand that marriage is a sacred bond, one that can only be lived by following the teachings of the Master of Love, who is Christ. He achieved the glory I sought, but it came through the path of the cross. A path where I first had to confront my sins of selfishness and pride and more. And then also surrender for yours.

Charles: I faced similar challenges. Learning to love by suffering to overcome the impulses of my self-love, and then learning to offer myself for you, like Christ .It’s been difficult, but I’ve begun to experience moments of profound fulfillment, when, by the grace of God, I surrender myself to Him and to you.

Susanne: Now, I see a deeper beauty in love, far beyond my initial expectations for our marriage. I didn’t expect so much from our marriage. Praise be to God who exceeds our expectations by far.

Charles: True love always conquers. Christ always triumphs. That’s what Saint John Paul used to tell us when we were dating.

Mother,

May we not fear suffering, for it is the path of Christ. With His guidance, we will find the glory. Praise be to Our Lord.

GOSPEL

“I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.

From the Gospel according to John 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.

The Gospel of the Lord,

Obsessed with reasons.

God is constantly acting in our lives, but sometimes, we are so obsessed with our own reasons that we fail to see the Path with a capital ‘P’. This happened to Mary Magdalene. She was going to embalm the body of Jesus, fixated on that idea to the extent that she did not recognize Jesus himself alive.

Let’s be more attentive to the light of the Spirit and to the voice of the Lord so that we do not miss His presence in our daily lives.

Applied to Married Life:

Marie: Jude,I notice how unaware I’ve been. I had asked the Lord for guidance in this work difficulty I’m facing, and I hadn’t realized He was answering me quite clearly.

Jude: And how did He answer, and when?

Marie: Well, Jude, He was answering through you and your advice. But instead of recognizing it as God’s voice, I took it as you looking out for your own interests. Now, I believe that if I follow your recommendations, I won’t go wrong.

Jude: Well, I had prayed a lot before trying to shed light on your path because I don’t want my own criteria to prevail in our lives, but rather the will of God. If you also see it clearly, then blessed be.

Marie: Yes, besides, once I made the decision, I felt very peaceful, and all my fears disappeared. Let’s say I’ve found peace in it. And that must necessarily be because it’s God’s will.

Jude: Blessed be the Lord.

Mother,

The risen Lord ascended to the Father so that His Spirit could be in everything and everyone. May we be able to see Him and not close ourselves off to the light of grace. Praise be to the Lord who is with us every day until the end of the world.

GOSPEL

“Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

From the Gospel according to Matthew Mt 28:8-15

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’ And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.

The Gospel of the Lord,

Surrendered at His Feet.

If we allow ourselves to be guided by the promptings of the Holy Spirit today, we will experience deep joy. This joy is what we will ultimately share with God in His kingdom—it’s akin to a taste of heaven, an overwhelming joy. A joy that surpasses us.

Therefore, today, we have to collaborate with the Holy Spirit so that He infuses that joy in us. It is not something human; it does not depend solely on our efforts to live it; it is a gift from the Holy Spirit. We can only dispose ourselves well by placing ourselves in the hearts of the holy women who go to the tomb and find it open, with an angel announcing the Lord’s redemption to them. And for greater glory, Jesus Himself appears to them on the way. They fall surrendered at His feet, prostrating themselves before Him. Surely, upon seeing Him, their legs would fail them and they would collapse, overwhelmed by immense joy.

Applied to Married Life:

Charles: The truth is that this Easter we have experienced a genuine resurrection of the heart. It’s the first Easter we’ve truly lived close to Jesus, and the joy that Easter Sunday brings in the heart is truly marvelous.

Natalie: Absolutely. We’ve experienced plenty of moments, some filled with pain, others with great community enjoyment, but the joy that remains in the heart is a sign that the Holy Spirit has been among us. And I also cherish what has brought us together. It’s been beautiful to share this experience with you.

Charles: I struggled a lot to understand the meaning of the cross, but this Easter, I’ve grasped it, and that has also led me to discover the joy of the Resurrection. Thank you, Natalie. And Glory to God.

Natalie: Glory to God!

Mother,

We have particularly enjoyed accompanying you in the Passion of Our Lord. We have learned so much from you… Thank you, Mother. Thank you for introducing us to the Lord and for guiding us closer to Him. Hallelujah!

Gospel

He had to rise from the dead.

From the Gospel according to John. Jn 20:1-9.

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Finally!

The Lord has risen! Glory to God! He has brought us God’s Forgiveness, making it possible for us to forgive one another. Marriage becomes possible again because we can now restore it after every fall, through the Forgiveness that God has brought us. It is our new path of love, the path of Forgiveness. Hallelujah!

Applied to married life:

Becky: Phil, I forgive you.

Phil: Excuse me Becky, I don’t think I heard you correctly. What did you say?

Becky: I forgive you truly. Sincerely. You are released from all the pain you have caused me. And I free myself from my pain and from my temptation to keep you subdued by bringing up those offenses when it suited me, using them to hinder any attempt of yours to ask for something or even to act normally or make love.

Phil: Really, Becky? Isn’t it just a whim you’re having today because it’s Easter Sunday?

Becky: No, Phil. I have realized that if I don’t forgive you, it’s because I want to have control over you. I have realized all that the Lord went through to bring us Forgiveness, and I cannot deny you that right because of my pride.

Phil: That’s incredible! Thank you, my God. Thank you for setting me free. (He embraces Backy) Thank you, my love. I thought I would never be able to shake off that guilt. Now I see that you truly love me, because through you, I receive God’s Mercy.

Becky: I love you, Phil. Thank you, Lord, for saving us. Praise be to you forever.

Mother,

Finally, the triumph over evil and over death. Finally, redeemed of all our sins. We are joyful, we are rejoicing, it is a wonderful gift from God. Now we understand how much the cross is worth. Now everything makes sense. Let the choirs of angels exult… Glory to God…

Gospel (to be read for Easter Vigil, not before)

Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!

From the Gospe according to Mark. Mk 16, 1-7.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

The Gospel of the Lord

Insuperable.

Certainly these days we must have experienced the desire to assist Jesus, seeing him vilified, humiliated, and exhausted by the severity of the punishment he received for me. He seems sunk, dejected, bowed, defeated. But the surprise is that he rises powerful, glorious, triumphant. The Father glorifies him, the angels escort him. The surprise is that he continues to pull from me, rescuing me, glorifying me.

Applied to married life:

John: Such is the supernatural power of God that surpasses the limits of our human nature. It surpasses our love, our fragility, our death, our wisdom… Once again, I am amazed by the Greatness of God, also amazed by His Abundant Mercy.

Nuria: He sets the right path for us. Truly, it is necessary to give our lifes away to be glorified with Him. Now I experience an inner joy that overwhelms me. I have no words.

John: I have no words either. Praise be to the Lord.

Nuria: Let the choirs of angels exult.

Mother,

Glory to God, glory and praises to Him forever. Glory to God.