GOSPEL

You are not far from the kingdom of God
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ Jesus replied, ‘This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ The scribe said to him, ‘Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.’ Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And after that no one dared to question him any more.

The Gospel of the Lord

A Step Towards a “Yes”

The first commandment is not: You will lead many catechism classes, evangelise many people, organise numerous retreats, or ensure everything is perfectly arranged. The first commandment is about my intimate relationship with the Lord and my complete “yes” to Him. For married couples, our way of giving ourselves fully to the Lord is by giving ourselves completely to each other.
The result of this will be love and service to others, sharing with them what we have received from God. That’s why a single step towards a true “yes” is worth more in heaven than a thousand half-hearted steps.
Christ’s “yes” showed us this, followed by Mary’s “yes”, then the “yes” of the Apostles, and after them, the “yes” of every Saint. Through these “yeses”, God saves the world.

Applied to Married Life:

Oscar: Every day, when we renew our marriage vows during the offertory at the Eucharist, I feel an immense emotion in that moment when you reaffirm your commitment to me.
Elizabeth: Every day, after so many years?
Oscar: Yes. It’s as though the Lord lets me experience the profound power and priceless worth of the first commandment. I feel it echo in my heart…
Elizabeth: “With all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength…”
Oscar: Exactly. There is no commitment of greater worth than this.
Elizabeth: I see. I ask the Lord to help me see and value it as you do. Thank you, my true partner.

Mother,

The worth of Your “yes”. I am aware of what God accomplished through Your “yes”. We, too, unite our small “yes” with all our heart, all our mind, and all our being. Praise be to the Almighty Lord of Love.

GOSPEL

The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
John 5:24-29

Jesus said to the Jews:
I tell you most solemnly,
whoever listens to my words,
and believes in the one who sent me,
has eternal life;
without being brought to judgement
he has passed from death to life.
I tell you most solemnly,
the hour will come – in fact it is here already –
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and all who hear it will live.
For the Father, who is the source of life,
has made the Son the source of life;
and, because he is the Son of Man,
has appointed him supreme judge.
Do not be surprised at this,
for the hour is coming when the dead will leave their graves
at the sound of his voice:
those who did good will rise again to life;
and those who did evil, to condemnation.

The Gospel of the Lord

The Key Moment

There is a key moment that sets apart the life we live now from the moment when, God willing, we will enter His Glory. This is the incomparable moment of the beatific vision of God. In that moment, that vision will impact us so profoundly that it will bring about a sublime transformation within each of us.
In that instant, we will finally become what God envisioned for us—a version of ourselves we could never have imagined. Above all, through the beatific vision, we will reach the summit of love and communion for which we were created, leaving us with an insatiable thirst until we attain it.
Then, praises to God will arise from our depths with the full strength of our hearts.

Applied to Married Life:

Charles: The more my love for you and for the Lord grows, the deeper my thirst becomes, and the more I long to reach the fullness of love and communion.
Linda: We were made for heaven; we were created for Christ, and our hearts won’t rest until they find their home in Him.
Charles: That hope, honestly, makes me detach from worldly things and long for the day I leave this world. Otherwise, we’d be clinging to this life, and our end would be a true tragedy. Dying is no easy passage, but I long for it, just to be one with you and with God.

Mother,

How wonderful it is to know the destiny the Father has prepared for us. We are unaware and undeserving. Praise be to the Lord, and even greater praise will be given in the beatific vision of God.

GOSPEL

How happy are the poor in spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matthew 5:1-12a

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
‘How happy are the poor in spirit;
  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
  they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
  they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
  they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
  they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
  they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
  they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

The Gospel of the Lord

What If I Give It a Try?

According to what the Lord tells us today, anyone can find happiness in marriage, even through tears and suffering, even if persecuted, insulted, or wronged by their spouse—so long as they are free from worldly interests, seek God’s will, live in grace, strive to purify themselves from worldly passions and standards, and are willing to give themselves for the salvation of the other.
What if I trust, give it a try, and stop complaining and making demands of my spouse?

Applied to Married Life:

Luke: Why do you say you’re not happy?
Martha: Because my husband is harsh with me, always focusing on what I do wrong. Plus, he mocks me with sarcastic jokes.
Luke: Can I ask—do you worry a lot about your image?
Martha: Well, yes. I try to look after myself.
Luke: And when your husband treats you poorly, do you focus more on the hurt you feel, or on understanding what might be troubling him so you can help?
Martha: Oh, come on! With the way he speaks to me, I’m supposed to be thinking about what he’s going through?
Luke: And do you have a spiritual path that helps you grow closer to the Lord and transform your heart?
Martha: No. But I do pray three Hail Marys every day and go to Mass on Sundays.
Luke: Aha! I think I have the diagnosis.
Martha: For my husband?
Luke: No, your happiness doesn’t depend on him. You need to start living the Beatitudes in your marriage.

Mother,

We love you. Thank you for the path you’ve shown us. Praise be to the Lord.

GOSPEL

It would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Luke 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came up to Jesus. ‘Go away’ they said. ‘Leave this place, because Herod means to kill you.’ He replied, ‘You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.
  ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! So be it! Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till the time comes when you say:
‘Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!’

The Gospel of the Lord

Spouses Under His Wings

Lord, today I weep with You for all the spouses who do not embrace the grace of the Sacrament, a grace You suffered so much to give us, flowing from Your pierced Heart. How many souls remain empty, how many of God’s Projects of Love remain unfinished, left barren. We want to keep walking with You, hand in hand with Mary, today, tomorrow, and the day after… for as long as You will it, for Your greater Glory and the salvation of marriages.

Applied to Married Life:

Mark: How much grace we’ve let slip away since the day God united us in our Sacrament. All that time without considering the Lord between us… Such pain for the Lord and for us.
Anna: Absolutely. It’s been awful. But today, we say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” He has come to redeem our marriage.
Mark: Today, I also want to cry out to the heavens: “Blessed is the wife who has come to me in the name of the Lord.” Today, I welcome you as His messenger, as the true help He has given me for my sanctification.
Anna: The Lord has changed how I see you, and I want to cry out too: “Blessed is the husband who has come to me in the name of the Lord.” Thanks to the Lord, I see you today as a blessing from heaven.

Mother,

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Clinging to You, we walk towards Him, helping other spouses to take shelter under His wings like young chicks.

The last shall be first and the first last