Gospel

“You are the children of those who murdered the prophets”
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 23:27-32

Jesus said,“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You build the tombs of the prophetsand adorn the memorials of the righteous,and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’Thus you bear witness against yourselvesthat you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”

The Gospel of the Lord

Marital Heart Attack

When we let ourselves be driven by a passion that doesn’t bring us closer to God, and our only concern is to ensure that no one finds out, or when we’re hurting ourselves and don’t want the neighbors to know, or when we avoid having our children present so we can hurt each other without mercy… It might be that I’m more concerned with not exposing the damage, forgetting that it’s killing my heart, and that harm is unforgiving. The consequences of that destruction will eventually catch up with us. We might also be forgetting that, no matter how much we want to hide, in all these situations there’s one exceptional spectator we can’t hide anything from, and that’s God. How good it is to realize that it’s pointless to hide our wrongdoing on the outside if we’re not fighting to prevent it within. God’s eyes are fixed on my soul, and He is the only spectator who truly matters. I can’t hide anything from Him. May I never forget that.

Applied to married life:

James: Anna,I see that every argument leaves a sediment in our hearts that keeps growing and distances us more each time. It’s true that we forgive each other, but the damage is done, and that’s like a marital heart attack, causing part of the relationship to die, making it harder and harder to move forward.

Anna: You’re right. Our souls are also affected, making it harder to advance towards God. We need to make a firm resolution to avoid hurting each other. God transforms our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, but with every wound, we develop a scar, and they’re no longer as soft as before.

James: We have a lot at stake, Anna. Our vocation, the example we set for our children, eternal life… We need to put more effort into this.

Anna: We need to live more deeply, closer to God, and create more of a God-centered atmosphere between us. Only God can protect us and make all things new.

James: That sounds good. I love you and want to love you more.
Anna: I love you and want to love you more.

Mother,

The things of God are beautiful. Sometimes we’ve discovered wrong paths because they weren’t beautiful. The things of God must be beautiful in their very essence and, therefore, must generate beauty around them. There’s nothing more beautiful than God. Praise be to my God, who is great and full of Life.

Gospel

“These you should have done, without neglecting the others”

From the Gospel according to Matthew 23:23-26

Jesus said:“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin,and have neglected the weightier things of the law:judgment and mercy and fidelity.But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,so that the outside also may be clean.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Inner Cleanse

How many times do we strain out the gnat with our spouse because they’ve made a mistake, only to end up swallowing a judgment towards them that’s as big as a camel? I think it’s time to clean the inside of my own heart before trying to clean the outside of  my spouse’s heart.

Applied to Married Life:

Carlos: Forgive me, wife, for all my judgments, for looking at you negatively so many times. 
Teresa: Forgive me too, husband, for not bringing out the best in you, but instead provoking you and bringing out the worst. 
Carlos: I forgive you. 
Teresa: I forgive you. Do you notice how, after this forgiveness, there’s a sense of relief and inner cleansing? 
Carlos: Completely. It brings so much healing to our Hearts just by doing something as simple as acknowledging our wrongdoings and asking for forgiveness.

Mother,

May we love each other as You love us. Praise be to the Lord.

Gospel.

“Woe to you, blind guides!”
From the Gospel according to Matthew 23:13-22

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.You do not enter yourselves,nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You traverse sea and land to make one convert,and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,or the temple that made the gold sacred?And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,or the altar that makes the gift sacred?One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;one who swears by the temple swears by itand by him who dwells in it;one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of Godand by him who is seated on it.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Worthy or Unworthy of Commitment

A blind soul is one that cannot see God’s works. It sees what the world sees; that is, it interprets what it sees in the way the world would interpret it. For example, a spouse facing difficulties in their marriage may think of their partner as “bad,” unworthy of living with them. From God’s perspective, I first need to see my own responsibility in the difficulties I experience in my marriage. Am I giving of myself, or am I waiting for the other person to give themselves? Do I demand that my spouse to do what I would do, or do I accept their differences? Do I constantly criticize and exasperate them? Do I accept and forgive their sins as God does with mine?… And so on.

Finally, we must look at marriage from the perspective of the cross, as that gift through which I have the opportunity to give myself for the salvation of my spouse.

Applied to Married Life:

Ana: I think our friends aren’t giving us the best advice. Patri encourages me to leave you because she finds what you’re doing to me unacceptable and believes that if I stay with you, I’ll have a break down. And Lucas invites you out for beers and acts like a buddy, but I don’t see that he’s helping you fight for our love.

Jhon: Lucas? He’s divorced! He’s just waiting for me to get divorced too so we can go out and about.

Ana: Exactly. Listen, marriage is something of God, and I think we need to find someone of God to help us. Above all, someone who prays. Someone who is close to the Lord will know how to guide us in the things of the Lord. Don’t you think?

Jhon: I agree. I want to keep fighting for our marriage. I still love you, even though I don’t know how to love you as you deserve. As for me,  let’s move forward.

Mother,

May we always pray fervently to have the light necessary to guide others, not according to our own criteria, but according to God’s justice and mercy. Thank you, Mother, for showing us the way. Blessed are you, Mother.

To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 6:60-69

Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God. 

The World of the Lord

So I don’t back down.

The love Jesus shows me is demanding, and marriage is about following Jesus, our Bridegroom. For that reason, I need to be ready to risk everything. But if I see our union as just something about ourselves, and not as a promise of eternal life from God in Christ, I might be tempted to give up.

As Saint John Paul II said, Christ reveals the man to the man himself. When we see Christ’s Passion as the model for our marital commitment, it can seem unreachable and, honestly, not very appealing. Today, Jesus asks me, “Does this make you waver?” His sacrifice for the salvation of the world will be wasted on those who reject it, those who reject the gift.

But I trust Him, and I know, I’m sure, that if He’s sending me, it’s because it’s possible.

Applied to Married Life:

Paul: We’re both really proud. It feels like we’re never going to be humble enough to build a marriage the way God wants.

Marriage Mentor: So, what makes you different from any other couple living together?

Paul: Well, what changed our lives since our conversation is that through faith, we know it’s possible to live as a reflection of Christ’s love for the Church before we die, since the marriage bond lasts “until death do us part.” So, He’s going to make our union possible in this life, before we reach the next. Our flesh-and-bone ideas won’t work; it’s “the Spirit that gives life.”

Marriage Mentor: That’s right! That’s faith!

Lord,

We believe. Lord, You have the words of eternal life—words that, when we contemplate them together in our marriage, we truly live and experience them in our lives. How can we repay the Lord for all the good He’s done for us? We will lift the cup of salvation and call on His name.

Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 1:45-51

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

The World of the Lord

Consistent.

There are positive values that are popular in our time, and one of them is consistency. Life can’t just be a series of days and events without direction or meaning. Every person needs to have a goal, a path, and a reason (a “why”). What are mine? The goal should be good, beautiful, true, and just. The path should be effective and progressive. And the “why” should be motivating.

My goal: God. My path: my vocation to marriage. And my “why”: I was created out of love, to love (it’s the greatest and most beautiful thing I can do).

With that in mind, consistency means always aiming for the goal, staying on the path, and strengthening my motivation (the “why”) every day. Get rid of anything that demotivates me, and keep discovering more and more each day the beauty and greatness of my mission. This is the way, this is my way.

Applied to married life:

Chris: Son, have you figured out what your vocation is yet?

Ray: Yes, Mom. I want to be a husband.

Chris: Why?

Ray: Because I feel like God is calling me to it. I’ve seen your marriage up close, and I feel like I was made for this. I know it’s a tough road, one meant for saints, but I see you both together. After many arguments, I still see your connection. After all the struggles to fit together, I see you becoming more united each day through sacrifice and discovering the beauty of your calling. I see how you’re both walking closer to God together, and I want to experience that. You’ve brought life to those around you—life to us, life to the marriages and families that surround you—and there’s no greater miracle… I feel in my heart that I was made for something great, and what I see in you both seems like the greatest thing I can do with my life.

Chris: I’m so happy, son, that we’ve had the grace to show you what Love is. Well, you know what to do. Prepare yourself and your girlfriend to face a path that demands everything from you, but that’s why it’s so great and beautiful.

Mother,

Saying “I love you” to God is easy; saying it through our imperfect spouse, that’s not so easy. That’s why marriage is a path to holiness, a path only worthy of God’s children. Let’s not waste this beautiful calling. Thank you, Mother, for calling us to discover God’s Love Project for our marriage.