Category Archives: Sin categoría

Your Kingdom Has Come! Reflection for married couples. Matthew 10:1-7

Leave a Reply

Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’

Gospel according to Matthew 10:1–7

At that time: Jesus called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
  These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” ’

The Gospel of the Lord

Your Kingdom Has Come!

My good Jesus, thank You for showing us the way.
You tell us that the Kingdom of Heaven has come! Lord, I believe in You. I know that You are all Love, that You know all things and that nothing is impossible for You. If You say that the Kingdom of Heaven has already come, then it is so. Through Your redemption we can begin to live Your Kingdom here on earth even now. How wonderful, Lord! I want to live it now! But what about all the difficulties and suffering? You promised us the Kingdom, but You never promised that there would be no hardships. The difference is that, with You, difficulties and problems are faced in a different way: they are embraced, and they do not take away Your peace.
So, what must I do to welcome Your Kingdom and begin living it now? First, I must have the humility to recognise that if I am not living the life and marriage that You desire for me, it is not because of others, but because of my own self-love. Second, I must desire to grow in intimacy with You and discover Your infinite Love. I must make daily prayer a priority so that I may come to know You and know myself. And third, I must persevere along this path of prayer and the purification of my self-love through concrete acts.
With complete trust that You will accomplish this, You will fill me more and more with Your Love, so that I may begin to live the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.

Applied to Married Life:

Luke: Lucy, these words of Christ really make me stop and think. Has His Kingdom truly already come? And what about all the suffering in the world?
Lucy: Christ has redeemed us—He has saved us! Through Him we are children of God! He has given us everything we need to begin living His Kingdom here on earth. The problem is that we don’t let Him. We’re so full of self-love, our own ideas, our need to be right… and that leaves no room for Him to reign in our hearts.
Luke: I have such a deep desire for Him to be the only King of my heart, to guide my whole life. Will you help me? I can’t do it on my own. I find it hard to rise above my problems and to persevere… Jesus is so good, so wonderful, that I want to let Him be the One who leads me.
Lucy: How wonderful it is to hear you say that! Let’s give it everything we’ve got. He is all Love and He knows everything, so let’s seek only to do His Will. If we follow Him, we won’t go wrong. What do you think about starting tomorrow by praying together first thing in the morning and going to Mass? Then we can each make a daily resolution and help one another to keep it. How does that sound?
Luke: You’re amazing! Let’s do it!

Mother,
Please help me to do the will of Your Son, and His will alone, turning away from my own. Blessed and praised be God!

He Had Compassion. Reflection for married couples. Matthew 9:32-38

Leave a Reply

Gospel according to Matthew 9:32–38
‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.’
At that time: Behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to Jesus. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marvelled, saying, ‘Never was anything like this seen in Israel.’ But the Pharisees said, ‘He casts out demons by the prince of demons.’
  And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’

The Gospel of the Lord

He Had Compassion.

What a beautiful and necessary attitude! How many times has compassion been lacking in our marriage? And because of this, we have failed to love our spouse as Christ loves us, abandoning them in their sin.
When we are lost because we have wandered from the path, we do not like to be judged or condemned, but neither do we want to be abandoned. When we feel unworthy, our hearts find rest only when our spouse welcomes us. It is precisely then that we most need to be loved by them and by those we know truly love us. That is what Jesus does: He has compassion on us and redeems us.
If we want to follow Christ, we must do so not only in words but also in deeds, and this should be reflected in the way we live. The crowds followed Jesus because the other “leaders” were not consistent, but He was. We too must imitate Him, showing compassion towards our spouse and loving them as He loves them, helping them to develop their gifts so that they may become all that they are called to be.

Applied to Married Life:

Paul: Bethany, could you help me find my wallet, please? I’m running late for work… I’m sure the children have hidden it. I’ve told you a thousand times that you need to be stricter with them, otherwise they’ll walk all over us. If you did things the way I’ve suggested, I wouldn’t have to leave for work completely stressed out. This can’t go on.
(Later that afternoon, when Paul arrives home)
Bethany: Good afternoon, darling. How are you? How was work? You left a little upset this morning, and I’ve been praying about what I could do to help you because I could see how much you were suffering. So I called the babysitter, and I thought we could go out for dinner, just the two of us, at the little restaurant nearby. We can have a little escape, and you can tell me all about it. What do you think?
Paul: Bethany, I don’t know what to say. You’ve completely disarmed me. I thought you were going to reproach me for the way I spoke to you this morning, for storming out of the house angry and shouting… Instead, I don’t see judgement in your eyes. I see forgiveness. I see compassion. I see the Lord in you because you have made my suffering your own. You’re the best. What would I do without your help?
Bethany: Don’t worry, darling. I’m the one who thanks God for giving me the grace to face this situation with His Heart. So, if it sounds good to you, let’s thank Him together during our little time of prayer before we go to bed, shall we?
Paul: That sounds wonderful! You’ll see—tomorrow, before I leave the house, the very last thing I’ll do is give you a proper goodbye kiss!

Mother,
May we be able to ask the Lord to teach us to have compassion and to love as only He knows how. Glory and praise be to the Lord for ever!

Christ Can Do All Things. Reflection for married couples. Matthew 9:18-26

Leave a Reply

‘My daughter has just died, but come, and she will live.’

Gospel according to Matthew 9:18–26

At that time: While Jesus was saying these things, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’ And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well. And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, ‘Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went through all that district.

The Gospel of the Lord

Christ Can Do All Things

In marriage there are times when something seems to have “died”: enthusiasm, communication, tenderness, the desire to understand one another, or the hope that things can change. The synagogue leader does not resign himself to the death of his daughter; he goes in search of Jesus because he believes that where human strength comes to an end, He can still act. Husbands and wives are likewise called to turn together to the Lord when they feel that their relationship can go no further. Faith does not remove difficulties, but it opens the door for God to bring back to life what seemed to have been lost. When Jesus arrives at the house, everyone believes the situation is beyond hope and they laugh at Him. A married couple may also hear voices saying, “There’s no fixing this now,” “You’ll never change,” or “It’s impossible to start again.” Jesus invites us to cast out that noise and those defeatist voices in order to enter into a place of faith. Only then does He take the little girl by the hand and raise her up.
Each spouse can ask themselves: What part of our marriage today needs Jesus to take it by the hand and raise it up? Perhaps our communication, our trust, our forgiveness or our shared prayer.
The Good News of this Gospel is that Jesus not only heals individuals; He also restores life to marriages that place themselves in His hands. Wherever husband and wife continue to believe, even if only one of them does, and even if their faith is as small as that of the woman who touched His cloak, there is always the possibility of a new beginning. As Jesus walks towards that house, He stops for a woman who had been suffering for twelve years. It might seem like an unnecessary delay, but to Jesus no one is an interruption. Married life is much the same: often one spouse carries silent wounds that the other barely notices. They need to be heard, welcomed and healed before they can continue the journey. To love also means stopping to care for your spouse’s wounds, even when your own problems seem more urgent.
The woman only touches the edge of Jesus’ cloak. Her action expresses humble trust. In marriage, small gestures of affection, an encouraging word, a sincere apology or a timely embrace can become the beginning of great healing. God often chooses to accomplish great things through small acts.

Applied to Married Life:

Matthew: Lucy, this Gospel has really made me think… What if there’s a “room” in our marriage where we’ve given something up for dead?
Lucy: I’m sure there is… Sometimes we’ve given up on patience, at other times on romance… and occasionally even on talking to each other!
Matthew: Like the synagogue leader, we should bring those things to Jesus instead of deciding they’re beyond hope.
Lucy: And like the woman in the Gospel, trust that one small gesture can begin to change everything. A hug, a kind word, asking for forgiveness…
Matthew: The hard part is silencing the “flute players”, those voices that say, “You’ll never change.”
Lucy: Well then, we’ll just have to throw them out of the house. We make enough noise ourselves as it is.
Matthew: So, where do we begin?
Lucy: By letting Jesus take us by the hand… and by you taking mine a little more often. And if, after taking my hand, you happen to invite me out for an ice cream, I think even romance might come back to life.
Matthew: Of course, my love. The little gestures are always important too. Thank you for reminding me.

Mother,

of Hope, teach us always to turn to Jesus whenever the joy or the strength to love seems to be fading from our marriage. Blessed and praised be Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christocracy. Reflection for married couples. Matthew 11:25-30

Leave a Reply

‘I am gentle and lowly in heart.’

Gospel according to Matthew 11:25–30

At that time Jesus declared, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Christocracy

Perhaps I ask myself, “Why can’t I find You, my Jesus?” Perhaps the answer lies in another question: How do I seek You in my heart? Through the meritocracy of the wise and learned, who think they can “earn” Your love and their dignity through good deeds and sound arguments. Or like little children, who recognise that Your love alone is enough to make them worthy. Burden or rest. Achievement or trust. Doing or Being. Meritocracy or Christocracy. Which do you choose?

Applied to Married Life:

Mary arrives home exhausted after a difficult day. She finds the kitchen untidy and James distracted by his mobile. The first thought that springs to her heart is: “I’m always the one who keeps this household going. If he truly loved me, he’d notice and help me without my having to ask.”
James, sensing Mary’s frustration, also justifies himself in his heart: “She doesn’t appreciate everything I do. It’s never enough.” They both begin to weigh up who is more in the right and who deserves more understanding.
But for some time now, Mary and James have been praying together as husband and wife each morning, and they try to continue that prayer throughout the day through an ongoing conversation with the Lord, allowing the Holy Spirit to bring order to their hearts and teach them to see every situation through Christ’s eyes. So, before allowing themselves to be carried away by pride, they pause for a brief moment of interior silence. It is not an act of self-control, but the fruit of a life rooted in prayer that leads them to ask: “Lord, what do You want to show us here? How would You love in this moment?”
Then the Holy Spirit grants them a new understanding. Mary realises that she does not need to make demands in order to feel loved. James understands that he does not need to defend himself to preserve his dignity. He gets up and begins to tidy the kitchen; she thanks him for the gesture without any reproach. Neither has defeated the other; both have allowed Christ to reign over their pride.
They discover in this way that the rest Jesus speaks of does not come when they succeed in proving themselves right, but when they stop carrying the burden of constantly justifying themselves. They have moved from meritocracy—earning love—to Christocracy: allowing Christ to think, love and act within them.

Mother,

Show us your Son, so that it may be He who reigns over our lives. Blessed and praised be He for ever, who redeemed us with His Blood.

New hearts for new wine. Reflection for married couples. Matthew 9:14-17

Leave a Reply
Gospel of the Day

From the Gospel according to Matthew 9:14–17

At that time: The disciples of John came to Jesus, saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.’
New hearts for new wine

It may happen that we pray to God asking Him to give us this or that, to bless what we are doing, yet we still want to keep doing things our own way. It is as though we resist changing our habits, our way of thinking, our expectations, and we find it difficult to change, to allow Jesus to transform us. In today’s Gospel, He teaches us that His love cannot be poured into an old heart, a heart hardened by selfishness, pride or self-sufficiency, because it would simply be lost. He is the new wine which, as at Cana, comes into our lives to fill them with joy, grace and fruitfulness, but He needs new wineskins—that is, humble, docile hearts, open to the action of the Holy Spirit.

Spouses, Christ has not come merely to improve our marriage a little. He has not come to patch up a worn-out love, but to make it completely new, transforming it into a living image of His love for His Bride, the Church. To receive the “new wine” of sacramental grace, we must leave behind the “old wineskins” of selfish love and become new wineskins ourselves, allowing Jesus to change our hearts, and with them the way we look at one another, speak to one another, and love one another. Christian marriage is called to be continually renewed through self-giving, forgiveness, attentive listening and prayer. It is Mary’s “May it be done to me according to your word” that disposes us to receive life in Christ. Only then can married love become a living sign of Christ’s love for His Church.

Applied to Married Life:

Faith: While praying with today’s Gospel, I realised that I often ask the Lord to change certain things in our relationship, but almost always I’m asking Him to change you—to change the things about you that I don’t like.
Daniel: I do exactly the same, Faith. I want our conflicts to disappear, and I ask God for that, but I still cling to my own way of thinking and find it hard to let go of my pride. It’s like trying to pour new wine into old wineskins.
Faith: During prayer, I realised that Jesus doesn’t want simply to patch up our marriage. He wants to make it new from within, teaching us to love as He loves.
Daniel: And that begins with me—with changing myself, not demanding that you change. If I allow Christ to transform my heart, He will also transform the way I look at you, listen to you and serve you.
Faith: Yes, Daniel, I realised that I’m the one who needs to allow myself to be transformed as well. Today I ask the Lord for the humility to leave behind my old attitudes and to open myself to the grace we received through our sacrament.
Daniel: Me too. May we never be afraid to become new wineskins, ready to receive the wine of His love. Only then will our joy no longer depend on circumstances, but on knowing that Jesus, the Bridegroom, always walks with us.

Mother,

Guide us on our journey and teach us to trust completely in the Lord, just as you did, and to allow ourselves to be shaped by His love. Blessed and glorious are you, Mother. Praised be the Lord forever!