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What do you like, Father? Reflection for marriages Matthew 6, 7-15

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GOSPEL
You should pray like this.
Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew 6, 7-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
“This is how you are to pray:
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
“If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
The Lord’s word.
What do you like, Father?
For once, let’s look at the Our Father from the perspective of the Father, because we have the bad habit of putting ourselves at the center of our prayers. And what about Our Father? What would He like us to say to Him?
God makes us fathers so that we understand what fatherhood is all about. Like any father, He likes us to tell Him about our things, but above all, He needs to be recognized by us as Father, to know that we trust in Him, that we recognize how much He loves us, that He cares for us and that in His arms we find our rest. Wouldn’t you as a father like your children to live your fatherhood in that way?
And what is the least thing you would like as a father? That your children, among siblings, were fighting. Right? Well, it’s the same thing. God, who is Love, cannot give us His blessing if we do not reconcile with each other.
We have an amazing Father! Glory to Him.
Applied to Marriage:
Luis: Okay. We don’t agree and we still don’t, and we will have to discern and both value each other’s opinion, but what we cannot do if we want God to be with us and enlighten us, is to get angry. Okay?
Cristina: Okay. You’re right. The Father does not like that we are distant, and much less, that we have something against each other. Let’s reconcile and trust that He will give us the light to discern well.
Luis: I apologize for calling you stubborn. You are wonderful and I have no right to judge you like that.
Cristina: I apologize for calling you arrogant. You are a precious gift from God, of which I am not worthy.
Luis: I forgive you, Cristina.
Cristina: I forgive you, Luis.
(And the Father who is in heaven blessed them with the light they asked for their discernment)
Mother,
We want to make the Father smile. He is our Father. We know we are loved by Him and rest in His arms.
Praised be forever.

Living Water. Reflection for marriages Matthew 25, 31-46

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GOSPEL

Whenever you did this to one of these, my brothers, the least, you did it to me.
Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew 25, 31-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
The Word of the Lord.
Living Water.
To be without partaking of God and His Love. That is what I risk in this life. What do temporal goods or evils matter? What do temporary sufferings matter? Being fully in Him awaits us, the Living Water that satisfies all our thirst. The fullness of Love, of affection, of wisdom awaits us. Everything awaits us. What do the rest matter?
Applied to married life:
Mario: We have everything, Ana. We have Him. Therefore, we have everything.
Ana: What does the rest matter? Only You, Lord. Only You, Most High Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father.
Mario: Amen.
Mother,
We make the offering with you: Through Christ, with Him and in Him, to you, Almighty God, Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and all glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Thank you for the temptations.Reflection for marriages Mark 1:12-15

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GOSPEL

“ He was tempted by Satan,and the angels ministered to him.”

From the Gospel according to Mark 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Thank you for the temptations.

In situations that bother us, our tendency is to stop it, so that they stop bothering us. But that is not the solution. The solution is to wish that these situations persist to revive the temptation each time, fighting against it until we learn to love in it, and they do not longer bother us. This is what Jesus teaches us by going into the desert for 40 days led by the Holy Spirit. He went to be tempted and to strengthen his human soul in each temptation.

Applied to Married Life:

Flora: Martin! ( Martin,comes from the other end of the house) Can you bring me the glasses on the nightstand?

Martin: (Martin, feeling annoyed, thinks: Why does she have to be so cheeky? Couldn’t she get up herself, instead of making me come all the way here just to go to the bedroom now?. But Martin discovers there is a wound in his heart, caused by laziness. Instead of using this opportunity to love, he complains, judging her. But the source of his discomfort isn’t her, it’s his laziness. Martin acknowledges his disorder and asks for forgiveness from the Lord: Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity to overcome my laziness.) Yes, dear (he answers). Right away. (And he brings her the glasses) Anything else?

Flora: Thank you, Martin. Oh well, yes. If you bring me a glass of cold water, I’d appreciate it.

Martin: (Feels the pain of his laziness again, but thanks God for this new opportunity for self-mortification) Of course, Flora. I’ll bring it to you right away. Anything else before I go?

Flora: No, thank you very much, darling.

Mother,

It’s beneficial for us to experience the temptations of the desert. The Lord lived it for 40 days, and it is good for us if it continues throughout our whole lives. Thank you, Lord, for the temptations that strengthen us and allow us to be more Yours by Your grace.

Victims and oppressors. Reflection for marriages. Luke 5: 27-32

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GOSPEL

“I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”

From the Gospel according to Luke 5:27-32

Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Victims and oppressors.

Pope Francis emphasizes this Gospel a lot. . It’s crucial not to categorize myself as “the good one” or “the victim” while labeling my spouse as the oppressor. No! That is a temptation from Satan.

As Saint Therese said: If I haven’t stumbled in something, it’s because the good Father, in His infinite mercy, has removed it from my path before I could trip over it.

If the Lord allows my spouse to stumble where I haven’t, it’s because, in His mercy, He has chosen that path to rescue him. So, I am the beloved of the Lord, and my spouse represents the Lord. End of story!

When I stop accusing my spouse, that day I will begin to be a light in the darkness, as today’s first reading says. As long as I continue to accuse him, even if only in my heart, there will be more darkness in me than in my spouse. And I want to be a merciful child, just as our Father is merciful.

 

Applied to Married Life:

Isabel: Today, Lord, I come to ask for your compassion because I accused my husband in my heart. . Unaware of the gravity of my actions, I now realize that I hindered rather than helped my husband draw closer to you but have been a cause of scandal for him.

Dan:. Lord, I admire Your mercy because I acknowledge my inability to love as purely as You do. Allow us the grace to reside in Your heart and love as You do

Isabel: Forgive me, Dan. God loves so much…!. Feel loved by Him, as I am not giving you the love you need.

Dan: Forgive me, Isabel. Feel infinitely loved by the Lord, as I am not giving you the love you need.

 

Mother,

May this Gospel penetrate and transform our hearts as Christian spouses. Fortunately for us, God is merciful and sees our repentant hearts. Praise be to Him forever.

Time and time. Reflection for marriages Matthew 9:14-15

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GOSPEL

“When the bridegroom is taken away from them, they will fast.”

From the Gospel according to Matthew 9:14-15

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered 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.”

The Gospel of the Lord,

Time and time.

In our spiritual journey, God’s timing is crucial. Currently, we find ourselves in a time of fasting from the Bridegroom. It is important to appreciate and endure this time of sacrifice, to later enter into glory with Him. Often, we get used to have Him and lose awareness of the value of His presence. Now, we need to prepare ourselves to “lose” Him and recover Him in glory after three days, to lose sight of Him physically and redirect our worship to Him in Spirit and truth.

Applied to Married Life:

Sophie: The more I delve into Lent and enter that spiritual desert, the more profound I experience glory with the Lord. During this time, I also put myself in the situation of losing you, my husband, to recover you later in Christ.

Andrew: Living through this time with intensity is crucial, you’re right. It is true that it’s challenging, but without this time of dryness, we don’t appreciate the Living Water that we are about to receive. These days, I am also delving into what our marriage would be like without the sacrament, to collect our sacrament from the side of Christ and relive our union with the truly sacred and fulfilling dimension it has.

Sophie: There is no glory without the cross. Many are deterred by asceticism, struggle, effort, and suffering, but it is the path God has established for accessing union with Him.

Andrew: There is no glory without the cross. There is no marriage without the cross.

Mother,

How did you experience the time when Jesus prepared for His Passion? Take me into Your Heart, Mother.