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A “Kit Kat”?. Reflection for marriages Saint Mark 6:30–34

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Gospel of the Day

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark 6:30–34
At that time, the apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all they had done and taught.
He said to them:
‘Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.’
For so many people were coming and going that they did not even have time to eat. So they went away in a boat to a solitary place by themselves.
But many saw them leaving and recognised them, and from all the towns they ran on foot to that place and arrived there ahead of them.
When Jesus disembarked and saw a great crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

A “Kit Kat”?
Reading this Gospel, I wonder: What would it be like to rest with Jesus? Would He stop talking about the Kingdom and change the subject to “relax”?
I don’t think Jesus would take a “kit kat” from His mission or His essence as the Saviour. Even in moments of rest, He would still be the Good Shepherd.
Let our priests always remain priests, even in their times of rest. Let us remain Christian spouses, even during our leisure time, and even more so in front of our children.

Applying It to Married Life
Rafa: Lola, are you truly a Christian, or are you just acting like one?
Lola: What kind of question is that, Rafa? Of course, I’m a Christian.
Rafa: Yeah, but in your free time, do you also behave like a Christian wife, or do you only do so when people are watching, in a church setting?
Lola: Well, it’s true that sometimes I don’t behave as I should—but that’s when I fall into temptation and the devil takes over me. But in those moments, it’s not really me; it’s the evil working within me.
Rafa: I’ve realised that there are always spirits influencing us. When we belong to Christ, it’s the Holy Spirit guiding us. But when we don’t, it’s the spirit of evil leading us. But you and I, we belong to Christ—don’t we?

Mother,
We are spouses of Christ, our Good Shepherd. Praise be to Him forever.

Four Types of Conscience. Reflection for marriages Saint Mark 6:14–29

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Gospel of the Day

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark 6:14–29
At that time, King Herod heard of Jesus, for His name had become well known. Some were saying,
‘John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’
Others said,
‘He is Elijah.’
Still others claimed,
‘He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’
But when Herod heard of it, he said,
‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’
For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because Herod had married her. John had been saying to Herod,
‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’
So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not, because Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard John speak, he was greatly puzzled, yet he liked to listen to him.
The opportune time came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl,
‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.’
And he swore an oath to her:
‘Whatever you ask I will give you, even up to half of my kingdom.’
She went out and said to her mother,
‘What shall I ask for?’
Her mother replied,
‘The head of John the Baptist.’
Immediately, she hurried back to the king with her request:
‘I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’
The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl, who then gave it to her mother.

When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

 

Four Types of Conscience
It’s clear that Herod felt remorse over the death of John the Baptist. His guilt filled him with fear.
There are different types of remorse. The kind that comes from God leads us to openness and hope, offering a path forward. But the remorse that rejects God turns inward, bringing fear and despair instead of healing.

Herod did not recognise God, and because he couldn’t forgive himself, he remained tormented

 

Applying It to Married Life
Juan: Did you know there are four types of conscience?
Gema: Oh really? Which ones?
Juan:
1. The Blind Conscience – unaware of its own sin.
2. The Scrupulous Conscience – sees sin everywhere, even where there’s none.
3. The Pharisaic Conscience – harshly judges others while being lenient with oneself.
4. The Clear Conscience – has a realistic understanding of sin, its seriousness, and its consequences.
Gema: That’s really interesting. Which one do you think describes you?
Juan: I’d say the clear one, but leaning a bit towards the blind side. And you?
Gema: I’d say clear, but with a tendency towards scrupulosity. So, how do we educate our conscience?
Juan: Through formation, spiritual guidance, and especially frequent confession.

Gema: Of course. When we regularly experience God’s grace through confession, everything falls into place.

 

Mother,
How grateful we are to God for the miracle of the Sacrament of Confession, which opens us to hope. Praise be to the Lord forever.

Infinitely Less Wise, This Is What I Want. Reflection for marriages Saint Mark 6:7–13

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Gospel of the Day

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark 6:7–13

At that time, Jesus called the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts. They were to wear sandals but not take a second tunic.

He said to them:

‘Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. And if any place does not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.’

So they went out and preached repentance. They cast out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil, and healed them.

Infinitely Less Wise

Jesus chooses the least wise among us, and then sends us out without any resources so that it’s clear to everyone that the works are not ours—they are His.
It often happens that when a married couple prepares to evangelise, arguments arise during the preparation. Why? Because we start to take ownership of God’s work. Let it not be so among us. Let’s acknowledge that we are limited. The wisest person on Earth is infinitely less wise than the least in Heaven.

Applying It to Married Life

María: I can’t take it anymore. I’ve tried everything, but I can’t condense the content, nor create a flow that fits with your outline.
Andrés: I’ve tried to help, but whenever I summarise, remove something, or rearrange your structure, you say it’s not what you want to convey and that I’ve left out important points. So, let’s go with what we have, and the Holy Spirit will assist us. But above all, let’s not lose our unity—that’s the most important thing, okay?
María: Okay. More than what we say, the important thing is that we are one. From that, the Holy Spirit can build through our Sacrament.
Andrés: Let’s invoke Him because we’re really going to need Him.
María: That’s the point—that He speaks, not us.

Mother,

We are so small to go forth in the name of the Lord, and we experience this every time. Assist us, Mother. In you, we trust.

This Is What You Want, This Is What I Want. Reflection for marriages Saint Mark 6:1–6

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Gospel of the Day

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark 6:1–6

At that time, Jesus went to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.
When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying:
‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And how are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?’
And they took offence at him.
Jesus said to them:
‘A prophet is not without honour except in his own country, among his relatives, and in his own house.’
And he could perform no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Then he went around the surrounding villages, teaching.

 

This Is What You Want, This Is What I Want

If we rely too much on reason, we might find ourselves with Christ right in front of us and still take offence at him. Yes, it’s good to use our minds, but we don’t need to understand everything—or we might miss the miracles of the Lord.
He is supernatural and beyond our full comprehension. So, let’s remain open to the mystery and allow God to be God.

Applying It to Married Life

Michel: You tell me that I don’t understand you, and I really try to. I don’t know what else to do.
Asun: Well, I don’t know how to explain what I’m feeling any better so that you’d understand. So maybe we should stop overthinking it and focus our gaze together on God. This is a mystery to me, but if God wants me to live with this lack of understanding, then I want to live it too.
Michel: I give thanks to God for your faith, and I will keep asking Him for light to better understand your heart. But if He doesn’t want to give it to me, then I don’t want it either—even if that has negative consequences for me.
Asun: Praise be to the Lord.

Mother,

This is what you want, this is what I want. Praise be to the Lord; we trust in Him.

The Miracles of Jesus. Reflection for marriages Saint Mark 5:21–43

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Gospel of the Day

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark 5:21–43

At that time, Jesus crossed to the other side of the sea by boat, and a large crowd gathered around him while he remained by the shore. Then one of the rulers of the synagogue, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly:
‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be healed and live.’
So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed, pressing in on him.
Now, there was a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians and had spent all she had, yet she only grew worse. Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, thinking,
‘If I only touch his cloak, I shall be healed.’
Immediately, the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my cloak?’
His disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing upon you, and yet you ask, “Who touched me?”’
But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, fearful and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came forward, fell at his feet, and told him the whole truth.
Jesus said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be freed from your illness.’
While he was still speaking, people arrived from Jairus’ house and said, ‘Your daughter has died. Why trouble the Master any further?’
But Jesus overheard what they said and told the synagogue ruler, ‘Do not fear; only believe.’
He allowed no one to accompany him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at Jairus’ house, Jesus saw a great commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly. He entered and said to them,
‘Why all this noise and weeping? The child is not dead; she is only asleep.’
And they laughed at him. But after sending them all outside, he took the child’s father and mother, and those who were with him, and went into where the child was. Taking her by the hand, he said to her,
‘Talitha cumi’ (which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise.’)
Immediately, the girl got up and began to walk about—she was twelve years old. At this, they were utterly astonished.
Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about this, and he told them to give her something to eat.

The Miracles of Jesus

Jesus does not want a distant relationship with us. This is why he asks who has touched his cloak—so that he can look her in the eyes and tell her that her faith has saved her. This is why he does not want a noisy crowd around Jairus’ daughter. He wants to take her by the hand and raise her, holding her tenderly.
Now, I want to close my eyes and imagine Jesus coming near, taking my hand with love, and saying to me: ‘Your faith has saved you.’
Hey! What are you doing reading this? Have you closed your eyes and imagined Jesus holding your hand? If not, take five minutes to do so before continuing in prayer.

Applying It to Married Life

Lola: Jose, what a wonderful marriage we have—where we look at each other, hold hands, walk arm in arm, you caress me, I caress you… We spent so many years distant from each other. Tenderness is so important in a marriage.
Jose: Well, we were stuck for a while, each of us living a bit separately, but how beautiful this Project has been, bringing us together and helping us express our love in new ways.
Lola: And seeing your parents, your sister, and our brother-in-law starting down the same path—what a blessing, isn’t it?
Jose: Yes! I love that my family has also joined this journey of Proyecto Amor Conyugal. This is not just a marital conversion; it is a family conversion. These are the miracles of Our Lady, the miracles of Jesus in married and family life.

Mother,

How important tenderness is between spouses. May we never lack it. Praise be to the Lord, who draws near and touches our hearts.