Mercy, our God. Reflection for marriages John 20:,19-31

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From the Gospel according to John20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week,when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,for fear of the Jews,Jesus came and stood in their midstand said to them, “Peace be with you.”When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,“Receive the Holy Spirit.Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,was not with them when Jesus came.So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”But he said to them,“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his handsand put my finger into the nailmarksand put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again insideand Thomas was with them.Jesus came, although the doors were locked,and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,and bring your hand and put it into my side,and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciplesthat are not written in this book.But these are written that you may come to believethat Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

The Gospel of the Lord

Mercy, our God

It is striking to see how, just a few days earlier, the disciples entered Jerusalem full of excitement and human expectations, following a “triumphant” Messiah and feeling part of a “successful project.” The Cross shatters all of that.
Now they are locked away, afraid, confused… and confronted with their own weakness. They have gone from expecting things from God to needing God Himself. What a great blessing! Yes, it is now that they are ready to receive the Love that comes to meet them in their misery.
Today we celebrate the Mercy of our God—His “Plan of Love” in our history.

Applied to married life

A prayer of a married couple before the Blessed Sacrament:
Lord, today we come to You as husband and wife, in the midst of this cross that we struggle to understand.It weighs on us, it hurts… and so often we don’t know how to carry it.
We recognize that we have tried to sustain our marriage with our own strength, demanding from each other what only You can give.And today we see that we cannot do it on our own.
So we ask for Your help, our Lord.Come and stand between us.Hold together what is breaking, heal what is wounded, and bring light to what we do not understand.
Teach us to look more at You than at our difficulties, and to walk together toward You—even in the midst of pain.
We surrender our need to “fix things” so that You may act within us.Lord, in You we trust!


Mother,

Teach us to trust in the plan of your Son.Forever blessed and praised be He who redeemed us with His Blood.

Go out to the whole world. Reflection for marriages Mark 16:9-15.

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From the Gospel according to Mark16:9–15

When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week,he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,out of whom he had driven seven demons.She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.When they heard that he was aliveand had been seen by her, they did not believe.
After this he appeared in another formto two of them walking along on their way to the country.They returned and told the others;but they did not believe them either.
But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to themand rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heartbecause they had not believed thosewho saw him after he had been raised.He said to them, “Go into the whole worldand proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
The Gospel of the Lord

Go out to the whole world
Jesus told us: “You are my friends if you do what I command you” (Jn 15:14). And in this Gospel, the risen Christ urges us to proclaim the Good News to the whole world: Jesus Christ is risen—He has conquered death!
We are witnesses to Christ’s Resurrection in our marriage—we have seen it and we are living it. We cannot remain silent! Spouses, let us go out into the whole world to proclaim the joy of the Resurrection: to our family, friends, acquaintances, at work, in our social lives—in every corner of our daily reality—announcing the Gospel of marriage, because that is our world. Through our witness, through the example of our lives, we must proclaim the Good News of marriage to everyone.

Applied to married life:

Rose: You know what? I’m so happy. This morning a colleague came to me and said that she and her husband were thinking about getting divorced. She asked me what had happened to me lately, because I seem so joyful and never complain about you anymore. So I told her about the beauty of marriage as God intended it, about the possibility of going on a retreat, of giving each other another chance… and I think she might suggest it to her husband.
Alfie: Rose, my dear, maybe you shouldn’t mix marriage topics with your work.
Rose: When Christ asked us to proclaim the Gospel, He didn’t exclude places or moments. He told us to go out into the whole world and proclaim it to all creation.
Alfie: Considering how hard it was for you to get that job, don’t you think you might be overexposing yourself?
Rose: Remember today’s first reading, Alfie—when the apostles were forbidden to preach in Jesus’ name, and they replied that they must obey God rather than men. Besides, when you’ve discovered the greatness of marriage in your own life, you simply can’t keep it to yourself.
Alfie: That’s true. Sometimes human fears hold me back. But it’s wonderful that your coworkers have noticed the change in us—and I admire your courage. You’re right: we’ve discovered the greatness of our marriage, and we shouldn’t be afraid to be witnesses to what God has done in us.

Mother,

Teach us to live always doing the will of the Father, proclaiming the Word of the Son without fear of the world or its consequences, but abandoning ourselves to His providence, just as you always did. Blessed and glorious are you, Mother! Praise be the Lord forever!

In you I trust . Reflection for marriages. John 21:1-14

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From the Gospel according to John 21:1–14
Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.
The Gospel of the Lord

In You I trust

The apostles relive another moment of a miraculous catch of fish. The first time was when the Lord called Simon Peter to follow Him, at the beginning of His public ministry. There, He invited him to leave his nets behind and become a fisher of men.
Now the scene repeats itself: without their Master, the apostles return to the life they had once left behind. They go fishing—and once again, they catch nothing. In that moment, Jesus appears and tells them to cast the net again, and it comes up completely full of fish. Even so, the only one who recognizes the Lord is the beloved disciple, who then bears witness to the others.
In the same way, we are called to trust in the Lord and to be witnesses—especially when our spouse’s faith may falter.

Applied to married life

Ana: Martin I can’t take it anymore! This is the last time I’m saying it—are you even listening to me?
Martin: Hard not to—I hear you, and so do the neighbors. But tell me, love, what’s going on?
Ana: You’re right… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted at you. And thank you for not responding in the same tone—we could’ve ended up in a big argument like we used to.
Martin: Come here, sit with me and tell me what’s wrong. (He hugs her as she sits down, knowing it comforts her.)
Ana: Oh… this feels so good. This is exactly what I needed. Thank you—I’ve even forgotten what I was going to say. Clearly, it wasn’t that important…
Martin: I’m here for whatever you need. And I’m sorry too—I might have been a bit distracted when you were talking to me.
Ana: The Lord makes all things new, and He is certainly making our marriage new. We just need to trust in Him and be attentive when the other one is struggling. Lord, give us trust in You, so that even after a night without catching anything, we may still trust and cast our nets again. Thank You, Lord!

Mother,

Thank You for your yes. Thank You for giving us Your Son and for accompanying Him all the way to the Cross. Thank You for being our Mother, for never giving up on any marriage. Blessed are You forever!

Belive It. Reflection for marriages Luke 24:35-48

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From the Gospel according to LukeLuke 24:35-48

The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way,and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.While they were still speaking about this,he stood in their midst and said to them,”Peace be with you.”But they were startled and terrifiedand thought that they were seeing a ghost.Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?And why do questions arise in your hearts?Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bonesas you can see I have.”And as he said this,he showed them his hands and his feet.While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”They gave him a piece of baked fish;he took it and ate it in front of them.He said to them,”These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,that everything written about me in the law of Mosesand in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.And he said to them,”Thus it is written that the Christ would sufferand rise from the dead on the third dayand that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,would be preached in his nameto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.You are witnesses of these things

The Gospel of the Lord

Belive It.

We can never grow tired of proclaiming, celebrating, and constantly renewing what we experienced just a few days ago: Christ is risen! And we have the opportunity to encounter Him every day in the Eucharist, where we recognize Him again in the breaking of the bread, receiving His love in Holy Communion. We are nourished with the true food that satisfies, filling us with peace and renewing within us the mystery of our redemption.
Yet despite the many ways the Lord makes Himself present, we remain numb and fail to notice all the daily opportunities we have to experience the true presence of Jesus in our lives. We are witnessing Christ’s resurrection in every act of self-giving and welcome that we live out each day.
Marriage offers even more of these opportunities. Christ becomes continually present in our spouse; He speaks to us through the grace we receive in the sacrament, and He becomes real in the love we share and experience between us.

Applied to married life

Ian: Martha, I still find it hard to see how much we’ve changed, and sometimes I miss our old life.
Martha: Really? I think we’re better than ever.
Ian: Yes, I won’t argue with that. But sometimes it’s hard for me to see everything we’ve left behind after our conversion.
Martha: Don’t see it as a burden, but as a grace we’ve received.

Ian: It just feels like we gave up the things we used to enjoy—doing whatever we wanted, based on what we thought was right or wrong, as long as we weren’t hurting anyone

Martha: Maybe, but remember the emptiness it left us with, how we kept searching for more and more and nothing ever seemed enough. It even left us with a troubled conscience because deep down we knew something wasn’t right.

Ian: You’re right, Martha. I guess it’s just nostalgia—thinking about how we never used to deny ourselves anything and just did whatever we felt like, turning our backs on grace.

Martha: It happens to me too, but the good we’ve gained is so great that the feeling passes quickly

Ian: Sometimes it’s still hard for me to fully believe it, despite all the good we’ve recieved

Martha: We are witnesses to how the Lord has worked in us, and we can’t stop giving thanks for it

Ian: That’s true. Despite my clumsiness, I’m seeing more and more the grace the Lord has given us through our sacrament.

Martha: All we can do is thank the Lord for helping us believe in everything we’ve received.

Mother,

We are witnesses to all that we have received from your Son. Help us not to be afraid, but to believe in His Resurrection through the works He carries out in us. Christ is truly risen! Glory be to God.

Stay with us.Reflection for marriages Luke 24:13-35

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From the Gospel according to Luke 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week,two of Jesus’ disciples were goingto a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.He asked them,“What are you discussing as you walk along?”They stopped, looking downcast.One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalemwho does not know of the thingsthat have taken place there in these days?”And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”They said to him,“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,who was a prophet mighty in deed and wordbefore God and all the people,how our chief priests and rulers both handed him overto a sentence of death and crucified him.But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;and besides all this,it is now the third day since this took place.Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:they were at the tomb early in the morningand did not find his Body;they came back and reportedthat they had indeed seen a vision of angelswho announced that he was alive.Then some of those with us went to the tomband found things just as the women had described,but him they did not see.”And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these thingsand enter into his glory?”Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,he interpreted to them what referred to himin all the Scriptures.As they approached the village to which they were going,he gave the impression that he was going on farther.But they urged him, “Stay with us,for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”So he went in to stay with them.And it happened that, while he was with them at table,he took bread, said the blessing,broke it, and gave it to them.With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,but he vanished from their sight.Then they said to each other,“Were not our hearts burning within uswhile he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalemwhere they found gathered togetherthe Eleven and those with them who were saying,“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”Then the two recounted what had taken place on the wayand how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

The Gospel of the Lord

Stay with us

The two disciples on the road to Emmaus could easily be seen as a portrait of a married couple—two spouses walking through life together amid conversations, expectations, joys, and disappointments… and, most striking of all, Jesus walking with them. It is in our everyday lives that He draws near and asks, “What are you discussing?” He takes the initiative because He cares about what concerns us, because He wants to share our lives with us.
He also listens to our hearts when we say, “We had hoped…,” because so often our plans do not match His. The cross was not part of our plans, and when it comes, it unsettles us—we reject it and want to run away because it is hard to interpret it with faith. But Jesus does not leave; He stays. And when our eyes are opened in faith, that is when we recognize Him.
Jesus disappears from our sight not because He has gone away, but because He has already shown us where to find Him: in the Word and in the Eucharist. And when we find Him, from the depths of our hearts we say: Stay with us!

Applied to married life:

James: Natalie, I’ve counted seven churches on my way from home to the office.
Natalie: Seven? Since when do you go around counting churches? Weren’t you using your commute to catch up on the news?
James: Not since Monday. On Sunday, at the Easter Mass, I realized again that Jesus is truly alive among us—the same Jesus who walked through Galilee, the same one who worked miracles… He is in the tabernacle! Isn’t that amazing? As I passed each church, I became aware of this, and my heart burned as I prayed, “Stay with me, Lord ”
Natalie: How foolish and slow we can be sometimes. Jesus has chosen to stay with us, and we… What do you think about going together to Mass this afternoon?
James: I think it’s the best thing we could do…

Mother,
when we recognize Jesus, the heart moves from sadness to gratitude. Always lead us along this path. Blessed be the Lord, alive and present among us!