GOSPEL

You will conceive in your womb and bear a son.

From the Gospel according to Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospel of the Lord

Holidays or Christmas?

Due to one woman (Eve), we lost the original innocence that allowed spouses to see each other, as the Creator sees us. Through another woman, the Immaculate Virgin Mary, who initiates this missionary project of Marital Love for Marriages, it becomes possible in Christ to recover, through the revelation of the Word and the action of the Holy Spirit, that way of seeing each other.

Mary, mediator of God’s mercy, “Mirror of justice and cause of our joy.” In you, He wanted to recreate everything anew and and set forth on the path of eternal forgiveness (“Gate of heaven”). Everything had to begin again in you (“Queen conceived without original sin”), and thus, you became the second Eve (“Mother of the Church”). Once again, a sinless woman willing to obey (“Virgin most faithfull”) to pave the way to the New Covenant (“Ark of the covenant”). In you, out of pure love, God pours out all grace (“Mother of divine grace”), even God Himself is given to us through you (“Mother of Christ”). Mother, you are such a great gift to all of us that we cannot help but thank God for you (“Virgin most renowned,” “Queen of the family,” “Queen of peace…”).

Applied to Married Life:

Victor: Happy holidays!

Martha: No,Victor, no. I want to celebrate Christmas, not just “holidays.” Because I was struggling in our marriage: I felt lonely, helpless, tired of everything, depressed. But then, I took hold of Mary’s hand by consecrating myself to her and placing everything in her hands. She led me to Jesus, and I regained enthusiasm; I no longer felt alone, gained renewed strength, received His grace, and was filled with hope. My Mother brought me to Jesus, and He transformed my life, completely turning things around— my perception of marriage became a divine calling, my self-control improved, I became more open to His will, my perspective towards you, my husband, shifted, and my life expectations expanded significantly… This is the Christmas I want to celebrate. God is born in my heart to make everything new. God is born in our marriage to bring us salvation. God is born in the world to redeem it.

Mother,

Intercessor of all graces, we give thanks to God for the gifts He has granted you to intercede for us. From here, we also wish you a joyful Christmas Eve. It wasn’t a very pleasant night for you, but then Christmas came. God never disappoints, and neither do you. Thank you, Mother!

GOSPEL

Birth of John the Baptist

From the Gospel according to Luke 1:57-66

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbours, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Unexpected Turns of the Spirit.

We insist on programming our lives according to our criteria, but God’s plans often take a different path, and I have to be open to it because, as someone once wisely told me, it’s through the unforeseen that the Holy Spirit ‘slips in.’ It is not that, things go well when they go as I had planned, but rather they go well when they happen as God wants. In other words, always.

Applied to Married Life:

Christina: I think my marriage is null. I had imagined something else. I got married thinking he was a knight in shining armour, and I find myself with the ghost of lost causes.

Charles: Well, let’s say you created expectations different from what the reality is. But, do you love your husband?

Christina: I do. However, he doesn’t love me.

Charles: Then accept him as he is and give yourself wholeheartedly, and you will see the work of God in your marriage. Do you want to miss out on that?

Christina: No! Not the work of God.

Charles: Do you think Isabel and Zechariah expected to have the precursor of Christ as their son? No, right? So start doing what you need to do in your marriage and trust. You’ll see how things are much more beautiful than they appear.

Mother,

God’s plans are always more beautiful than ours. We love being in His hands. Praise the Lord.

GOSPEL

The Almighty has done great things for me.

From the Gospel according to Luke 1:46-56

Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.

The Gospel of the Lord

Window to Heaven.

I love the Magnificat because it reveals the inside of Mary’s heart, wide open.

It immerses me in the purity of Love. What an incomparable place. It is the beauty of grace and humility. It is the beauty of the presence of God. Perhaps I could say that Mary’s heart is a window to heaven.

Applied to Married Life:

Becky: Joshua, would you like to join me in glimpsing into heaven?

Joshua: How do we do that?

Becky: By entering into the Heart of Mary. Let’s contemplate the Magnificat together. Mary is full of Grace, the Lord is perfectly in her. Doesn’t that seem like heaven to you?

(Becky and Joshua spent that afternoon contemplating humility, grace, the power of God, His faithfulness, His mercy… Becky and Joshua enjoyed a little bit of heaven that evening.)

Mother,

We want to live with you in heaven already. Let us always be in your heart. Thank you, blessed Mother.

GOSPEL

How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

From the Gospel according to Luke 1:39-45

Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said,

“Most blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

The Gospel of the Lord

It’s Mary!

The experience of Elizabeth is familiar to us because we have also felt that joy and a sense of unworthiness in prayer before Mary, the Full of Grace. Who else is better than her to bring us closer to the Lord? Who else is better than her to fill us with the Holy Spirit? It’s Mary!

Applied to Married Life:

Phil: My life has undergone a transformation on all levels since we consecrated ourselves to Mary.

Margaret: I’ve noticed it too. A series of circumstances and events have been unfolding since then, shaping and guiding our lives.

Phil: It’s true that we’ve had to remain faithful to the consecration, trusting in God, like Elizabeth, who remained steadfast in fidelity to God, and He granted her a child when it seemed impossible.

Margaret: Well, it’s true that along the way, God tests our trust. We must continue to stand firm in our faith.

Mother,

How does this happen to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? Blessed are you forever, Mother full of grace.

GOSPEL

You will conceive in your womb and bear a son.

From the Gospel according to Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospel of the Lord

Gentleness

God intervenes directly, changing the course of human history. Here, it is the angel who, by divine command, enters the presence of Mary as the actor in this beautiful scene starring Mary.

The workings of God are incredibly beautiful, displaying an unmatched tact and gentleness. Because God does not use force when He intervenes in our lives. He respects our freedom and invites us to the greatness of our vocation.

Applied to married life

Andrew: I contemplate the beauty of the Annunciation and see gentleness and greatness on God’s part, and delicacy and humility on Mary’s part. But always gentleness.

Julie: Yes, everything that comes from God is infused with charming beauty and harmony. I am amazed when I contemplate them.

Andrew: That’s why I believe that when we are going to communicate something from God to each other, that beauty, humility, and gentleness must necessarily be present. Without these elements, we are not being a channel of God’s grace

Julie: I would be wonderful if we could always uphold that beauty and gentleness. Shall we make it a commitment?

Andrew: Great idea!

Mother,

You captivate me. I could spend countless hours absorbed in this scene. I love you Mother, I love you Lord.