Gospel

From the Gospel according to John
Jn 1:6-8, 19-28

A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not. “Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”

So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord,’” as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The Gospel of the Lord.

The bar is set so “low.”

I am not the Messiah either. And you? If the Lord, who is so great… so great… so great… clothes Himself in a piece of bread and allows Himself to be consumed, what should I, who am so small… so small… so small… do? As things are I am not to complain, not to demand that I be valued, it seems to me.

John´s confession should be made by me every minute of my life, in every good act, to acknowledge that it is not me who does it but Christ who is the source of all good. He, whom I don’t even deserve to unstrap the sandals of, a typical task of a slave in that era. I don’t deserve to be His slave, and yet, He completely gives Himself to me.

Before Him, I present myself every day so that He allows Himself to be consumed. And I am ashamed of my ridiculous pride, and I marvel at His divine humility.

Here we wait for You, King of Kings, with the empty manger of our soul and our heart.

Applied to Married Life:

Sharon: What are you doing, Andy?

Andy: I am counting the times I have put myself above Our Lord.

Sharon: And how is the count going?

Andy: Well, I see that there are fewer grains of sand on the beach than acts of pride on my part. I don’t know what to do now with all this, because Christmas is in a few days. What do I offer to the Baby Jesus?

Sharon: How sweet you are. You are becoming more and more like a child. I believe you can offer the Lord this feeling of yours. He will love it.

Mother,

The Lord has set the bar so “low” that it makes it impossible for us to lower ourselves and stand behind Him. What great greatness there is in His humiliation. Praise be to the Father who sent Him to be a Witness of His love for us.

Gospel

Elijah has already come and they did not recognize him.

From the Gospel according to Matthew

Mt 17:9a, 10-13

As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”
Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Apparent Failures.

There is an experience that identifies a similarity between St. John the Baptist and Jesus, and it is that, in both cases, people did to them as they pleased. It is clear to us that, through that path, they renewed everything. Each one at their level: St. John as a precursor and Jesus as a Redeemer, but it is no coincidence that people did to both of them as they pleased.

Perhaps I may decide to join the group of those who collaborate in the renewal of everything, but perhaps I hadn’t considered this as the true path.

The challenge for this Advent is this: From today until the coming of the Child, let us be like St. John and let them do with us as they please.

Applied to Married Life:

Declan: What do these words suggest to you? Henpecked, submissive, intimidated…

Lucy: It sounds like someone ridiculous, a bit foolish. Why?

Declan: Because to me, they sounded the same as to you. But reading today’s Gospel, it seems that letting people do with you as they please for the love of God dignifies you.

Lucy: Why do you say that?

Declan: To St. John the Baptist and Jesus, those in power did as they pleased. The apparent defeat turned into a triumph for heaven. If that’s the case, I also want to be a failure, even if it hurts pride.

Lucy: Even if it hurts pride, indeed. That is the necessary sacrifice in the name of love, for the redemption of the world.

Mother,

To lose to win for God. That’s what we want. To Him all the Glory and Praise for all eternity.

Gospel

From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 11:11-15

Jesus said to the crowds:
“Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Peace amid violence.

The Lord has sown in us the seed of the kingdom of Heaven, but this seed placed in our soul undergoes violence. We live, and we must inevitably experience the great tribulation because only the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies bears abundant fruit. Let us not expect to bear fruit without the cross, for only through the humiliation of giving everything I am, as Jesus does in the manger, will Life come through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Applied to married life:

Toni: If God loves us so much, why does He allow us to suffer?

Louise: Because we have to strip ourselves of everything to welcome the All. Removing what points to me to point entirely to Him and thus to you. And that hurts.

Toni: It’s easy to say, but indeed, it’s challenging.

Louise: He makes it simple; it is us who make it complicated. As St. Augustine said: Love and do what you will. So, entrust yourself to Him, and everything will be set in order in your heart. It is His promise.

Mother,

May we be instruments of peace in the midst of the violence that the kingdom of Heaven undergoes. Praise the Lord.

Gospel
From he Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Tireless.

There is an infused or supernatural virtue for each natural virtue. One of the characteristics that those virtues have is that they do not get tired. They are the ones that allow us to forgive without limits, believe without limits, hope without limits… Because it is not us who carry out those acts, it is the force of supernatural Grace that does it through the merits of Christ. This how I will know if I did it or if it was God who did it.

Applied to Married life

Robert: I’m tired of trying. I make effort after effort but I make no progress to grow in virtue.
Helen: That’s because you’re trying alone. Ask for God´s grace each time, convinced that it will assist you and you will see how things change.
Robert: I don’t think that by asking for grace things will happen magically.
Helen: Well, that’s the problem, since you don’t believe, the Lord can’t help you. Keep putting in all your effort, but now trust in God´s Grace and you will see the results. Not quickly, but little by little you will see them. Shall we bet?
Robert: If it´s like this, I´m coming with you every day to the Adoration.
Helen: Deal! Book it in your agenda. Ha ha ha

Mother,

How much time and effort spouses waste by not coming to you. You wishing to pour Graces and them forgetting that you are there waiting for them. Thank you Blessed Mother.

Gospel

God does not want any of these little ones to be lost.

Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew 18:12-14

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:

“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheeps, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.

So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Pharisees or Shepherds.

There is a significant contrast between the attitude of the Pharisee who dismisses the sinner, accusing and despising him, and the attitude of the Good Shepherd, who leaves the righteous to go in search of the lost sheep. The question is: When I am lost, with whom would I like to meet? With the Pharisee or with the Good Shepherd? I have a clear answer. So when it is my spouse who is lost, may I go in the name of the Good Shepherd and not in the name of the Pharisee.

Applied to married life:

Matt: I notice that my love for you is maturing. Before, it was swayed by emotions, and now it is much more stable.

Sarah: More stable in what sense?

Matt: Well, before, it depended on the consolations I received from you in order to pay back as you deserved. That is, I used to love the consolations I received from you, not yourself, as I should. Of course, loving the consolations and not yourself has serious consequences for our union.

Sarah: Now I understand. Of course, that’s why, when there is no maturity in love, it is impossible to love the other when they are in sin. Because loving is not kicking someone when they are down but helping them recover, as Christ would do.

Mother,

Stay with us in this precious wait. Thank you, blessed Mother.