GOSPEL

“This is my body. This is my blood.”

From the Gospel according to Mark 14:22-25

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.  “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Priesthood and Common Priesthood

We celebrate the feast of Jesus Christ, the supreme and eternal priest. He makes a new covenant with God in our name, a definitive and indestructible covenant, because He offers Himself as a sacrifice and that pact can no longer fail. It is the wonderful, I would say incredible, plan of God to ensure that we will be with Him.

The Son of God becomes a priest in our name and makes us priests through baptism. This is the so-called common priesthood, in which all the laity participate, because it is expected that we too, along with Christ, will offer our lives to God for the salvation of the Church and the world.

Today, we contemplate Mary exceptionally living this common priesthood. Mary offers herself in sacrifice along with Her Son. First, at the moment when she gives Him to God for the salvation of the world, and second, because it was announced to her, and thus it happened, that a sword would pierce Her Heart.

Let us learn from Mary to live our common priesthood in our lives, united with Christ.

Applied to Married Life:

Luise: I am falling more in love with you every day, seeing your dedication and your sacrifice for me, for our family, and for so many others you are helping.

Jhon: Thank you very much, my dear wife. Everything is the work of God’s grace through the sacrifice of Christ, but it is true that from Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque I have understood that my life is to be given with and in Christ. I also see you offering your sacrifice, both physically and morally, and it makes me fall deeply in love with you.

Luise: We need to continue purifying our dedication so that it is truly priestly, without complaints, thanking God for every opportunity to give ourselves for Him and sacrificing for those who hurt us the most.

Jhon: That is not human, so we ask for grace and rely on it.

Mother,

Grant us the grace to live the common priesthood united with the only and eternal Priest and with the help of those who have received the ministerial priesthood. It is an honor to participate in it. Praised be the Lord for so many gifts He gives us through His sacrifice and through ours.

GOSPEL

“Whoever is not against us is for us.”

From the Gospel according to Mark 9:38-40

John said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”

The Gospel of the Lord

What a Fence

We have the bad habit of creating isolated Catholic communities, movements, or associations that build fences to keep people from leaving. This happened even in Jesus’ time, and it was Christ Himself who did not stop them and encouraged them to continue. He was always open to letting anyone who wanted to leave freely do so… What matters is Christ. We are saved in Him, and everything else is not as important.

Now, we all follow the same Christ. We say we love all parishes, we love Opus Dei, no better or worse than the Neocatechumenal Way, and we have such high regard for Alpha Groups, the Charismatic Renewal, Emmaus, and so many wonderful religious institutes…

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for so many great inspirations that help people come to the Lord. The cornerstone, the Alpha and the Omega.

Applied to Married Life:

Louis: There is a couple from our movement who has started the Project for Conjugal Love in their parish to deepen their understanding of their vocation.

Martha: How wonderful. That enriches both our movement and their parish. And you know what I found out?

Louis: What?

Martha: That several people who started the Project for Conjugal Love and then joined our movement. And lots of others, who were previously away from church are coming back to the parishes.

Louis: Blessed be God. I’ve heard that they say the groups following the marriage itinerary are not theirs; they are parish groups following that method. They don’t even know how many couples there are.

Martha: I love the unity, richness, and openness of our Holy Mother Church.

Mother,

May we not take ownership of Your children. And if You have a better path for someone, we pray they find it soon. Blessed be the Holy Mother Church that makes us one and whose heart nourishes our spirit.

GOSPEL

“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all”

From the Gospel according to Mark  9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. For they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Crossing the treshold

Jesus announces the cross, and His disciples understand nothing. They couldn’t imagine that glory is not the result of a discussion among them to see who deserves more or who imposes themselves over the others. Glory is a fruit of the cross, and the cross means giving oneself completely. Everything! Not wishing to defend myself, not wishing to take revenge, not accusing the one who despises me… Why? Because it is the way of the Lord, and that path allows me to be with Him first and to be in Him afterward.

Do I complain about being on the cross? I am no longer in Him because He does not complain. Do I get tired of being on the cross? I am no longer in Him because He remains in the Blessed Sacrament and enclosed in the Tabernacles long before I was born, and He will remain there long after I die.

But who lives the cross like this? Only the one who loves the Lord more than themselves, and that is a grace from God.

Applied to Married Life:

Martha: I still do not love the Lord more than myself, because I keep complaining about you, I am still hurt by what you say, and I react against you in my heart or even in word or deed.

Charles: We ask the Lord to allow us to cross the treshold of the cross, the one that separates the altar of sacrifice from everything else.

Martha: We ask this of you, Lord.

Mother,

We want to be the last, the servants of all. Ask the Lord for this grace for us. Praised be He forever.

GOSPEL

“Behold your son. Behold your mother”

From the Gospel according to John  19:25-34

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately Blood and water flowed out.

The Gospel of the Lord

Your mother is my mother.

Today we celebrate the memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. It might seem that this Gospel should end right after the verse where Jesus tells John that Mary is his Mother. However, the Gospel continues until the death of Jesus and the moment when His Most Sacred Heart is pierced, from which the Church emerges in the form of blood and water.

And why is this? Because Mary is the Mother of the Head of the Church, and therefore, in that moment, Mary also becomes the Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ, that is, the Mother of the Church, from which all the children of God will be born through baptism.

I gaze in admiration at Jesus in the Eucharist and ask Him: How far have You wanted to involve Yourself with humanity that You submit to the Motherhood of a human mother for eternity?

The Love of God remains a mystery difficult to fathom for someone as small as me. I want to delve deeper into Your Heart, Lord.

Applied to Married Life:

Cristina: Look, I married you, not your family.

Julian: Look, Cristina, it’s clear that you didn’t marry my parents, but by marrying me, you accepted my past, my present, and my future. And that very much includes my parents.

Cristina: of course, Julian, that sound lovely, but the reality is that your parents are your parents and mine are mine. Everyone has to handle their own problems. You know?

Julian: Look, you are a very devout woman. So I ask you to contemplate Christ. He marries humanity and accepts a human Mother, and names her the Mother of all the children of God. And God Himself accepts her as Mother and doesn’t say to Jesus, “Hey, she’s your Mother, and only yours.” Being One, He also accepts her as the Mother of God. We need to learn from Christ the Bridegroom to be good spouses. And I’m the first one, okay? Because I’m the first to admit that I don’t give myself like He does.

Cristina: Yes, let’s learn from Him. But in every way, okay?

Julio: In every way Cristina, in every way.

Mother,

Congratulations, Mother, thank you for welcoming us all as your children and for being the best Mother. The best! Blessed are you, Most Holy Virgin Mary.

Gospel

As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.Receive the Holy Spirit.

From the Gospel according to John. Jn 20, 19-23.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 

After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

In capital letters.

In the beginning God breathed into us the breath of life. We were a piece of animal flesh, but God breathed into us a human spirit, a soul capable of hosting heaven. But we decided to use our intelligence, our freedom and our will to compete with God on the path of self-sufficiency. 

Then Christ breathes into us again a breath of Life, this time even more relevant, this time it is “in capital letters”, because he breathes into us a new Spirit, also “in capital letters”. This time it is eternal life, this time it is the definitive life, this time it is the Infinity, this time there are no limits. This time, aiming for the highest is no longer a presumption and becomes virtue, magnificence. 

Yes, it is in us, it is part of our soul. May we not live as if it was not there. 

Applied to Married Life: 

Maria: Why do you write today’s title in capital letters? 

Joseph: Because today I want to talk to them about Life “in capital letters”, what they can really live in their marriage, so that they do not aspire to anything less. What would you tell them from your experience as a Wife? 

María: Well, you already know that I am of few words. I rather listen, hear the Word of God and keep it in my Heart. 

I speak to you who listen to this message: Fall in love with the Love that God has for you, so that you end up in love with Him. When you discover the immense force of attraction that the Sacred Heart of Jesus experiences for you, you will be filled with joy. Your sorrows will end. I tell you this because I have Jesus here by my side, sitting next to me, and I see how he looks at you and how his heart burns for you. And I tell you: Blessed are you if you do what I tell you, because the Spirit of the Lord lives in you. 

And you, Joseph, what would you say to them? 

Joseph: Well, in imitation of Your delicacy, I will speak to them and say: To you who listen to me I tell you to be attentive so as not to interfere or stop the power of the Spirit in your soul. Forget your plans, your reasons, your desires… There is Someone in you called “Love of God” ardently wishing to lead you to become one with Us. Don’t you notice his strength? Be more attentive to Him and you will notice how He guides you. I’m telling you, I did it. 

Maria: Let’s hope, Joseph, that this time they listen to us and live the consequences of understanding our message. 

Joseph: This time yes, Maria, we ask the Father for them. 

Mother, 

Thank you for having received the Holy Spirit upon you and having opened the way for the indwelling of the Spirit of God in us. We welcome Him into our hearts today. Praise be Him, by us, for eternity.