GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke 6:39-42

Jesus told his disciples a parable:

“Can a blind person guide a blind person?

Will not both fall into a pit?

No disciple is superior to the teacher;

but when fully trained,

every disciple will be like his teacher.

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,

but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?

How can you say to your brother,

‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’

when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?

You hypocrite!  Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;

then you will see clearly

to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”

The Word of the Lord

 

Justice

On the day we receive the Sacrament of Matrimony, we seal a Covenant of three: the husband, the wife, and Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a commitment between two people in which Christ is present, sustaining, guiding, and strengthening the love of the spouses. He remains always faithful, but we, as spouses, have a fallen nature that can make us stumble time and again.

In this Gospel, Jesus points out the gravest sin we can commit against our spouse: judgement. He does not tell us what the “speck” in the other consists of (it may be anything from a small lie to infidelity), but He does clearly tell us what the beam in our own eye is: we see the sin and condemn without showing any Mercy, with an implacable judgement.

Let us remember the teachings of Our Master: we must be meek and humble of heart. And if we look upon our spouse in their falls in this way, we will see not the sin, but the sinner, and we will be able to help them rise again with the boundless Love with which the Lord gave Himself for us.

Applied to married life

Mike: Today marks 25 years since the attack on the Twin Towers in New York.

Anna: Goodness me! Twenty‑five years already. I remember perfectly where we were at that moment.

Mike: Yesterday I saw in a documentary that the Towers didn’t fall because of the impact of the plane, but because the structure was made of metal beams, and they softened due to the extremely high temperature of the burning fuel.

Anna: The way they collapsed was astonishing — in a matter of seconds, an emblem of New York and the United States came crashing down.

Mike: And everything that came afterwards… We need to pray a lot.

Anna: This reminds me of the Gospel we heard at Mass — removing the beam from our own eye before offering fraternal correction to a brother.

Mike: Well, our beam can be melted in the burning Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Anna: Brilliant! I love how you relate everything to Our Lord; every day you help me draw closer to Him, in every conversation we have. And I ask Him to teach me to love you each day with that ardent love of His Heart.

Mike: You’re so lovely. Give me a kiss.

Mother

We love you so much! Thank you for everything you have given us through Proyecto Amor Conyugal. How many graces we have received! How many marriages healed! Here we are, ready to help you fulfil the Will of the Father, whatever you may need. May the Most Holy Trinity — God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — be praised for ever!

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount. 
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”

The Word of the Lord

 

Giving Without Expecting Anything in Return

Jesus does not merely speak about feeling love for those who hurt us. He invites us not to repay evil with evil, but to respond to those who hurt us with goodness; to place those who have wounded us into God’s hands; and to make love of neighbour a concrete rule of life, imitating the way God treats us.

True Christian love is revealed when we give without expecting anything in return, and the mercy we extend to others gradually transforms our own hearts.

A marriage is not sustained because spouses find it easy to love one another. Rather, it endures when they learn to love each other through difficulties, in those moments when the other person hurts us, disappoints us, or simply becomes difficult to love.

It is very easy for a marriage to fall into the mindset of treating the other person exactly as they treat us, of responding to hurt with hurt. But Jesus calls us to treat others as we would want them to treat us.

Mercy means looking at the other person not only through the lens of their mistakes and failures, but also with an awareness of their weakness, their weariness, their past, and their sins. In doing so, we begin to see them with the same compassion and understanding that God shows to us.

 

Applied to Married Life

Ralph: Hi Rose, I’m home now. How was your first day back at work after the holidays?

Rose: It’s so good to have you home. Well, my first day was a bit difficult. I’ve already had a major disagreement with a colleague, and it’s not the first time.

Ralph: You must be joking. The same colleague who got you caught up in that conflict with your manager? I thought you’d sorted things out.

Rose: The very same. I can’t believe it was her, but she’s done something quite damaging and made me look bad in front of the whole team. I’m already thinking of ways to pay her back in kind.

Ralph: I don’t think it’s quite as bad as that. Besides, you know that responding badly to someone who has hurt you doesn’t do you any good. Quite the opposite, in fact. In the end, you always come out better when you treat others the way you would like to be treated.

Rose: That’s easy to say when it hasn’t happened to you. But this time she’s really crossed the line, and we’re right back where we were before. On other occasions I’ve let it go, and it achieved nothing. In fact, talking things through with her helped at the time, but it seems to have made no difference at all.

Ralph: Don’t forget what we used to be like. We would react to each other based on what we received from one another. But now we don’t wait for the other person to make the first move before doing something good. Instead, we both give our all so that we can live in harmony, even though we still make plenty of mistakes.

Rose: You’re right, Ralph. I’ve come home very angry, and I’m not acting in the way I know I should. My first instinct, in my weakness, is to treat her just as badly as she’s treated me. But I’m sure there must be a reason why she’s behaving this way. Tomorrow I’ll speak to her and see if we can sort it out.

Ralph: That’s my girl, always willing to give everything for others regardless of how they treat you. You show me that every day, and it helps me enormously in my own daily life.

 

Mother,

help us to love as Christ teaches us, even when it is difficult. Blessed be God.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke 6:20-26

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for the Kingdom of God is yours.

Blessed are you who are now hungry,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who are now weeping,

for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you,

and when they exclude and insult you,

and denounce your name as evil

on account of the Son of Man.

Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!

Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.

For their ancestors treated the prophets

in the same way.

But woe to you who are rich,

for you have received your consolation.

But woe to you who are filled now,

for you will be hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now,

for you will grieve and weep.

Woe to you when all speak well of you,

for their ancestors treated the false

prophets in this way.”

The Word of the Lord

 

The Gold Factory

We live in a society that worships wellbeing. We have become experts at creating it, so much so that we have turned it into our golden calf, something we pursue and long for as though it were our highest good. We seek to live comfortably and securely, free from problems, pain and sacrifice.

But what happens when that sense of wellbeing is shattered? An illness, the loss of a loved one, an injustice, a disappointment, financial hardship, a betrayal… Then we recoil and try to numb the pain. We reject anything that causes us to suffer.

But what if there were a factory capable of turning our tears into gold? Then our tears would no longer be wasted; they would become something immensely valuable.

As Christians, we have found that “factory”: it is the Cross of Jesus. That is why we are blessed, because, united with Christ, we can transform suffering into love.

The saints understood this. The shepherd children of Fátima were constantly looking for sacrifices to offer. They had grasped the meaning of suffering and would say:

“O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

When we unite our suffering with that of Jesus, our tears are no longer barren. They become gold, a treasure that gives life.

When I discover that my true treasure is not wellbeing, but Christ, I learn to seek Him even in the Cross.

 

Applied to married life

Pat: I didn’t sleep a wink last night, worrying about the situation with Inma. She seems so lost and won’t let anyone help her… It breaks my heart to see her like this, and it hurts the way she treats us as well.

Garreth: I was awake too. It was a very difficult conversation.

Pat: As I was lying awake, I thought about offering this pain to the Lord.

Garreth: Your worry, you mean?

Pat: Yes. The worry, the dismissive way she treats us, the sleepless nights, the helplessness of not being able to change the situation, the lack of trust she has in us… all of it.

Garreth: When you put it like that, it makes me think of Jesus. He too experiences the rejection and indifference of so many of His children. How much pain there must be in His Heart when He sees us drifting away from Him!

Pat: Yes… but in the end, although I didn’t sleep at all, once I united my suffering with His, that night, which seemed completely wasted, became a night filled with love.

Garreth: Then I want to offer today’s tiredness for her as well.

Pat: We can’t change her heart, but we can place it in the Lord’s hands and offer everything for her.

Mother,

When the Cross comes, teach us not to waste a single tear. Blessed are you!

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,

the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,

whose mother was Tamar.

Perez became the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab.

Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Salmon the father of Boaz,

whose mother was Rahab.

Boaz became the father of Obed,

whose mother was Ruth.

Obed became the father of Jesse,

Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon,

whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.

Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Abijah the father of Asaph.

Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,

Joram the father of Uzziah.

Uzziah became the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.

Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amos,

Amos the father of Josiah.

Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers

at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile,

Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.

Abiud became the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

Azor the father of Zadok.

Zadok became the father of Achim,

Achim the father of Eliud,

Eliud the father of Eleazar.

Eleazar became the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.

Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,

but before they lived together,

she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,

yet unwilling to expose her to shame,

decided to divorce her quietly.

Such was his intention when, behold,

the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

“Joseph, son of David,

do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.

For it is through the Holy Spirit

that this child has been conceived in her.

She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,

because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill

what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

The Word of the Lord

 

Welcoming Brings Its Reward

We are undoubtedly looking at one of the darkest moments in Joseph’s life. Without understanding what is happening and overwhelmed by sorrow, he remains open to God’s voice, allowing Him to change his plans. Instead of withdrawing, he chooses to welcome his wife. How much we spouses can learn from Joseph!

When we are faced with the mystery of the other person’s heart, when we do not understand why they act the way they do, when they do not see things as we do, or when their weakness or their sin becomes apparent, our first temptation is to pull away. We break communion at the very moment when our vocation calls us to give ourselves to one another and to welcome one another.

In the midst of difficulty, listen too to the angel’s words: “Do not be afraid to welcome your spouse.” Engrave them on your heart. The angel does not simply tell Joseph, “Don’t worry.” He calls him to embody love. Now is the moment! “Do not be afraid to take Mary, your wife, into your home.”

Joseph trusted God and welcomed her. That is what we must do if we want to experience the promise of a marriage lived as God intended.

Are you going through a difficult time? Welcome one another.

Do you have differences? Welcome one another.

Have you hurt each other? Welcome one another.

Do you struggle to understand one another? Welcome one another.

And look at the fruit: Joseph welcomed Mary, and by welcoming Mary, the fruit was Jesus.

Therefore, do not focus on how difficult it is to welcome your spouse. Do not focus on what you think you are losing. Ask the Holy Spirit to enlarge your heart, overcome your self-love, and throw yourself into loving, because every time you welcome one another and give yourselves to each other, you gain Christ.

 

Applied to Married Life

Jonathan and Helen are driving home after dinner with some friends. Helen is at the wheel. Jonathan, tired and eager to get home, gazes out of the window in mild despair as car after car overtakes them and disappears into the distance ahead. Then he glances at the speedometer. 

Jonathan: Helen, darling… you’re doing 40.

Helen: So?

Jonathan: Well, at this rate we’ll get home tomorrow!

Helen: Oh, honestly, you’re so dramatic. I just enjoy chatting with you while we’re driving. Don’t you?

Jonathan: Haha, but what’s that got to do with anything?

Jonathan is about to press the point, but he looks at her. He knows she needs to drive this way to feel safe, so he says nothing. She smiles at him, knowing that Jonathan likes to drive a bit faster, yet she accepts him just as he is.

Helen: I love you, Carlos Sainz…

Jonathan: And I love you, my little tortoise. 

This way, both of them feel welcomed and accepted, just as they are.

Mother,

How simple it is to build love, and yet how difficult we find it. Teach us true humility, the humility that allows us to enter into what is hidden and, there, discover genuine love. Praise be to Jesus!

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke 6:6-11

On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

The Word of the Lord

Beyond the Rules

In married life, we often establish rules and expectations about what is “fair” or “reasonable”: the support we expect to receive, how we divide responsibilities, or where the limits of convenience lie. When these rules stem from a genuine desire to do what is right and are guided by the Gospel, they are helpful, as they counteract our natural tendencies towards selfishness, laziness, pride, and so on. However, Jesus invites us not to become stuck in the mere observance of rules. True conversion transforms the heart, placing love above the law. As this love matures and we allow grace to work within us, the simple standard of what is “reasonable” begins to feel insufficient. Instead, a spontaneous and profound desire emerges to care for one’s spouse. The longing to do good for our husband or wife and to seek their salvation ultimately replaces any demands or checklist of mutual obligations.

Applied to married life

Laura: Edward, sit down and have a rest for a moment. Ever since you got home from work, you haven’t stopped, and now you’re even ironing my clothes for tomorrow!

Edward: Don’t worry, I’m nearly finished. I’m not as tired today. Besides, you can’t really say anything, yesterday you worked incredibly hard helping my mother, and I was worried you’d end up hurting yourself.

Laura: Have you noticed how much our life has changed, Edward? We used to argue because each of us expected the other to fulfil their responsibilities. Now we argue because we’re trying to take work off each other’s shoulders.

Edward: Yes. These days, my greatest desire is to do what’s best for you. I can hardly even remember those task lists we used to make for one another, although I admit they helped us in the beginning.

Laura: And discovering the Eucharist together was key. You always say that’s where your real transformation began.

Mother, Help us to strive for the conversion of our hearts rather than merely the observance of rules. Praise be to God!