Hanging by a thread. Reflection for marriages Mark 10, 17-27

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GOSPEL

Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.
Reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 10, 17-27
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother.”
He replied and said to him,
“Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.”
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
“You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
At that statement, his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
“How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the Kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
“Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
“Then who can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God.”
The word of the Lord.
Hanging by a thread.
A dove cannot fly, whether tied by a thread or a thick cord. Conjugal love demands the entirety of the person, and the Lord wants my soul to soar, to be free in order to surrender. The rich young man couldn’t fly; he lacked one thing: giving up his riches. What is stopping me from being an authentic Christian spouse? What is hindering me from fully committing in my marriage? The Lord’s words will always echo in our ears: “You lack one thing.” Could it be my pride? My soul cannot fly because it hangs by a thread. I don’t fully surrender because I want to hold onto something of myself, as if it belongs to me, yet I must not forget that I was bought by the Blood of Christ.
Applied to married life:
Marriage Coach: What prevents or prevented you from fully surrendering to each other?
Laura: My husband lacks faith, making our relationship impossible.
Ramón: I come home late from work, and by the time I arrive, my wife is already asleep. But I can’t come home earlier as I might lose my job.
Lucía: He doesn’t understand me.
Jaime: We don’t have time to pray together and dedicate ourselves to our relationship.
Alicia: He’s too dependent on his mother, and she’s always meddling.
Andrés: He can’t forgive the wrong I did.
Paula: I can’t stand him lying to me.
Javier: She’s very aggressive and says hurtful things to me.
Marriage Coach: We are unable to love in each of those situations because “one thing is lacking” for us to be Christian spouses. Christian spouses are those who love like Christ in His Passion. Did His Wife have faith? Did she treat him well? Did she appreciate his sacrifice? Was she his priority?
Mother,
Show me the beauty and grandeur of love so that I desire nothing else. May my desire always be the will of God. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

We are not examples. Reflection for marriages Matthew 28:16-20

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GOSPEL
” Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
From the Gospel according to Matthew 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
We are not examples. 
Today we celebrate the Holy Trinity, a great day especially for marriages because They are our model of Communion, whom we represent here on Earth through our marital communion. This is something to meditate on deeply, over and over again. God Himself gives us, as spouses, the mission to represent with our love all the greatness and beauty of His Love of Communion. So few of us know and desire this, which gives us an even greater responsibility because we are the chosen ones. Priests are entrusted with the mission of baptizing in His name. We have the mission to make disciples of Christ Spouse, all marriages, teaching them to observe all that the Lord has commanded us.
Applied to Married Life:
Mentor Couple: The Lord is pleased because you are embracing the gift of God. You have been open to discovering His logic, which is contrary to the worldly one. To complete the process of the Good News of Marriage, you need to announce it to other couples. Those who do not take this step remain closed in themselves, and everything they receive seems insufficient.
Jack and Emily: Us? No, no way. We are not prepared. We are not an example for anyone.
Mentor Couple: None of us are examples for anyone; we are witnesses of God’s Love, which is different. We have discovered where the gift of marriage is as God wants it, and we must transmit it so others can know and aim towards it. And most importantly: Christ promised He would be with us, so do not be afraid. You are well accompanied. It is good that you do not trust in your own strength, but it would not be good if you did not trust in His.
Mother,
The Lord gives us the Holy Word of the Father, which is Himself, but like any gift, it implies a task—the task of spreading it, of sharing it so that others may also reach their fullness. Let us not be led by the temptation of false humility and understand that we are going to talk about Him and His work, not about ourselves. Praise be to the Lord who has been great with us. Amen.

Childlike Spirit. Reflection for marriages Mark 10:13-16

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GOSPEL

“Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child Will not enter It”

Reading of the Holy Gospel According to Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he embraced the children and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

The Gospel of the Lord

Chlidlike Spirit
Why children? Because to welcome the kingdom of God, one must be born again, born of the Spirit. Being spiritually like children gives us the humility necessary to embrace God’s plan, the docility to follow Him without questioning why this or why that, the meekness to avoid wrestling with God or becoming stubborn in our own views.
This is the spiritual childhood we have learned from St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
Applied to married life:
Laura: How do you think spiritual childhood would look between spouses?
Henry: Let me think… It seems to me that two small souls do not try to impose themselves on each other but need each other to play. They also go with the flow at every moment, live with a tremendous capacity for wonder, and are very open to learning.
Laura: It’s sad to grow up, become competitive, and prideful… That way, we ruin God’s plan.
Henry: Yes. Let’s become like children in our marriage, and we will live the kingdom of God among us.
Mother,
We are Your children and we want to remain so. Praise the Lord who shows us our smallness.

Exaltation to the Supernatural Union. Reflection for marriages Mark 10:1-12.

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GOSPEL

“What God has joined together, no human being must separate”

From the Gospel according to Mark 10:1-12

Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom, he again taught them. The Pharisees approached him and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” They replied, “Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.” But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Exaltation to the Supernatural Union

How exciting! We witness the moment when Jesus announces the new indissoluble Marriage, just as the Father created it in the beginning. He knew that through His death and resurrection it would be possible. And so, God makes us one through the grace of the Sacrament. Praised be the Lord.

 

Applied to Married Life:

Andrew: So, what have you done boost your marriage in such a way? You two seem so different. You look at each other differently, you treat each other differently… My wife and I are amazed.

Teresa: Us…? Nothing.

Andrew: What do you mean, nothing? Come on!

Teresa: It has been the Lord who has done it through His grace. All previous attempts, all human efforts, had been in vain, but since we included the Lord and our Sacrament, the change has been profound. You dive into the depths of the supernatural union with the Holy Trinity. It’s a whole different dimension…

Andrew: Well, tell me how to do that, I want that too!

Teresa: Contact Proyecto Amor Conyugal, and they will help you. It’s as simple as following their guidance. You know, write to: proyectoamorconyugal@gmail.com and make your marriage something GREAT.

 

Mother,

Thank you for all the wisdom of God that Saint John Paul II left us. Thank you for showing us the way. Praised be Our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Priesthood and Common Priesthood.Reflection for marriages Mark 14:22-25

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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.