It depends on the answer. Reflection for marriages John 1:35-42

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Gospel of the Day

Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John 1:35-42 
At that time, John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
The two disciples heard him say this and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following, and he said to them, “What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi (which means Teacher), where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come and see.”  
They came and saw where he was staying and they stayed with him that day; it was about the tenth hour.  
One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah (which is translated: Christ).”  
He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John; you will be called Cephas (which is translated: Peter).”

It depends on the answer.
Before telling them to follow him, Jesus asked them, “What are you looking for?” This is an interesting question because the answer determined whether he would say, “Come and see” or not. It is a good moment to ask myself, “What do I seek in my relationship with the Lord?” It is important to discover if the answer comes from love or not, whether what matters to me is Him or if what matters to me is something for myself.

Applying to Married Life:
Montse: Would you marry me again?
Luis: Of course! But right now, I would marry you for different reasons.
Montse: What were those reasons back then?
Luis: I hoped to have a happy life with you.
Montse: That’s not bad, right? And now, what would motivate you to marry me?
Luis: Now, to help you reach holiness.
Montse: Well, I like that answer much more.

Mother, 
May love always be what moves us. Blessed be our beloved Lord.

Have you come out against Me? Reflection for marriages John 1:29-34

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Gospel of the Day

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 1:29-34:
The next day, John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him and said, “Look, there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! This is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who has passed ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him myself, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” John gave this testimony, “I saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven and rest on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptize with water had said to me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Yes, I have seen and I testify that he is the Son of God.”

Have you come out against Me?
Jesus is the Lamb of God who removes the sins of my husband. He is the one who sacrifices Himself so that my husband can stand before God without blemish or wrinkle. How much do I owe you, Lord, for doing this for my husband, Lord? 
What is clear is that He will not allow me to go behind Him judging and accusing my husband when He gives His life to save him from his sins. And against the Lord, I cannot, I must not, and I do not want to go. I want to go with Him and in Him for the salvation of my husband whom I love.

Grounded in Married Life:
Lucas: Today the Lord reproached me in prayer. He said: “Why have you come out as against a thief with swords and clubs to apprehend me?” I answered, “Me, Lord? I would never go against you.”  
Teresa: And what did He say to you?  
Lucas: He told me that every time I accuse you in my heart, I am going against Him and His interests, because it is His interest to offer Himself for you to save you and not condemn you.  
Teresa: I am grateful to God for being my Savior and for allowing me to rise each time I fall. I am not worthy that He should enter into my house.

Mother,
We both unite in Your saving mission. Praised be the Lamb of God.

Where we do not see. Reflection for marriages John 1:19-28

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Gospel of the Day

Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 1:19-28
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.

Where we do not see.
A new year is beginning, and it is time to cross to the other shore, a moment of change, like those announced by John the Baptist. We embark on these changes in which God always wants us to advance towards Him, with hope. We go with the docility to the Holy Spirit that sometimes requires us to respond in places where we do not see. Let us all journey together towards the Lord this year on this new path that opens before us in 2025, with more strength and enthusiasm than ever, wherever the Holy Spirit may lead us.

Grounded in Married Life:
Pablo: Vanesa, I bought salmon for dinner tonight, knowing that you like it.  
Vanesa: (Very surprised) Salmon, Pablo? I can’t believe it! It has never been to my taste. The one who likes salmon is you, not me.  
(That evening in prayer)  
Pablo: Lord, forgive me because I felt hurt by Vanesa’s response when I specifically bought salmon for her. I don’t understand anything, because I did it with love, and because other years I’ve seen her enjoy salmon butter toasts.  
Vanesa: Lord, forgive me because I did not understand how little Pablo knows me if he doesn’t even know what I like. I failed to use this moment of misunderstanding to love him more instead of criticising him in my heart.  
Pablo: Holy Spirit, thank you for placing this moment of confusion in front of me so that I realise what prevents me from loving, which is looking at myself. I hope to better seize the next moment of bewilderment you put before me.

Mother,
Blessed be the Holy Spirit who leads us where we need to go.

To Conquer Hearts. Reflection for marriages Luke 2:16-21

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Gospel of the Day

Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.
When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

To Conquer Hearts.

The Lord comes to conquer the world, and His weapons are: to become a Child and present Himself as a Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  
And who does He call? Some humble shepherds, illiterate, as His welcoming committee.  
This is the typical style of God, whose desire is to conquer our hearts.  
The question is: What do I want to conquer in my husband?  

Grounded in Married Life:

Liliana: Do you know, Mario? This can’t go on like this. I’ve decided to take drastic measures.  
Mario: You’re worrying me. What measures are you referring to, Liliana?  
Liliana: From now on, no more confrontations. I plan, with God’s help, to humble myself whenever possible and submit with a smile. And I want to do this while contemplating the Baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. If He does that for you, what should I do?  
Mario: I love your plan, Liliana. Especially for this Christmas. Can I play the mule?  
Liliana: Haha, come on, don’t take the mickey out of me; I’m being serious here.  
Mario: No, seriously, I love your plan. I think it’s beautiful, and I want to join you in that purpose for this Christmas. Thank you, my love.  

Mother,

How I wish you would share your thoughts with me regarding the message of the shepherds. Blessed be God for this testimony of humility.

According to Your Dignity. Reflection for marriages John 1:1-18

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Gospel of the Day

Beginning of the holy gospel according to John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
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.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.

According to Your Dignity.

Those of us who have come to know Jesus have experienced a new birth. We no longer come from flesh and blood because it is the grace received through the merits of Christ that has given us a new life as children of God. This new life grants us a much greater status. This new dignity should effectively call us to the interest of remaining in it and not losing it. It is up to us to be among those who embrace this immense grace and maintain it, or to be among those who do not embrace it and lose it by behaving like unworthy children of God. I am a child of God; I just have to believe it and behave accordingly, and the grace of Christ will assist me.

Grounded in Married Life:

Leonardo: Andrea, I have asked the Lord to show me your true dignity. I need faith to be able to see it fully. I’m sure that if He reveals to me the mystery of the dignity that God wants to give us, our relationship will improve drastically.
Andrea: Well, you already know. He has given us the dignity of being children of God. What more do you need?
Leonardo: I know it in my head, but not in my heart. If I were truly aware of what that means, I could never treat you poorly. Would you speak disrespectfully to the Pope if he were physically present here?
Andrea: No, for heaven’s sake! I would treat His Holiness as he deserves.
Leonardo: In contrast, someone who isn’t Catholic might not treat him with as much reverence because they don’t know who they are before.
Andrea: Now I understand. If we recognized the true dignity we possess, we would complete each other and treat each other according to that dignity.
Leonardo: Exactly. Will you ask the Lord with me so that we will have more strength together?
Andrea: Alright. We will ask Him every day of this coming year.

Mother,

Thank you for this wonderful year, in which we have received grace upon grace. Praise be to the Lord for so much.