Drinking intimacy. Reflection for marriages. Jn 15:1-8

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From the Gospel according to John
Jn 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

Drinking intimacy.

Remaining in Him. Being connected to His intimacy, what a marvel! Where better! And on top of that, we bear fruit, and on top of that, we give glory to the Father, and on top of that, we become disciples of the Lord. This is God’s great plan. If He has to prune us a little here and there, then blessed be!

Applied to married life:

Merche: I’m beginning to glimpse what it means to live in communion with each other and in Christ. It seems so precious, so incredible to me, that I am willing to do whatever it takes to live it with you.
Jesus (Merche’s fiancé): Then teach me, Merche, because I also want to experience with you what you’re talking about, but I lack faith.
Merche: Don’t worry, Jesus. You just have to trust and let yourself be carried along. If then your dreams start coming true, you’ll see how you keep moving forward on your own.
Jesus: For love of you, I am willing to leap into what you’re telling me, into that void that stands before me right now.
Merche: Blessed are you, because that longing has not been planted in you by any flesh and blood, but by our Father who is in heaven.
Jesus: Well, thank you, Father, if you hear me wherever you are.

Mother,

We only want to be united to Christ, drinking from His intimacy, and we also want all our loved 

The Model. Reflection for marriages. Jn 14:7-14

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From the Gospel according to John
Jn 14:7-14

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to Jesus,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

The Model

“I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” How to be in the other? This is your way of expressing the close relationship between You. So the Father acts through you, you do not speak on your own behalf, so also you act in His name.
That “being in” establishes a very special connection, which allows us to act “on behalf of”. Thus spouses, with God’s help, can know each other and reach the full knowledge that God has of me and of you, and even to the point of being able to act in the name of the other. Husband, I want to be in you and for you to be in me and together act in the name of the Lord. He has wanted to give us that power.

Applied to married life:

Monica: I still cannot say that I am in you, and I ask the Lord, in His name, to help me make it possible.
Ramon: I am not in you either, and I also ask Him. But little by little He is helping me. I already have you permanently in mind, as I have the Lord in mind at all times. I act as a child of God in any circumstance (or I try to) and as your husband. I make decisions thinking if you will like them, if I am doing something you do not like I feel uncomfortable, if you are upset with me my world crumbles and if you are distant from me, my life loses its meaning… I work for you, I live for you. I take into account what you like and try to do it. I know you don’t feel me in you, and therefore, I have a lot left, but I am progressing as much as I can.
Monica: Yes, I know. I know you try, but I also know that this type of union is only given by God. We entrust ourselves to Him, admiring His triple unity.

Mother,

Only the Holy Spirit can make us one. Give us more faith and send us the Spirit of God so that He may show us the path of unity and we may learn to be in each other. Praise be to God who wants to make us partakers of His Holiness. Amen.

You are the light of the world. Reflection for marriages. Saint Matthew 5:13-19.

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Gospel

From the Gospel according to Saint Matthew 5:13-19.

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor one can light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, so it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”The Gospel of the Lord.

You are the light of the world

The Lord has given us everything we need to be salt and light. He has given us the immense gift of indwelling. Yes, the Holy Trinity is in the most intimate and deepest part of my soul. Indeed, it is.
Is it not a reason to shine?
The consequences of indwelling cannot be described in words, but if we had to say something, it is: the experience of being in heaven.

Applied to Married Life:

Lucas: The experience of living communion with you is indescribable, ineffable.
Alicia: It is tremendously joyful. And it is a fruit of being in God’s grace. It can only be lived if the Lord is within us.
Lucas: There is an abyss between Christian marriage and the union of man and woman through a civil contract; they are two very different things that should not be called the same.
Alicia: We ask God to help us make the most of the grace of our wonderful Sacrament to be a light for so many who need to know it nowadays.
Lucas: They don’t know what they’re missing. I feel compassion for them.

Mother,

We have been given salt and light. May we not waste these great gifts we have received. Praise be to God who has chosen to dwell within us.

Supernatural Fruits. Reflection for marriages. Mark 16:15-20

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Gospel

Proclaim the Gospel to every creature.

From the Gospel according to Mark. Mk 16:15-20

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Supernatural Fruits.

Christ as the Head of the Church conveys salvation to it by taking it as His Spouse. By obeying the Father and giving himself to us, he imparts life to us as the head does to the body. The Lord asks us to do the same: to transmit the Gospel and His salvation by giving ourselves to our spouse like He gave Himself to us. From that gesture, other signs will come. I have seen many signs around spouses who love each other; in Their children, in Their relatives, and in other marriages.

Applied to Married Life:

Sarah: Jack, what fruits do you expect to obtain from our marriage? 

Jack: Well, I don’t know, to build a marriage, to build a home, to provide education to our children… 

Sarah: And on a spiritual level? 

Jack: To provide a good Christian education to our children in a good school. 

Sarah: Just in case it helps, I’ll tell you that I’ve learned that when you completely giving ourselves to each other, the strength of Christ’s Nuptial Love emerges from us, which not only transforms our love but also produces signs around us. It’s a grace that comes from our Sacrament and yields supernatural fruits around us. Shall we try it? 

Jack: Yes, it sounds wonderful. I hope to rise to the occasion. May the Lord help me.

Mother,

We have been sent by you to proclaim the Gospel of marriage and family. We continue to give ourselves to each other, and we shall leave everything else in your hands. Thank you for everything, blessed Mother.

Supernatural Fruits. Reflection for marriages. Mark 16:15-20

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Gospel

Proclaim the Gospel to every creature.

From the Gospel according to Mark. Mk 16:15-20

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Supernatural Fruits.

Christ as the Head of the Church conveys salvation to it by taking it as His Spouse. By obeying the Father and giving himself to us, he imparts life to us as the head does to the body. The Lord asks us to do the same: to transmit the Gospel and His salvation by giving ourselves to our spouse like He gave Himself to us. From that gesture, other signs will come. I have seen many signs around spouses who love each other; in Their children, in Their relatives, and in other marriages.

Applied to Married Life:

Sarah: Jack, what fruits do you expect to obtain from our marriage? 

Jack: Well, I don’t know, to build a marriage, to build a home, to provide education to our children… 

Sarah: And on a spiritual level? 

Jack: To provide a good Christian education to our children in a good school. 

Sarah: Just in case it helps, I’ll tell you that I’ve learned that when you completely giving ourselves to each other, the strength of Christ’s Nuptial Love emerges from us, which not only transforms our love but also produces signs around us. It’s a grace that comes from our Sacrament and yields supernatural fruits around us. Shall we try it? 

Jack: Yes, it sounds wonderful. I hope to rise to the occasion. May the Lord help me.

Mother,

We have been sent by you to proclaim the Gospel of marriage and family. We continue to give ourselves to each other, and we shall leave everything else in your hands. Thank you for everything, blessed Mother.