GOSPEL

Your brother was dead and has come to life.

From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them Jesus addressed this parable.
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”‘
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.'”

The Gospel of the Lord

At any cost.

Imagining ourselves within this narrative, we might advise the father, “Do you not see that your children are exploiting you?” Indeed, they are misusing his affection for their own gain. Yet, the father seems indifferent, content as long as they receive his love. This is the essence of love: it’s vulnerable, often taken for granted, yet ultimately, it showcases the true magnificence and nobility of the one who loves sincerely.

The father doesn’t prevent his son from departing with his inheritance, nor does he interrogate him upon his return, a return motivated not by love but by necessity. He also refrains from chastising his elder son for his jealousy towards his brother. The father’s primary concern is the joy of his son’s return, once lost and now found. That is the nature of love. And in that way, I must love my partner.

Applied to the context of marriage:

Margaret: Can you ever forgive me? I’ve caused you immense pain. In a fit of spite, I falsely accused you of abuse, leading to your arrest. I’ve banished you from our home, maligned you to our children, and haven’t spoken to your mother in months. I initiated divorce proceedings and attempted to strip you of everything, misled by my lawyer and sister…

Peter: Margaret, that’s not who you are. The critical thing is that you’ve had a change of heart and wish to reunite. You’ve recognized that without me, our family isn’t the same, nor is your life. You’ve reached out for me again. That’s what truly matters. My love for you has been unwavering, and it will remain so, irrespective of your actions. I love you not for what you do, but because you are yourself – my wife, my lifelong companion, with all your strengths and weaknesses. I wouldn’t replace you for anything or anyone. I love you because God has bound you to me, and His bonds are incredibly strong.

Margaret: I’m baffled, Peter. How can you love me so deeply? The way you’ve consistently responded to my confrontations and hostility with love is what has brought me to my senses.

Peter: I’m equally perplexed, Margaret. I never anticipated reacting like this, but it’s God’s will that I love you in this way. I saw you lost, seeking an exit in the wrong direction, and I yearned for you to rediscover the right path, whatever the cost. Such guidance comes only from God.

Mother,
The task of retrieving the lost one is the Shepherd’s mission, the endeavour of Your Son, and the duty bestowed upon us as spouses when one strays. It’s a moment to await their return, to embrace them and shower them with affection without seeking explanations. This is how God loves me, and thus, I am compelled to love in response to His boundless affection. Blessed be the Lord, for His profound love. Amen.

GOSPEL

This is the heir, let us kill him.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 21:33-43, 45-46

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?”
They answered him,
“He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times.”
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures:

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?

Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

The Gospel of the Lord

The Love You Need.

God is good. God is generous. We run the risk of becoming like spoilt children. Children who remember their parents only when they require laundry done, meals prepared, or money for their expenditures. For them, everything is rights and for their parents, everything is obligations. Thus, they do not stay with them by choice, nor do they love them for who they are, but for what they receive from them. In some way, they use them.
This dynamic is not limited to parental relationships but extends to our interactions with God and our partners. With God, praying to ask for things, praying when He gives us peace or we live comforting spiritual experiences that “recharge” our batteries, and when we don’t receive them, we lose interest in praying. But what about love for God Himself? Doesn’t He deserve our love with all that we have received and continue to receive from Him? Doesn’t He deserve to be praised and thanked every day at all hours simply because He loves us? Let’s see the interactions with our partners below.

Applied to the context of marriage:

Ashlyn: Hugh, do you love me, or do you just love what you receive from me? You want us to make love every week, you want me to ensure our house is tidy, the clothes clean and well ironed. You want me to go for walks with you on Sunday mornings because you enjoy the walks, you also want me to be pleasant to you, to not focus so much on the kids so I can spend more time with you and make you feel accompanied… But on the other hand, you find it hard to listen to me when I’m upset, you lose patience because you say I don’t get to the point, you get annoyed when I repeat myself, you take it badly when I leave you alone because I go to help my parents, etc. So, I would like to know if you care about me or just what you receive from me and enjoy. Because what you dislike about me, you take very badly.

Hugh: You matter to me, Ashlyn. I love you and want the best for you. Forgive me because I am a bit selfish and sometimes act as you say, but then I ask for your forgiveness and confess, because it’s not how I want to act. I am willing to give up whatever it takes for you to be well and receive the love you need.

Mother,
In the face of adversity, the essence of genuine love is revealed. Let us welcome these challenges with happiness and dedicate ourselves to nurturing our love in sincerity. Blessed be God, who offers Himself to us in such a profound manner.

GOSPEL

You received blessings, and Lazarus faced hardships: now he finds solace here, while you endure torment.
Reading from the Gospel according to Luke. Lk 16, 19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied, ‘My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said,
‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.'”

The Gospel of the Lord

The sole comfort.

Who finds comfort? The beatitudes reveal, those who grieve. There exist two kinds of grief. The first is someone who weeps for having lost or failed to attain a worldly good. But suppose that individual finds or achieves it. Will they find solace? No. They will possess what they dearly wished for, yet another form of suffering emerges: The fear of its loss continues to leave them without comfort. Consider an example from Saint Augustine: Picture a father mourning the loss of a son. Then, another child is born to him. Does he find consolation? No. He experiences the joy of the new child, but concurrently, the fear of losing this one just as he lost the first surfaces. Hence, true consolation arrives only when one yearns for something that, once acquired, will never be lost again. This is the sole form of true comfort, and only God can provide such.

Applied to the context of marriage:

Albert: Martha, we yearn for a bond between us that seems elusive, and at times, this leads to despair. Similarly, in our relationship with the Lord, it feels like we cannot achieve what we observe others experiencing with Him, and this occasionally brings us to tears.

Martha: Indeed, Albert. This anguish over a desire for completeness that God has instilled in us and which we struggle to fulfil is natural. Yet, this anguish is healthy as long as we place our trust in God and believe that He will fulfil it one day. It is a slow and steady journey, but today, the Lord gives me comfort in the knowledge that it will indeed happen one day. Eventually, if we stay true to His will, He will not let us down.

Albert: He never fails us. It’s true, the difference between our past experiences and our current life is vast. Another chasm lies ahead, but having crossed one with God’s help, we will navigate through what remains with His assistance.

Mother,
We will find comfort for eternal life. Blessed be God who promises us this.

GOSPEL

He will be condemned to death.

Reading from the Gospel according to Matthew. Mt 20,17-28

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,
he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,
and said to them on the way,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day.”

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She answered him,
“Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply,
“You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Can you?

It is Jesus who says that they will hand Him over to the gentiles to mock Him. And after all this, Jesus asks: Can you drink the cup that I am to drink? They said yes. I say No! I cannot. I have tried hundreds of times, thousands… but I cannot stand people speaking ill of me, especially my loved ones. I immediately respond by defending myself, justifying myself, or even taking revenge with similar or even worse insults than those received.

So, today I say to the Lord: Lord, I cannot. Can you do it for me? If so, I am willing to accept all the humiliations that come my way. But only with you. Meanwhile, Your grace is enough for me.

Applied to the context of marriage:

James: Lord, when it seems that I am getting over it and I am able to accept the criticisms or corrections from my wife, which I consider unfair, when I already believe that I am able to not get angry and continue loving her in those situations, I end up defending myself and fall again. I distance myself from her again and respond in kind. It’s as if I see her sin in her and judge her for pride or vanity or who knows what. I turn once more to Your Mercy, Lord.

Anne: Lord, I committed to accompany you on the cross this Lent. I believe I am renouncing many times, but I see that I end up falling. My husband says that everything bothers me, but I think it is he who has no delicacy at all. Anyway, Lord, here I am in the battle of my heart. Purify it, Lord. Above all, we know that your mercy is like those embers where our tears disappear as soon as they come close to you.

Mother,
Praised be the Merciful Lord.

GOSPEL

They talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk.
Reading from the Gospel according to Matthew. (Mt 23, 1-12)

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Motivation, order, perseverance, and joy.

Often, we mirror the scribes and Pharisees by dictating to our spouse their duties. Instead, we should apply these expectations to ourselves and treat our spouse with tenderness, offering encouragement and hope. Indeed, we shoulder burdens too great for us. At times, we assume the role of an all-knowing individual who freely imparts advice. However, the Lord teaches that this isn’t the correct approach. We should interact as siblings, as God’s little children, sharing joy and excitement.

Applied to the context of marriage:

Richard: Julia, it’s evident that we frequently fail to do as we should, both of us. This stems from a lack of determination, despite our mutual desire to follow Christ. We need to keep educating and fortifying our will. I’ve learned that the essentials for strengthening our resolve include motivation, order, persistence, and a blend of joy and enthusiasm. With this in mind, what strategies do you think we could employ to support each other?

Julia: As for motivation, I think love is the most powerful driver. Understanding what brings us closer to each other and to God, I feel that should provide ample motivation.

Richard: Okay. Let’s proceed to deepen our understanding of genuine love. Concerning order, I propose that when we commit to activities that bolster our will during our spiritual purification, we should establish a timetable and make it known that we are participating. This boils down to setting priorities, and it should be our primary focus.

Julia: Indeed, by doing so, we join forces in every endeavour. To enhance persistence, we must inspire each other to keep going. There’s much on the line. We shouldn’t be discouraged by the minor challenges that arise daily.

Richard: Absolutely, there’s much on the line. Joy and enthusiasm can only be attained by collectively turning our gaze towards the Lord and His grace, which He offers to us to make our transformation a reality. Like Mary, may our spirits find joy in God.

Julia: Embarking on this journey with you fills me with joy.

Richard: Yes, facing it together definitely makes it more manageable.

Mother,
Your presence is essential for our spirits to find joy in God alongside you. Thank you, blessed Mother.