From the Gospel according to Luke 4:1-13

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devilHe ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,
command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, One does not live on bread alone.” Then he took him up and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me,
and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.” Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him in reply  “It also saysYou shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

The Gospel of the Lord

All Because of Haste

Christ was going to eat later, so what was the temptation? To eat now.
Christ was destined to be King of all creation, so what was the temptation? To be King now.
Christ was destined to be Lord of all, so what was the temptation? To be Lord now.
We are called to greatness, to live in fullness, to experience perfect communion, to achieve perfect justice, to have dominion over the world, to enjoy the happiness of heaven… So what are the temptations? To have it all now.
Temptations promise us everything immediately and by our own means. And so we fall… all because of haste.
The devil’s days are numbered, and he is in a hurry. In contrast, eternity belongs only to God.

Applied to Married Life:

Steve: Do you know that everything that tempts us to sin is actually something we are called to receive in abundance?
Rachel: I don’t understand. The things that tempt us to sin are bad desires.
Steve: For example, vanity comes from wanting to be greater than we are. Aren’t we actually called to become greater than we can even imagine?
Rachel: Yes, of course. We are called to be gods in God.
Steve: But what happens? We want it now and by our own means, and we fall into vanity. Aren’t we called to experience perfect justice?
Rachel: Yes, of course. Divine justice.
Steve: But we want to impose our own justice now, and we fall into wrath. Aren’t we called to experience complete satisfaction?
Rachel: Yes, of course. In the Kingdom of God.
Steve: But we want it now and fall into gluttony. Aren’t we called to live in a perfect reciprocal love with each other?
Rachel: Yes, of course. In the love of Christ.
Steve: But we want to experience it now through lust. And so it is with every sin.
Rachel: Incredible. And all because of haste. How harmful haste is!
Steve: Let’s allow God to be God.

Mother,

Let us trust in God’s love. Who could treat us better than He can? May He be praised forever.

From the Gospel according to Luke 5:27-32

Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them.
The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”

The Gospel of the Lord

The Wicked

Looking at it this way, one might say, How wicked the scribes and Pharisees are! But when we apply it to our own lives, it turns out that I reject the one who has offended my family, the one who has looked down on me so many times, or even my spouse when he or she treat me with indifference—suddenly, they are the bad ones, and I am the good one who doesn’t deserve any of it.
However this is not the case. The Lord is not like that. He draws near to them to love them and give them another chance.

Applied to Married Life:

David: What you did today completely caught me off guard. After I spent the whole time paying attention to everyone except you, after ignoring you throughout the entire celebration, you still came to me with a smile and gave me a kiss—without even giving me time to ask for forgiveness.
Carmel: Well, I love you. Why would I hide it?
David: Yeah, but you must be holding something against me.
Carmel: Not at all. It’s true that you didn’t handle it well, but wouldn’t it be better to help you do things right now rather than make it harder for you? That’s what the Lord is asking of me, for you.

Mother,

Thank God the Lord has chosen to love sinners. If not, what would become of me? I commit to doing the same. Praise be to God.

From the Gospel according to Matthew 9:14-15

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Without Him

In this Gospel, Jesus, You identify Yourself as the Bridegroom. That is the kind of relationship You have chosen with the Church, and therefore with me—and, by extension, with my spouse as well.
Your surrender is not half-hearted; You want it to be total. You want to unite Your destiny with ours. That is why, as we prepare to live Your Passion, we fast. We are getting ready to deeply miss You, Lord, in these days that take on a solemn shade of purple.

Applied to Married Life:

John: Many times, I ask myself, What would be of me without you? Many times, I savor each kiss as if it were the last. I know that sounds a little gloomy…
Megan: Well, yeah, a little bit.
John: I know, but it helps me appreciate every moment with you. It’s like Lent.
Megan: Yes, we become aware of the Lord’s death, and that helps us live the joy of the Resurrection at Easter in a new way.
John: Exactly. This Lent, I want to practice that with you every day. That way, I’ll become more aware of what it would mean for me to be without the Lord—just as I do with you.

Mother,

Help us prepare well this Lent. Thank you, Blessed Mother.

From the Gospel according to Luke 9:22-25

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
yet lose or forfeit himself?”

The Gospel of Lord

The Great Difference

In the different degrees of love, there comes a moment when the lover loves what their beloved loves. Today, Christ, my Beloved, tells me that He will suffer greatly, be rejected by the most “respectable” people, and be crucified for my spouse. Then He asks me if I love my spouse enough to do what He does. His resurrection will come afterward—the triumph of God’s glory—but am I willing to follow in His footsteps first?

Applied to Married Life:

Will: Lorraine, I’m experiencing the great difference between simply living with you and being willing to give my life for you. It’s a massive difference, only smilar to following Christ to the cross.
Lorrain: That certainly seems like a huge step, Will. But that also means a lot of suffering because of me, doesn’t it? Who will sustain you?
Will: The Lord. To live this degree of love, one must go through the different stages of prayer with Christ until reaching the “prayer of stillness”, where you allow Him to work in you. The Lord strips you of everything until you are ready to give yourself in silence, even in rejection and difficulties, without complaint. This is a work only He can do.
Lorrain: So, no matter how much we try, this is not something within our power. It’s about progressing in intimacy with Him.
Will: Exactly. There’s no other way.

Mother,

We must love Jesus greatly to be willing to be despised and to give ourselves with Him. We love Him dearly, but give us more of His love. May He be praised forever.