It’s a little difficult for me. Reflection for marriages: Mark 6:53-56

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From the Gospel according to Mark
Mark 6:53-56

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

It’s a little difficult for me.

Jesus has great news to bring to us: that the kingdom of God has arrived with His coming. But such a big message needs to be delivered in a measured way, and the first thing He does is heal physical diseases to draw the crowds. Then, He teaches them.  

Everyone thought His healings were great, but they were nothing compared to the greatness of the news of the Kingdom. The kingdom of God is already here. Don’t you want to get close to Him and know Him? You’re going to be amazed!

Applying it to Married Life:

Ángel: I want to live the kingdom of God with you. Don’t you want to?  

Sofía: Of course I do, but you need to help me because you know I’m very nervous, and I quickly get distracted and focus on practical things. I need you to help me with love and without telling me off, to be silent and become aware of the Heart that Jesus gives me. It seems so beautiful and so important that He wants me to be in Him, but I notice it’s hard for me because I get distracted without meaning to.  

Ángel: You’re right that, even though I’ve wanted to help you for a long time, maybe instead of helping you enter into silence, I’ve disturbed you more with my demands and harsh words. I will ask the Lord for help so that I can convey to you, with tenderness, the love that is in His Heart for you. 

Sofía: Thank you. You know I try to be docile, but the emotional side is a little hard for me, even though I know that to reach God, it’s through the heart and by entering into His Heart.

Mother, 

May we welcome the kingdom of God, the one in which the Lord wants to introduce us so that we may be in Him. Praise be Christ, the source of Love for us.

The Incomprehensible. Reflection for marriages: Luke 5:1-11

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GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke
Luke 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening
to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply,
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

The Incomprehensible

There are times when God’s logic seems incomprehensible, even absurd, according to our way of reasoning and thinking. This is what Peter says to the Lord: If they’ve been fishing for hours and caught nothing, how are they going to fish at the wrong time?
But Peter trusts in His Word above all else, and shows us what happens when we trust in Him. The Lord is generous and abundant.
This is the same experience that we husbands and wives encounter when we do not value our spouse according to our own criteria, but instead embrace the spouse as a gift from God. Then, a miracle of similar proportions to Peter’s catch takes place.

Applying it to married life:

Jorge: We’ve been trying for several years to stay together, but it’s not possible. We are totally incompatible.
Mercedes: You, husband, come in the name of the Lord, but I just can’t fully believe it. But I’m determined to try to see it, even if it means shedding blood, if necessary.  

(After some time…)  

Jorge: Finally, the drought between us is over. We’ve understood that we need to allow ourselves to be influenced by each other, to discover what God wants to give us through each other.
Mercedes: We are learning, overcoming attachments that had us trapped, and we are sharing our intimacy. We have become a great treasure to each other. We thank God for showing us the beauty of our vocation.

Mother,  

We look at each other with our eyes and judge with false criteria, and of course, there are no fruits. Purify our sight and change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. Thank you, Mother!

A “Kit Kat”?. Reflection for marriages Saint Mark 6:30–34

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Gospel of the Day

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark 6:30–34
At that time, the apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all they had done and taught.
He said to them:
‘Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.’
For so many people were coming and going that they did not even have time to eat. So they went away in a boat to a solitary place by themselves.
But many saw them leaving and recognised them, and from all the towns they ran on foot to that place and arrived there ahead of them.
When Jesus disembarked and saw a great crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

A “Kit Kat”?
Reading this Gospel, I wonder: What would it be like to rest with Jesus? Would He stop talking about the Kingdom and change the subject to “relax”?
I don’t think Jesus would take a “kit kat” from His mission or His essence as the Saviour. Even in moments of rest, He would still be the Good Shepherd.
Let our priests always remain priests, even in their times of rest. Let us remain Christian spouses, even during our leisure time, and even more so in front of our children.

Applying It to Married Life
Rafa: Lola, are you truly a Christian, or are you just acting like one?
Lola: What kind of question is that, Rafa? Of course, I’m a Christian.
Rafa: Yeah, but in your free time, do you also behave like a Christian wife, or do you only do so when people are watching, in a church setting?
Lola: Well, it’s true that sometimes I don’t behave as I should—but that’s when I fall into temptation and the devil takes over me. But in those moments, it’s not really me; it’s the evil working within me.
Rafa: I’ve realised that there are always spirits influencing us. When we belong to Christ, it’s the Holy Spirit guiding us. But when we don’t, it’s the spirit of evil leading us. But you and I, we belong to Christ—don’t we?

Mother,
We are spouses of Christ, our Good Shepherd. Praise be to Him forever.

Four Types of Conscience. Reflection for marriages Saint Mark 6:14–29

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Gospel of the Day

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark 6:14–29
At that time, King Herod heard of Jesus, for His name had become well known. Some were saying,
‘John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’
Others said,
‘He is Elijah.’
Still others claimed,
‘He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’
But when Herod heard of it, he said,
‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’
For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because Herod had married her. John had been saying to Herod,
‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’
So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not, because Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard John speak, he was greatly puzzled, yet he liked to listen to him.
The opportune time came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl,
‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.’
And he swore an oath to her:
‘Whatever you ask I will give you, even up to half of my kingdom.’
She went out and said to her mother,
‘What shall I ask for?’
Her mother replied,
‘The head of John the Baptist.’
Immediately, she hurried back to the king with her request:
‘I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’
The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl, who then gave it to her mother.

When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

 

Four Types of Conscience
It’s clear that Herod felt remorse over the death of John the Baptist. His guilt filled him with fear.
There are different types of remorse. The kind that comes from God leads us to openness and hope, offering a path forward. But the remorse that rejects God turns inward, bringing fear and despair instead of healing.

Herod did not recognise God, and because he couldn’t forgive himself, he remained tormented

 

Applying It to Married Life
Juan: Did you know there are four types of conscience?
Gema: Oh really? Which ones?
Juan:
1. The Blind Conscience – unaware of its own sin.
2. The Scrupulous Conscience – sees sin everywhere, even where there’s none.
3. The Pharisaic Conscience – harshly judges others while being lenient with oneself.
4. The Clear Conscience – has a realistic understanding of sin, its seriousness, and its consequences.
Gema: That’s really interesting. Which one do you think describes you?
Juan: I’d say the clear one, but leaning a bit towards the blind side. And you?
Gema: I’d say clear, but with a tendency towards scrupulosity. So, how do we educate our conscience?
Juan: Through formation, spiritual guidance, and especially frequent confession.

Gema: Of course. When we regularly experience God’s grace through confession, everything falls into place.

 

Mother,
How grateful we are to God for the miracle of the Sacrament of Confession, which opens us to hope. Praise be to the Lord forever.

Infinitely Less Wise, This Is What I Want. Reflection for marriages Saint Mark 6:7–13

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Gospel of the Day

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark 6:7–13

At that time, Jesus called the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts. They were to wear sandals but not take a second tunic.

He said to them:

‘Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. And if any place does not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.’

So they went out and preached repentance. They cast out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil, and healed them.

Infinitely Less Wise

Jesus chooses the least wise among us, and then sends us out without any resources so that it’s clear to everyone that the works are not ours—they are His.
It often happens that when a married couple prepares to evangelise, arguments arise during the preparation. Why? Because we start to take ownership of God’s work. Let it not be so among us. Let’s acknowledge that we are limited. The wisest person on Earth is infinitely less wise than the least in Heaven.

Applying It to Married Life

María: I can’t take it anymore. I’ve tried everything, but I can’t condense the content, nor create a flow that fits with your outline.
Andrés: I’ve tried to help, but whenever I summarise, remove something, or rearrange your structure, you say it’s not what you want to convey and that I’ve left out important points. So, let’s go with what we have, and the Holy Spirit will assist us. But above all, let’s not lose our unity—that’s the most important thing, okay?
María: Okay. More than what we say, the important thing is that we are one. From that, the Holy Spirit can build through our Sacrament.
Andrés: Let’s invoke Him because we’re really going to need Him.
María: That’s the point—that He speaks, not us.

Mother,

We are so small to go forth in the name of the Lord, and we experience this every time. Assist us, Mother. In you, we trust.