The Narrow Gate Sets Us Free. Reflection for marriages Saint Luke 13:22-30

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Gospel of the Day

From the Gospel according to Saint Luke 13:22-30
Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
The Narrow Gate Sets Us Free
Are only a few saved? Lord, I too could ask You that question, almost as if to say, “Do I really have to make such an effort?”
And You respond, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate… for many will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”
At that moment, I realise this is serious — I cannot play games with my eternal life.
I cannot keep settling for “just enough”, doing everything on my own terms and thinking that will suffice.
Lord, You love me madly. You proved it by giving Your life for me.
You tell me to trust You, to listen to You, and to do what You say.
That true happiness lies in remaining in Your Love — and that happens by listening to You and keeping Your commandments; by denying myself, taking up my cross daily, and following You; by loving as You love.
That is what it means to pass through the narrow gate — to be freed from self-love, from everything that enslaves me, and to be filled with Your Love.
Lord, how marvellous is Your narrow gate, which frees me from what enslaves me and fills me with true Love — so that even here on earth, I can begin to share in the happiness of Heaven!

Applied to Married Life
Matthew: Mary, thank you — thank you so much.
Mary: Oh? Why are you thanking me all of a sudden?
Matthew: Because I’ve discovered God’s love through you, and I’m beginning to taste happiness.
Before, I used to get upset when you asked me to pray, to go to Mass… And when you asked me to change my plans — plans that were all about me, though I didn’t see it then — I’d get even angrier.
Now I can see that none of that made me happy. Quite the opposite: I was becoming blinder, more self-centred, more frustrated with you.
Thanks to you — and to the Lord — I’m no longer enslaved by that. I love praying together, planning things together… I feel free and at peace. That “famous narrow gate” is truly amazing!
Mary: [laughs] It’s the same for me! That narrow gate is wonderful! It may seem hard to enter at first, but soon it fills us with God’s peace and love — love for you! And that’s what I want! How great is the Lord!
Mother,

thank you so much for showing us the truth, for teaching us to love.
May we allow ourselves to be guided by you towards your Son.
Praised be the Lord!

Pray, Choose, Heal. Reflection for marriages Saint Luke 6:12–19

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Gospel of the Day

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 6:12–19
In those days, Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.
When day came, He called His disciples and chose twelve of them, whom He also named apostles: Simon, whom He named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became the traitor.
He came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the whole crowd sought to touch Him, because power came out from Him and healed them all.
Pray, Choose, Heal
First pray, then choose, and finally heal. This is also what we must do…
First, pray: only through prayer can spouses discover the will of the Lord in each moment of their lives and discern what God desires for their marriage.
Then, choose: on the one hand, we must recognise that the Lord has chosen us for this great vocation and that God will equip us for it. On the other hand, we must choose to love at all times. Let us not remain focused on our spouse’s faults and mistakes, but look beyond them, seeing who God wants them to become and helping them reach that.
Finally, heal: we must allow the Lord to heal us and, at the same time, become instruments of healing as we build up our marriage.
They say that “the family that prays together, stays together”; and so we must do the same — let us place God at the centre of our family and pray together.
Applied to Married Life
Paul: Rachel, I’ve been asked if we’d like to help with the next Proyecto Amor Conyugal retreat… Honestly, I’m not sure — we’re a bit of a mess. We’re far from perfect, and we’re not exactly overflowing with free time either.
Rachel: I understand what you mean, Paul… What if we bring it to prayer? Let’s keep this intention throughout the day and offer it at Holy Mass. I’m sure that when we pray with the Word of God tonight, things will become clearer.
(At the end of the day…)
Paul: Lord, thank You for this wife who constantly leads me to You! How beautiful to see that before making any decision, Jesus always spoke with the Father so that He could show Him the way.
Rachel: You see how simple it is — it’s not about being the “best” in human terms, but about being willing for the Lord to equip us. With much prayer, it won’t be us acting, but the Holy Spirit within us, making us a reflection of His love.
Paul: Sometimes I struggle to see that God is calling us to something greater and I stay stuck in what we are now. Let’s give thanks to the Lord and ask Him to help us persevere in prayer.

Mother,

How much we need you as an example to remain always in harmony with what God desires!
Praised be the Lord!

Looking as Christ looks. Reflection for marriages Saint Luke 13:10–17.

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Gospel of the Day

Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 13:10–17
Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.
And a woman was there who for eighteen years
had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,
“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”
He laid his hands on her,
and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
“There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”
The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the sabbath
untie his ox or his ass from the manger
and lead it out for watering?
This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,
ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day
from this bondage?”
When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;
and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him

Looking as Christ looks
The first thing that stands out in this Gospel is that it is Jesus who sees the bent-over woman, calls her, and sets her free.
This attentive and compassionate gaze is a key for married life: conjugal love is renewed when we are attentive to one another and look at our spouse with the gaze with which God looks at them.
There are times when a husband or wife may be “bent over” by daily burdens, resentments, fears, or silences, and it is precisely then that God asks us to go out to meet them and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, heal and free them.
This merciful gaze toward the other must be constant. We should not wait for the “right” moment to act — even if it is the “Sabbath”, we must do it. We are called to be quick in love, always alert, and whenever we see our spouse starting to “bend over”, we must, following Jesus’ example, look with compassion, draw near, reach out with tenderness, and help them rise again.
Jesus shows that charity — true love — is above the law. The law only makes sense if it leads us to Him. Therefore, in marriage, spouses are called to seek communion above their own reasoning or criteria. In that communion, spouses are not bound by what “should be done”, nor do they settle for a mediocre love, but rather love as Jesus loves: with freedom, tenderness, and truth. And that way of loving heals, straightens, and lifts up.
Applied to Married Life
(Martha and John discuss the Gospel)
Martha: What hope this Gospel gives! Eighteen years of illness — and she is healed.
John: Yes, Jesus sees her and doesn’t wait for her to ask for anything. He simply looks at her, calls her, and frees her. I wish we could always have that same look between us. So often, we get caught up in our own things and fail to notice how the other is doing.
Martha: It’s true that sometimes the other person doesn’t make it easy — bent over by work, the house, the children… they don’t even realise it. But look how beautiful this is: Jesus touches her and makes her stand up straight. His touch straightens her. Maybe in marriage that means touching the other’s heart with tenderness, not with reproach.
John: And what a difference between Jesus and the synagogue leader. The synagogue leader gets angry because He healed her on the Sabbath. How many times do we also have our own “Sabbaths”: “They don’t deserve it right now”, “I’m tired”, “I don’t have time”, “We’ll talk tomorrow”…
Martha: It’s true — how often we postpone love, forgiveness, or a kind word, because we expect the other person to take the first step. Jesus doesn’t wait for the perfect moment; He loves and frees as soon as He encounters a need.
John: How great is the Lord!
Martha: What do you think about us going to Mass during the week too — to let ourselves be looked at by Christ and healed of our own “bentness”?
John: Wonderful idea, my love. What would I do without you?

Mother,
Teach us to love above the rules,
to prefer communion over being right,
and always to make your charity
the measure of our words and actions.
Blessed be God who teaches us so much.

Love That Goes Beyond Reason. Reflection for marriages Luke 18:9-14.

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From the Gospel according to Luke 18:9-14

Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity —
greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Love That Goes Beyond Reason

The Pharisee compares himself to others and “thanks God for how good he is,” stepping into a world of duties and achievements — where everything has a price… and every one else, his contempt.
The tax collector, on the other hand, looks within and trusts in God’s goodness — the doorway to a life of gift and grace.
And we, couples of Proyecto Amor Conyugal — what about us? Are we Pharisees, grateful because we’re “doing well” and have “already arrived”? Or do we still long for more?


Applied to married life :

Luis: Today, during prayer, God stirred something very deep in my heart.
Moira: Really? What happened?
Luis: When we did the Proyecto Amor Conyugal retreat, we began a journey that truly rescued us. But I feel Christ is asking for something more. We live a good, responsible faith… but maybe one that’s become too reasonable. We seek our own good, and that’s fine. But…
Moira: But what?
Luis: What about His heart? I realize I’ve been focused on our well-being. But how is His heart?
Moira: God is amazing… you’ve just confirmed something that’s been on my mind, and I asked Him for a sign. You just gave it to me.
Luis: Really?
Moira: Yes. Being so focused on our spiritual journey has made us a bit self-centered. Sometimes, without meaning to, we even judge those who don’t live like we do.
Luis: Without realizing it, we’ve been living our marriage according to our own plans. We need to make room for Him — to step out of our logic, stay more attuned to Him, and respond to what He asks of us.
Moira: Let’s pray then, so He can show us the “next steps.”
Luis: (laughs) Sounds like you just came out of a work meeting.

Mother,

teach us to “desire more,” for our hearts long for the infinite, and only your Son can fulfill that longing.
Blessed and praised forever be Jesus, who redeemed us with His Blood.

The Lord’s Patience. Reflection for marriages Luke 13:1-9

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Gospel

From the Gospel according to Luke13:1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileanswhose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.He said to them in reply,“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this waythey were greater sinners than all other Galileans?By no means!But I tell you, if you do not repent,you will all perish as they did!Or those eighteen people who were killedwhen the tower at Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guiltythan everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?By no means!But I tell you, if you do not repent,you will all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable:“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,he said to the gardener,‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig treebut have found none.So cut it down.Why should it exhaust the soil?’He said to him in reply,‘Sir, leave it for this year also,and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;it may bear fruit in the future.If not you can cut it down.’”

The Gospel of the Lord

The Lord’s Patience

In this Gospel, we see some people coming to tell Jesus what others, in their opinion, have done wrong. It’s quite likely that, deep in their hearts, they’ve already judged and condemned them. This scene might feel familiar to us. How many times have I gone to Jesus —almost in an accusatory tone— to tell Him about the pain I feel because of something my spouse has done? To point out what, in my view, they’ve done wrong?

But Jesus doesn’t linger on the accusation. Instead, He uses the moment to challenge us with a powerful question: Do you think your spouse is more sinful than you? Do you believe you’re better simply because you haven’t fallen into the same sin? And then He tells us: You are not —so repent, or you too will perish.

At first, His words may sound harsh. Yet the Lord invites us to conversion with infinite patience. Even though He knows that, because of our lukewarmness, our comfort, or our selfishness —for whatever reason— we may have gone a long time without bearing the fruit He expects, He never gives up on us. He always wants to give us another chance, just like the fig tree in the parable.

His hope is placed in us; He never counts us as lost. That’s why Jesus asks the Father to grant our marriage another opportunity. If He hasn’t given up on my marriage or on my spouse, how could I? No, Lord. I want to work with You so that our marriage may bear abundant fruit.

Applied to Marriaged Life :

Victor: Why does everything have to be so difficult, Martha?
Martha: What do you mean, Victor?
Victor: I mean, even though we go to Mass almost every day now, and we pray together regularly, life doesn’t seem any easier. In fact, it feels like things keep getting harder. Now the kids complain that we spend less time with them.
Martha: Well, Jesus never said life would be easier —at least not from a human perspective. Remember, He said He didn’t come to bring peace but division. And He told us we’d only be worthy of Him if we carried our daily cross.
Victor:Yes, that’s true… but still, wouldn’t it help if external things went a little smoother?
Martha: Are you sure about that? During my prayer today, something struck me in the parable of the barren fig tree. The Lord says that to see if it will bear fruit, He’ll dig around it and spread  fertilizer-not flowers or something beautiful, but fertilizer.
Victor: And? I’m not sure what you’re getting at.
Martha: Think about it —to make the tree bear fruit, He doesn’t put flowers or pretty decorations around it. He uses fertilizer—something that smells bad, something unpleasant, but rich in nutrients. It made me realize that, in our marriage, the “fertilizer” God gives us often comes in the form of trials and difficulties. Because it’s through them that our love grows stronger. We don’t grow when everything’s easy; we grow when we face challenges together and overcome them side by side.
Victor: I see now —the fertilizer represents all the things we dislike, but that the Lord allows so we can strengthen our marriage.
Martha: Exactly.
Victoe: Thank you, Martha, for helping me see how much the Lord loves us —even when He sends us trials. I love you.
Martha: Thanks be to God, who helps us grow in love. I love you even more.

Mother,

teach us to recognize God’s will even in our difficulties. Help us trust that He is a loving Father who always sends what is best for us —even when we don’t understand it. And like you, may we always say “yes” to His will.

Blessed and glorious are you, Mother! Praised be the Lord forever!