GOSPEL
From the Gospel according to John
Jn 8:31-42
Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.”
They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!”
So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”
The Word of the Lord.
The litmus test.
If God were our Father, we would love Jesus above all things and our spouse as He loves. Otherwise, we cannot call ourselves children of God, or at least, we cannot consider ourselves as such. That’s the “litmus test,” the one that doesn’t deceive. Do I love my spouse more than myself? Then I love God.
Applied to married life:
Julia: I asked the Lord today if He knows how much I love you. And you know what He answered me in prayer? That I love you as much as I love you.
Emilio: Good answer. And how can we measure the love we have for each other?
Julia: Well Emilio, we can’t really measure it, but I can get an idea by comparing my love for you with Saint Paul’s hymn to charity, especially focusing on the last three statements: Charity “excuses all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” That way, I’ll know if I love you with God’s charity or not.
Emilio: Thank you, Julia. Just with that “excuses all things” I already have an idea of the measure of my love.
Mother,
Admiring the love of God, today we praise Him very specially. Praise be to God.