Gospel of the Day
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John 3:1–8
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said:
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can perform the signs you do unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered him:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus asked Him:
“How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
Jesus answered:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
The “Master Pass”
Jesus teaches us that two things are necessary: to be born of water and of the Spirit.
It is not enough to have received the sacrament of Baptism if afterwards I do not allow myself to be born of the Holy Spirit. If I continue to live according to the flesh—my passions, disordered desires, preferences—then I am not truly living in the Spirit.
It is not enough to pray and attend the Eucharist.
How do we truly be born of the Spirit?
By allowing the Spirit to transform us through the events of everyday life, both the small and the great.
The Spirit must govern my life, my marriage, my fatherhood or motherhood, my work, my relationships, my leisure. Christ is present through the Holy Spirit and acts in my life and the lives of those around me—but only if I allow Him to act, without blocking Him with my own plans, decisions, or whims.
This demands total surrender—everything, forever.
Always ready to change, to convert anew, with no place to lay my head, open to the unpredictable movement of the Spirit.
It may seem drastic, but God is great and generous. In His hands, we have nothing to fear.
Applying It to Married Life
Carlos: Love, there are situations that make me really anxious, and I tend to get angry—like when I have a plan and it falls apart. I really struggle with the unexpected. Could you help me work on this?
Lourdes: Let me shed a little light. Imagine that you are the Holy Spirit, and you want to redirect someone onto a better path than the one they’re on. Wouldn’t you introduce a change of plans into their life to steer them in the right direction? Or, imagine you know they are about to face something very hard, and you love them infinitely. Wouldn’t you open new roads for them from that painful situation—better roads than before?
Carlos: I suppose I would, yes.
Lourdes: Then from now on, every time you face an unexpected change, think of it as a “master pass” from the Holy Spirit—He’s passing you the ball to follow His play. He’s on your team, playing for your good, for the good of our marriage and our family. Read the play, and use the opportunity for good. Remember: the unexpected is a master pass from God!
Carlos: That’s brilliant! Now I understand. A “master pass” from God. Thank you! I’ll try to remember that next time.
Mother,
Help me to renounce my own self, to be born anew from the will of my spouse, so that the Holy Spirit may remove from me anything that separates me from love—love for God and love for him.
Thank you, because through my spouse, I can be born of the Spirit, for the Spirit dwells in our conjugal unity.
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”
Christ is risen in our marriage! Alleluia!