GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke 6:12-16

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,

and he spent the night in prayer to God.

When day came, he called his disciples to himself,

and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:

Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,

James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,

Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,

Simon who was called a Zealot,

and Judas the son of James,

and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

The Word of the Lord

 

Your Strength Can Do Everything 

Thank You, Lord, for enlightening us through Your life.

In this Gospel, You give us the keys to walk this path.

First, we see the central place that prayer must occupy in our day. For You, it was the foundation, that moment of listening to the Father in order to do His Will. We also see the need to continue listening to You throughout the day so that we may always do Your will and not our own.

To do this, we also need that strength which comes from You and can accomplish all things. And what is that strength? The sacraments, flowing from Your pierced Heart so that we may love as You love us. Especially, in our vocation as spouses, the Sacrament of Marriage.

Lord, how can I receive all Your strength through our sacrament, so as to love my spouse as You desire? By disposing myself to receive it, by approaching my spouse with reverence, recognising that he is the greatest gift You have given me. And by knowing that every time I make an act of self-giving and acceptance towards him, every act of love, through the power of our sacrament my small love is transformed into Your Love. In this way, I come to love my spouse with Your Love.

What a wonder, Lord!

A thousand thanks to You!

Applied to Married Life:

Albert: Marisa, I can’t stop thanking God for you. It’s incredible how He has been changing me. Not long ago, everything seemed dark. I looked at you so negatively and was convinced that our marriage was over. Then I said “yes” to Him, let Him enter my life, and He has been making everything new.

Marisa: Yes, it’s wonderful. He has brought us back to life. It’s as though a power has transformed us. It’s that power which comes from Jesus, the very power the Gospel says healed everyone.

Albert: Sometimes I wonder, why us?

Marisa: He longs to heal every one of us. That is why He died for us, to heal us all. The problem is that we do not let Him; we do not say “yes” to Him. But when we do, when we set aside our own ways of thinking and begin a life of prayer, the sacraments, and living out our faith with perseverance whatever the cost, He does the rest.

Albert: Yes. The Proyecto Amor Conyugal retreat was the beginning. And then came that perseverance you speak of. And allowing others to help us, the marriage groups…

Marisa: Yes, it is about saying “yes” to Him in faith, recognising our own weakness and poverty. It is about beginning to live out those words: “deny yourself, take up your cross each day and follow Him”.

How great the Lord is! How thankful I am for you!

Mother,

Help me to say “yes” to your Son and to persevere so that He may heal my heart. Blessed and praised be God, who loves us with an infinite love!