“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” (MK 10: 14-15)
“Accept[ing] the Kingdom of God like a child” could be a very difficult challenge for us. It is not only about acceptance in total dependence upon and obedience to the gospel, but also about a very specific relationship with God—as a child. When we come to Him like children, He can welcome us as a Father.
“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” (MK 10: 7-9)
Our Lord, the Way, the Truth and the Life, protects the truth of marriage. Marriage, God’s gift to us, shines when a couple follows God’s rule, “therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” Even more, He made a special connection between His love for the Church and marriage.
“Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.” (MK 9: 41)
Even the smallest gesture, like someone who gives “a cup of water to drink because we belong to Christ, will not lose his reward.” This is how Our Lord takes care of us. He made us so close to Him that He identified Himself with us—what an honor and grace for us.
“Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Instead you should say, ‘If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.’” (JAS 4: 15)
It is normal that we have many plans. At the same time, we should always remember that we are not human doers, but human beings, and the most important thing is our relationship with God, more important than many things we can do. When our actions come from our relationship with Him, we can expect more gentleness and respect in what we do. Unconditionally loved by Him, we will share with others what we receive from Him. It will always qualify all our plans.
“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“So submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (JAS 4: 7-8)
God respects our freedom and wants us to be responsible for our relationship with Him—“draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” He will never stop loving us, even if we reject Him, but when we “submit ourselves to God,” He can be in our hearts and help us to become like His Son, Jesus Christ.
“May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.”
“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.” (JAS 3: 17-18)
How beautiful is the wisdom from above: “pure, peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits.” It sounds like a perfect environment for families and for any community. It comes “from above” as a free gift, but it expects cooperation from us. When we form our hearts looking on the Holy Family, we can hope for the same in our families.
“Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” (ACTS 2: 1-4)
God expects from the Apostles only one thing—“they were all in one place together.” Everything else came from Him: “tongues as of fire, which rest on each one of them” and “filling with the Holy Spirit and speaking in different tongues.” The same happens with family when “they are all in one place together.” God created the Church as a community and marriage, “the domestic Church,” also as a community, and whenever the Holy Spirit comes, it is always to build community. And this is the most unique and prestigious gift of the Holy Spirit—unity and community; it is much more important than all the amazing gifts (like speaking in different tongues) we can receive with His coming.
“Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, ‘You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.’ Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.”
Because the Apostles lost Judas, it was “necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time … become with us a witness to his resurrection,” so they prayed for God’s will—“show which one of these two you have chosen” and—“gave lots to them.” Prayer and the ordination procedure, grace and a good strategy—go together. Oratio and actio, prayer and action, are not in opposition but complement each other.
“I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’” Simon Peter answered him, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’” (JN 21: 15)
All authority in the Church comes first of all from Our Lord, Who is the only One Who chooses us and gives us our role and functions, and second of all, it comes from love. Simon Peter was chosen by Our Lord to be THE Peter, the rock, the supreme shepherd and ruler over the whole flock, and the one who will be responsible for the Church with the other Apostles in the name of Jesus. After Our Lord’s resurrection He asked him only one question—“do you love me more than these”?
“The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” (JN 17: 20-21)
God’s word given to us brings fruit through the ages. The word started with Our Lord, was given to the Apostles, and came to our days, and with our service will remain until the end of the world. We should be so grateful to all who served His word; we are unworthy to be compared to them, but we also have our mission—“for those who will believe in me through their word.”
“May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that the world may believe that you sent me, says the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation)
