For Such a Time as This

Welcome to Day 34 of our reflections on the gospel of John.  Thanks so much for joining us!  To contact us, visit our website at www.markandkatiemartinez.com.

A Reflection on John 15:12-17

“This I command you, to love one another.” (v 17)

“I see your heart.  I see the pain of failure, the regret of strained relationships.  You have failed to keep my commandment.  I have asked you to do one thing, to love one another, and you could not even do that.

Child.  Do not let your heart be troubled.  You must not expect to be always perfect.  You must expect your failure.  Not out of hopelessness, but in humility, knowing that with failure comes opportunity: opportunity for mercy and reconciliation, for growth and greater love.  The one who has been forgiven much, loves much.

To love is not easy.  It is not easy to lay down one’s life.  It is not easy to lay down your right to be hurt, nor your desire to be right.  I know this.  I experienced the pain of love.  I wept over my beloved Jerusalem.  I sweated blood in anticipation of my sacrifice.  It was not easy.

I see the pain, the torture in your own heart, when the sacrifice of love seems unbearable.  I know that opening your heart to another is opening your heart to agony, but fear not, for agony leads to resurrection.  The sacrifice and pain of love is the dying to sin and selfishness that leads to life.  Love is a communion of persons, a continuous intimacy of self-gift that never ends and gives life to one another in a way that is always expanding, always growing.  It is unity, oneness of heart.  It is saying to the other, my life is all wrapped up in yours, your sorrows are my sorrows, and your joys are my joys, not because I cannot live without you but because I choose “we” over “me.”

I love you, child.  Will you not love one another?”

My Jesus, I am sorry it is so hard for me to love as you love.  Forgive my egotism and pride.  May all that I am and do be wrapped up in you, so that I love with nothing but the love you have placed in my heart.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.

Thanks so much for being with us today! We are continuing our reflections on the gospel of John.  To contact us, visit our website at www.markandkatiemartinez.com

A Reflection on John 15:1-11

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (v 11)

“Your joy is in abiding.  Yes, it is in bearing fruit, in keeping my commandments, but first, in abiding.  If you abide in me, the rest will follow.

You are a branch, and I am the vine.  My Life flows through me into you.  Close your eyes.  Listen to your heart beat.  As the blood flows through your body, bringing life to every part, so my Life flows too.  The Life flowing through you is Love, it is Truth, it is the Holy Spirit.  When you abide in me, He and I abide in You.  Rest here.  Abide in me.  Let your heart be filled with Life.  Let it fill you, then let it overflow.  And from the overflow, you will bear fruit.

My Father, the vinedresser, does all things according to His plan.  There will be times of pruning.  Times of dormancy.  Times when you feel lost, pained, confused, and alone.  Still, abide in me.  Come back to this place, and let the beat of your own heart be your reminder of my life flowing through you.   Abide in me, and let your joy be full.”

My Jesus, sometimes it is hard just to abide.  I feel like I must be doing something to earn your love.  Help me to remember that you have done it all, that your love is pure gift, and that nothing I do can change that.  I love you, Jesus.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.

Today is Day 32 of our reflections on the gospel of John; thanks so much for joining us!  Contact us at our website here: www.markandkatiemartinez.com

A Reflection on John 14:15-31

“I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you.” (v 18)

Jesus says to us: “I know it is sometimes hard for you to understand. There are times when you feel my Presence so keenly in the room with you that you could reach out and touch Me, and other times when you wonder if you every really felt Me at all.

You wonder how it could be that I will come to you, especially in your doubt that I am there at all. It is ok, little one, to wonder. It is ok to not have all the answers. It is ok to admit that you don’t understand.

But know this: you are not alone. I am with you. I am with you like the sun shining warm on your back, like the air that you breathe, like the beat of your heart. Close your eyes and listen. Listen to my voice in rhythm with your heart: I am here, I am here, I am here.

The Spirit, the Counselor, the Advocate, He is within you. And where He is, I dwell also. We have come to you and made our home with you. So, child, you are never alone. You are not alone when the loneliness becomes overwhelming. You are not alone in the shame of your sin you worry you will never rise from. You are not alone when despair creeps in and it feels as though all hope is lost. Child, you are never alone.

Close your eyes. Listen to the rhythm of your breath. Feel my Spirit within you like the wind. Open the eyes of your heart to my Presence. I am here, I am here, I am here.”

Oh Jesus, thank you for the gift of your presence within me. In the moments when I cannot feel your presence, let me never forget your promise that you are with me, and that you are a God who keeps His promises.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.

Today is Day 31 of our Reflections on the Gospel of John. Thanks so much for joining us!  Contact us at our website: www.markandkatiemartinez.com

A Reflection on John 14:1-14

“And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (v 3)

Jesus says to us: “That where I am you may be also… Do you see, child? Do you understand? My whole purpose is wrapped up in this: that you may go where I go, that I may be a way for you back to my Father and yours, that we will be together for all of eternity. I am here. I have prepared your place.  I am waiting.  Will you come? Will you follow the way I have laid out for you? The way that I Am?

Yet I do not sit idle. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. I wait for you to ask me. I will work all things for your good. It is as the Father wishes. No one has ever seen God, yet he who has seen me has seen the Father. And His will is for you. His desire is for you, as is mine. All of heaven awaits your entrance into glory. I tell you, there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10).

Do not let your heart be troubled. My heart is for you, child. I am with you always. Come to me, and I will give you rest.”

What is the longing of my heart? Will I ask it of Him in hope and trust?

My Jesus, how I long for your rest, the rest that comes from knowing that I am totally and unconditionally loved by you. Give me all that I need so that I may find my Way to you and to the Father. Jesus, I trust in you.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.

Welcome to Day 30 of our Lenten Reflections on the Gospel of John. Thanks so much for joining us!  Find us on our website: www.markandkatiemartinez.com

A Reflection on John 13:21-38

“When Jesus had thus spoken, he was troubled in spirit…” (v 21)

Our Lord is troubled.  We see the pain on his face, hear the anguish in His voice.  Knowing what He knew, that after the cross came the resurrection, that the pain of His passion would be transformed in His Glorified Body, He still felt troubled. When our Lord entered into the human condition, He entered into everything: He felt deeply, He was tempted, He wept, He sweated blood in great anxiety. So now, faced with the betrayal of a close friend, He feels it keenly.

But He does not stop it. He allows the plan of the evil one to proceed, despite his heartbreak. Because He knows that the schemes of the devil and of men are but threads woven by the Father into the great tapestry of Salvation. And the thread that matters, the thread of Love, woven throughout, holds it all together. And it is in that unbreakable thread, the everlasting Love of God, that the Father is glorified.

“Love one another; even as I have loved you… you also love one another.” (v 34). This is the love He commands us to emulate: the love that looks into the face of His betrayer with compassion, even while feeling deeply the pain of the betrayal and knowing its cost. This is how He has loved us; this is how we are to respond to His love.

And it is with this love, that we can console our Lord’s troubled heart. Will you do this?

My Jesus, I want to ease your troubled heart with my love for you and my love for others. Let me come close. I cannot take away Your pain, but I can be with You in struggle. Here I am, Lord Jesus, I love you.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.

Thanks so much for joining us!  Today is Day 29 of our walk through the gospel of John.  We'd love to hear from you - contact us at our website: www.markandkatiemartinez.com

A Reflection on John 13: 1-20

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and tied a towel around himself.” (v 3-4)

Here, we are given a glimpse into the mind and heart of our Lord. Jesus fully knows who He is, where He has come from and where He is going. He knows his Kingship, His rightful reign over all creatures. Yet, he stands, lays down His garments as He will soon lay down His life, and in what must have been puzzling to His Apostles, ties a towel around Himself. He has just preached to any who would listen, “Unless a grain of wheat falls and dies…” and now He gives them a final lesson of humility, of what it means to die to self, before the great lesson of His passion.

The Apostles are perplexed. Peter again rebukes the Lord and is chastised. He still has much to learn. “Do you know what I have done for you?” says the Lord.

“Do you know what I have done for you, child? I, the Lord and King of the Universe, Savior of all mankind, will this day stoop to wash your feet if you allow me too. In this world, you will have trouble and temptation. You will be tempted to believe that you, the servant, know better than the master. You will question my ways. You will rebuke me. And, if you do not learn the lesson I am teaching you here, that it is better to give than to receive, to serve than to be served, you will reject and betray me. I have loved you to the end, dear one. Let me wash your feet, let me serve you and give all to you, that your heart may be transformed in my Love.”

My Jesus, I am mystified by this example You’ve given. I imagine you in all your glory, kneeling to wash my feet, so dirtied by the scum of sin and worldly attachments. You stoop to serve me, though I have done nothing to deserve it. May Your Love so fill me up that I may joyfully serve those around me from Your abundance.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.

Today is Day 28 of our Lenten reflections on the gospel of John.  Thanks so much for joining us!  To contact us, visit our website: www.markandkatiemartinez.com

A Reflection on John 12:20-50

“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (v 25)

The hour has come. Jesus has arrived at the point of no return. Everything now points to his passion and death. But that means that everything now points also to His Resurrection. Jesus has revealed the Father, revealed His love and heart for His people Israel and for the whole world. He has lived out that part of his mission. And now we begin the culmination of that mission, when He will be lifted up to draw all to himself, “for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world” (v 47b).

“Unless a grain of wheat falls and dies…” he tells us. He is preparing us for what is to come, and he is teaching us a great truth for our own lives. He has taught us how to live, and now He is teaching us how to die. We are to lose our lives, to die to selfishness, sin, and fear. But we do not do it alone. Our Lord would not have it any other way but to enter the struggle with us: “Now is my soul troubled.” He knows what He must do. He can feel the weight of it all. In that moment of anguish, he calls out to the Father, “Glorify your name!” And the Father answers: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

Oh, that we could follow this example of Jesus! Oh, that we could feel our troubled hearts, give them over to the Father, and in the midst of it all, cry out, “Glorify your name!” Because, as the Father looks down on Jesus, so He will look down upon us, “I have glorified it, child, in you. And through this circumstance, I will glorify it again. I will bring glory into your life and the lives of those around you. Because child, if you die, you will bear much fruit. So, do not be afraid, my Son goes before you. He will shepherd you into new life, and my will will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Father, I am sometimes scared to lose my life in order to gain it. Remind me of Your great love for me, for whom you did not even spare your only Son. Remind me that you will call me to die to only what hinders my way to you, and that you will raise up in me a divine purpose that will bring me far more joy than anything I could imagine.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.

Welcome to Day 27 of our Lenten Reflections on the Gospel of John.  Thanks so much for joining us.  To contact us, visit our website at www.markandkatiemartinez.com.

A Reflection on John 12: 12-19

“The world has gone after him.” (v 19)

The crowds, their attention and affection aroused by the miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection, are praising Jesus as the Messiah, welcoming Him into the city of Jerusalem as Zechariah prophesied. Their excitement is well founded. No other prophet since Elisha had raised a man from the dead. This, at last, must be the Messiah that was promised to bring freedom to Israel. But, “His disciples did not understand this at first.” (v 16). Jesus did not come to overthrow Rome to free Israel, but to overthrow the ruler of the world, Satan, to free our hearts. The world has gone after him, but perhaps for the wrong reasons.

But what a difference a week can make. A week is enough time for bitterness, fear, and jealousy to do their work. And within a week, the one given a King’s welcome will be given a thief’s execution. The leaders of the people see only the threat of Jesus. They see nothing of his mission. And because they cannot see beyond their own narrow worldview, they seek to destroy that which threatens their world.

Where is God’s plan not within my expectations? What are the things that I don’t understand? And how do I react? Will I humbly accept the ways of God even if I don’t understand? Or will I rebel against Him?

“O, the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33)

My Father, I sometimes have no idea what you are doing in my life. I struggle to understand and try to take charge, but my inability to control is terrifying to me. When it feels like too much, remind me that you, my loving Father, know exactly what I need and will provide me with the grace to endure. I love you, Abba, and I trust you.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.

Today is Day 26 of our walk through the Gospel of John!  Thanks so much for joining us!  We'd love to hear from you - contact us at our website: www.markandkatiemartinez.com

A Reflection on John 12:1-11

“Jesus said, ‘Let her alone…’” (v 7)

Mary, overwhelmed with love for Jesus, is compelled to act on that love. He is the Christ, the one who resurrected her brother, and now he is the king of her heart. She prepares for him a costly gift, one pound of pure nard, worth 300 days’ wages. And as they are reclining for their meal, Mary quietly approaches Jesus. The eyes of all are on her as she sits at His feet and lovingly pours the ointment over them. It mingles with her tears of love, of gratitude, of awe. She pours out every last drop, so that the house is filled with its fragrance. When the oil is spent, she gently wipes His feet with her hair. She is captivated in her task, aware only of her Lord before her and the love for Him that burns within her. As she finishes, she rests in His gaze, aware that He is well pleased with her gift. Her heart is full, and on her own accord she will never leave His side.

But the moment passes all too soon. With the grumbling of Judas, her heart becomes troubled and doubtful. Is he right? Should she have sold the oil instead? Perhaps the Lord would have been more pleased if she had done so. She knows His heart is for the poor, the lost, the sick, and the broken. She had wanted to show Him how much He meant to her, but maybe He didn’t want such an extravagant showing. Devastated, she looks into His eyes, searching for the confirmation that what Judas said was true. But instead of disappointment, she sees only Love. “Let her alone,” He says, looking straight into her eyes, “The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me” (v 8). I am well pleased with you, my beloved sister, you have done well.

Jesus, I want to love you like Mary did. But then the doubt creeps in and I begin to worry about my motives. Teach me to Love as she did. Help me to remember that you are well pleased with my acts of love, and that you see my heart.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.

Thanks so much for joining us!  We hope these reflections have blessed you this Lent, and we would love to hear from you!  Please email us at [email protected] or leave a review on your favorite platform.  You can sign up for our email list here. 

A Reflection on John 11:28-57

“Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” (v 37)

How often do we echo some version of that question in our hearts? Could not He who cleansed the lepers have healed my sickness? Could not He who raised Lazarus have saved my child? Cannot He who rose from the dead Himself do something about the evil that runs rampant in the world? We hear the stories of miracles done by Jesus in the Gospels, and we wonder, “Where are you, Lord? Why is there still so much sickness, pain, suffering, evil?”

The doubt creeps in. The lies whispered to our hearts: He doesn’t care. His power is limited. He is not there.

But “Jesus wept” (v 35). Knowing that Lazarus’ death was only temporary, that he would in mere minutes call His beloved friend out to life again, Jesus wept. He felt keenly the pain, the suffering of Lazarus, the grief of Mary and Martha.

He sees our pain, dear friends. He sees, and He weeps with us. He feels our grief, our confusion, our frustration. Even knowing what we do not know, what we cannot know, that soon He will redeem our pain, resurrect the dead parts of us back to life, He still weeps. That is how intimately connected He is with you and me. We have not felt anything that He does not feel with us.

So, we can trust Him with everything. All the pain, all the frustration, all the questions. Lay it all at His feet. And look up at Him, see Him spreading His arms on the cross for love of you, and even if you cannot feel it, know that this, too, He will raise up. He has laid down His life and taken it up again (10:18), and He desires to do the same for us. Lay it all down and trust in Him.

My Jesus, I get so discouraged when I look out at the world and see suffering and when my own pain feels like too much. In those moments, give me grace to look to You, to remember that You see it all and that You who loved me enough to die for me are holding it all in Your Hands, and this too, You will raise up.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.