Short, Simple and Personal reflections on the daily Holy Mass Gospel. I provide talks.
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Monday, March 11, 2024
Ang Mabuting Balita Marso 16, Sabado sa Ikaapat na Linggo ng Kuwaresma: Juan 7:40-53
Reflection for March 15, Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, “Is he not the one they are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ? But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”
So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me. So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.
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Reflection:
Does Jesus fear death? Yes, He feared death, yet Jesus did not allow His fear of death to paralyze His movement and desire to do His salvific mission. He continued with His mission and became more creative in doing it until He reached His appointed time of arrest, persecution and death on the cross.
We see this in the gospel reading for today, Jesus did not want to travel to Judea for the reason that the Jews were planning to kill Him. But it was the feast of tabernacles, a sacred Jewish feast that He must observe. So, Jesus went albeit secretly and there He preached with passion as if there was no threat on His life.
Do you also have fears in your life? Whatever your fears are don’t let it paralyze you. You have to face it so that you could conquer and defeat it. If Jesus let His fear of death overcome Him. There would have been no triumphant death on the cross and there would have been no salvation for all of us.
When we face our fears we live our dreams and we are able to achieve great things for us and our fellowmen. Fear is an instrument of the devil to prevent us from achieving great things for us and for God. What are your fears? Ask Jesus to help you overcome it for He will surely help you. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita Marso 15, Biyernes sa Ikaapat na Linggo ng Kuwaresma: Juan 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
Sinabi ng ilang taga-Jerusalem, "Hindi ba ito ang taong gusto nilang patayin? Hayan! Lantaran siyang nagsasalita, ngunit wala silang sinasabi laban sa kanya! Baka naman nakilala ng mga pinuno na siya nga ang Mesias! Walang makaaalam kung saan magmumula ang Mesias pagparito niya, ngunit alam naman natin kung saan nagmula ang taong ito!"
Kaya't nang nasa templo si Jesus at nagtuturo, malakas niyang sinabi, "Ako ba'y nakikilala ninyo? Alam ba ninyo kung saan ako nagmula? Hindi ako naparito sa ganang akin lamang. Ang Totoo ang siyang nagsugo sa akin, ngunit hindi ninyo sila nakikilala. Nakikilala ko siya, sapagkat ako'y mula sa kanya, at siya ang nagsugo sa akin." Tinangka nilang dakpin siya; ngunit walang nangahas, sapagkat hindi pa niya oras.
Reflection for March 14, Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent: John 5:31-47
He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf.
But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life. “I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.
How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
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Reflection:
How do we testify our life as a follower of Jesus? The best testimony of a follower is how he/she lives his own life. Does he live his life with forgiveness, humility, simplicity, sacrifice, unconditional love and the like? Many of us call ourselves follower of Jesus but when it comes to forgiving those who’ve hurt us we cannot forgive.
If we cannot forgive those who’ve hurt us, then we are followers in name only. Sad to say, many of us are like that: followers in name only. On the aspect of humility, we can best testify that we are followers of Jesus when we don’t seek prominence and silently do our work for the Lord.
On the aspect of simplicity, Jesus is the supreme model of simplicity. He is content with whatever that He has Jesus did not desire expensive things and other appendages. Many of us live complicated lives for the simple reason that we live the life of this world rather than live the life of Jesus.
So, in the end we will find out that we have been living an empty life because we lived our life testifying for this world instead of testifying for the Lord. However, it’s not yet late to change this worldly life that we presently have we still can turn it around by living our life for the Lord and not for this world. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita Marso 14, Huwebes sa Ikaapat na Linggo ng Kuwaresma: John 5:31-47
Si Juan ay parang maningas na ilaw na nagliliwanag noon, at kayo'y sandaling nasiyahan sa kanyang liwanag. Ngunit may patotoo sa akin na higit sa patotoo ni Juan: ang mga gawaing ipinagagawa sa akin ng Ama, at siya ko namang ginaganap -- iyan ang patotoo na ako'y sinugo niya. At ang Amang nagsugo sa akin ay nagpapatotoo rin tungkol sa akin.
Kailanma'y hindi ninyo narinig ang kanyang tinig, at nakita ang kanyang anyo. Walang pitak sa inyong puso ang kanyang salita, sapagkat hindi kayo nananalig sa akin na sinugo niya. Sinasaliksik ninyo ang Kasulatan, sa paniwalang doon ninyo matatagpuan ang buhay na walang hanggan. Ang mga ito ang nagpapatotoo tungkol sa akin, ngunit ayaw naman ninyong lumapit sa akin upang kayo'y magkaroon ng buhay.
"Hindi ako naghahangad ng parangal ng mga tao. Ngunit kilala ko kayo; alam kong wala kayong pag-ibig sa Diyos. Naparito ako sa ngalan ng aking Ama, at ayaw ninyo akong tanggapin. Kung may ibang pumarito sa kanyang sariling pangalan, siya'y inyong tatanggapin. Ang hinahangad ninyo'y ang parangal ng isa't isa, at hindi ang parangal na nanggagaling sa iisang Diyos; paano kayong makapaniniwala?
Huwag ninyong isiping ako ang magsasakdal sa Ama laban sa inyo; si Moises na inaasahan ninyo ang siyang maghaharap ng sakdal laban sa inyo. Kung talagang pinaniniwalaan ninyo si Moises, ako'y paniniwalaan din sana ninyo, sapagkat sumulat siya tungkol sa akin. Ngunit kung hindi ninyo pinaniniwalaan ang mga sinulat niya, paano ninyong paniniwalaan ang mga sinasabi ko?"
Reflection for March 13, Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent: John 5:17-30
Jesus answered and said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.
“I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.”
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Reflection:
What does faith do to you? It makes you believe in something that is hard to believe for many.
In the gospel Jesus mentions of His equality with God. Do you believe it? If you do, count yourself as blessed for others do not believe. After believing in the equality of Jesus and God the Father, what should you do next? You must obey His teachings and help Him spread the good news of His salvation for this is His will for you.
As we journey in this world there would be instances that we would veer away from Jesus and disobey His commands. We would embrace the teachings of this world, we would embrace sin and in the process we slowly but surely are creating distance between us and Jesus.
But all is not lost no matter how despicable the sins that we have committed. The infinite love of Jesus is always there for us, it’s there for us to take and to ask for. Therefore, let us be aware of this infinite love and mercy of Jesus while we still have the luxury of time in this world. Let us go to Him and let us turn our backs from sin.
In the latter part of the gospel Jesus mentions about judgment that would befall those who have done evil. Let us not wait for that judgment to come to us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita Marso 13, Miyerkules sa Ikaapat na Linggo ng Kuwaresma: Juan 5:17-30
Reflection for March 12, Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent: John 5:1-16
The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me
into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else
gets down there before me. Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and
walk. Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.
Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who
was cured, “It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.
He answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and
walk. They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and
walk’?
The man who was healed did not know who it was for Jesus had
slipped away, since there was a crowd there. After this Jesus found him in the
temple area and said to him “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that
nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was
the one who had made him well. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus
because he did this on a sabbath.
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Reflection:
How does it feel to be sick? Those who got sick already
would answer that it doesn’t feel good to be sick for you feel weak and can’t
function properly. Absurd as it may sound but sickness is sometimes God’s gift
to us for it’s through our sickness that we get to know God more deeply. It’s
through our getting sick that we are reawakened of the presence of God. And
it’s through our getting sick the we learn how to pray more deeply.
The blind man in the gospel had this kind of experience. He
was beside the pool waiting for someone to help him immerse in the pool. He
didn’t know Jesus thus he did not ask Jesus to heal him. Jesus by Himself
desired to appear to this man and He healed him right there. If the man was not
sick Jesus would not have appeared to him.
It’s through our sickness often times that Jesus strongly
manifest Himself to us. Through our getting sick we get a clearer picture of
who Jesus is. If Jesus healed the man in the gospel without asking for it,
would He not heal us as well? We who know Him and we who always pray to
Him.
There's always a silver lining when we get sick, we may not
know it immediately but there's certainly a silver lining. And the silver
lining is to have that golden opportunity to know Jesus more deeply.
Do you always call on Jesus to heal you when you are sick? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita Marso 12, Martes sa Ikaapat na Linggo ng Kuwaresma: Juan 5:1-16
Ang maunang lumusong pagkatapos
makalawkaw ang tubig ay gumagaling, anuman ang kanyang karamdaman. Doon ay may
isang lalaking tatlumpu't walong taon nang may sakit, at siya'y nakita ni
Hesus. Alam nitong matagal nang may sakit ang lalaki. Tinanong siya ni Hesus,
"Ibig mo bang gumaling?" Sumagot ang maysakit, "Ginoo, wala pong
maglusong sa akin kapag nakalawkaw na ang tubig; patungo pa lamang ako roon ay
may nauuna na sa akin."
Sinabi sa kanya ni Jesus,
"Tumindig ka, dalhin mo ang iyong higaan, at lumakad ka." At
pagdaka'y gumaling ang lalaki, dinala ang kanyang higaan, at lumakad. Noo'y
Araw ng Pamamahinga. Kaya't sinabi ng mga Judio sa lalaking pinagaling,
"Araw ng Pamamahinga ngayon! Labag sa Kautusan na dalhin mo ang iyong
higaan." Ngunit sumagot siya, "Ang nagpagaling sa akin ang nagsabing
dalhin ko ang aking higaan at lumakad ako."
At siya'y tinanong nila, "Sino ang nagsabi sa iyong dalhin mo ang iyong higaan at lumakad ka?" Ngunit hindi nakilala ng lalaki kung sino ang nagpagaling sa kanya, sapagkat nawala na si Hesus sa karamihan ng tao. Pagkatapos, nakita ni Hesus sa loob ng templo ang lalaki at sinabihan, "Magaling ka na ngayon!
Huwag ka nang magkakasala at baka may mangyari sa iyo na lalo pang masama." Umalis ang lalaki at sinabi sa mga Judio na si Hesus ang nagpagaling sa kanya. Dahil dito, si Jesus ay sinimulang usigin ng mga Judio, sapagkat nagpagaling siya sa Araw ng Pamamahinga.
Thursday, March 07, 2024
Reflection for March 11, Monday of the Fourth Week in Lent: John 4:43-54
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death.
Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”
The father realized that just at that time
Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household
came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee
from Judea.
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Reflection:
The story is told about a woman who was praying to have a boyfriend she however did not get what she wanted from the Lord. So she did not pray anymore and permanently distanced herself from God. For the simple reason that she did not get what she was praying for.
For many of us miracles are very important anchor of our faith in Jesus. For example, the royal official’s son in the gospel who was cured by Jesus; he and his household believed immediately because his son was healed.
What if Jesus tested their faith? Would they still believe even if there was no occurrence of healing? Perhaps they will not, and then the father would have searched for someone else who could heal his son.
Our discipleship in Jesus or our faith in Jesus must not only be anchored on miracles alone. It must be based on our deep friendship with Him. Regardless if we’ve experienced miracles or not, immaterial if we gained material blessings or not we must continue to believe, follow and have faith in Him.
We have in Jesus a friend who will always
be honest with us. There will be times when He will say no to us. Let us not be
disheartened by these rejections from Him, for He always knows what’s best for
us. Let us remember that it’s not us who knows what is best for us; it’s always
Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita Marso 11, Lunes sa Ikaapat na Linggo ng Kuwaresma: Juan 4:43-54
Monday, March 04, 2024
Reflection for Sunday March 10, Fourth Sunday of Lent: John 3:14-21
Gospel: John 3:14-21
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the
verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the
light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be
exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may
be clearly seen as done in God.
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Reflection:
Why do some people decide to end their lives? There are many reasons, but perhaps one of those reasons is the lack of knowledge about the infinite love of God. If only they knew beforehand the encompassing love of God, they wouldn’t dare decide to end their lives.
This is the tragedy of our modern times: many of us strive to learn how to use high-tech smartphones, navigate social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and so forth. Yet, many also fail to exert any effort to understand the great love of God freely offered to each and every one of us
For instance, consider our Sunday Holy Mass obligation. If we attend Holy Mass with fidelity and devotion, the Holy Spirit will open our minds so that we may come to know the redemptive and salvific love of God. Unfortunately, many fail to prioritize this sacred Sunday Holy Mass obligation.
God’s love for us is encompassing. For example, if someone committed a mortal sin such as abortion or adultery. Does this make the person already unloved by God? The love of God is by no means constrained by our sins even mortal sins. For God’s love is always there for us, it’s ours to take, so to speak. We have to own this love of God that He freely gives to us.
What kind of love is this that God gives us so
freely? It is a salvific love and a redemptive love—a love that saves sinners
like you and me. Yes, we sin every so often, but our sins do not diminish the
salvific and redemptive love that God has for us.
During this season of Lent, let us wholeheartedly embrace the encompassing, salvific, and redemptive love of God by humbly submitting ourselves to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita para Linggo Marso 10, Ikaapat na Linggo ng Kuwaresma: Juan 3:14-21
Gayon na lamang ang pag-ibig ng Diyos sa sanlibutan, kaya ibinigay niya ang kanyang bugtong na Anak, upang ang sumampalataya sa kanya ay hindi mapahamak, kundi magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan. Sapagkat sinugo ng Diyos ang kanyang Anak, hindi upang hatulang maparusahan ang sanlibutan, kundi upang iligtas ito sa pamamagitan niya.
"Hindi hinahatulang maparusahan ang nananampalataya sa Anak ng Diyos; ngunit hinatulan nang parusahan ang hindi nananampalataya sa kanya. Hinatulan sila sapagkat naparito sa sanlibutan ang ilaw, ngunit inibig pa ng tao ang dilim kaysa liwanag, sapagkat masama ang kanilang mga gawa.
Ang gumagawa ng masama ay ayaw sa ilaw, at hindi lumalapit dito upang hindi mahayag ang kanyang mga gawa. Ngunit ang namumuhay sa katotohanan ay lumalapit sa ilaw; sa gayon, nahahayag na ang kanyang mga ginagawa'y pagsunod sa Diyos.
Reflection for March 9, Saturday of the Third Week of Lent: Luke 18:9-14
I fast twice
a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off
at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast
and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went
home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and
the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
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Reflection:
Have you
tried practicing the virtue of humility? When you practice humility all things
will be alright with you. For example, you will not anymore harbor resentment
and anger towards anyone and your day will be free from any form of
stress.
You will have
a positive disposition, you will be able to accept whatever that may come to
you even humiliation and trials no matter how severe. Your fellowmen will
silently look up to you and admire you without you noticing it.
Humility
therefore is like an effective medicine that cures us: it cures us of our
arrogance, our need for attention and most importantly it brings us an
awareness of our own sinfulness and our need to get close and be forgiven by
God.
In the
gospel, Jesus gives us the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector that
went to the temple to pray. The tax collector obviously wants to live a new
life, and he wants to be reconciled with God. Moreover, he obviously wants to
be cured of his sinfulness that’s why he humbly submitted himself to God and
God did not disappoint the tax collector.
We have
everything to gain and nothing to lose if we decide to imbibe and live
humility. We will have a positive disposition, we will have peace and
contentment and most importantly we will gain the forgiveness of our merciful
God.
Are we ready to abandon ourselves to God by humbly acknowledging our own sinfulness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation? – Marino J. Dasmarinas