Reflection for January 29, Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 4:21-25

Gospel: Mark 4:21-25

Jesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear. He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

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Reflection:

Do you take time to share what you know about God? Do you live the faith that God has given you? Our knowledge and faith about God will further blossom if we learn to share it. We will  also grow in faith as we care to share it. But have we thought of sharing God?

Sometimes we are afraid to share God because many of the population of today are not anymore centered on God. They are more centered on how they could earn a living, centered on the material side of this world and how to survive in this world. But what kind of people are we growing if they will be more focused on this world than God?   

Jesus in our gospel mentions about a lamp that must not be hidden under a bed for it will have no use at all! Jesus mentions about a lamp that is put in a lampstand so that it will serve as a guiding light where others could gain wisdom and enlightenment from it.

Your knowledge about God and your faith is the lamp of your life. You must not keep it to yourself! You must share and live it so others would be enlightened by it! There are people who don’t know God because there are people who don’t care to share and live what they know about God.

Therefore, bring the lighted lamp of Jesus into your own environment and bring the lamp of Jesus into your own family. So that they could be enlightened and transformed by Jesus, this you will do with utmost humility. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Mag alay po tayo ng panalangin para sa mahigit na apatnapung BAYANING PULIS ng PNP-SAF na pumanaw sa Maguindanao.

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Reflection for January 28, Wednesday; Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor; Mark 4:1-20

Gospel: Mark  4:1-20

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them,  “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.  Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered them, “The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.”

Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no roots; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

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Reflection:

Are you open to hear or read the words of Jesus? The word of Jesus are the seed that He sows in our hearts. We can read this when we open our bible, when we go to Holy Mass and when we hear or read commentaries about the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some of us hear or read this good news of Jesus when we are burdened by our problems. Then after our problems have been solved we once again distance ourselves from the words of God. We only treat God like a commodity that we only use when we are in need. Thus the words of God does not bear fruit in our hearts and we also do not become fruitful followers of Jesus.

How could we become fruitful followers of Jesus? It’s when we read, hear and share His words. It’s when we allow the words of God to bear much fruit in our hearts that it transforms us to become a person with a new mindset soundly grounded upon the words of God. Thus we become the rich soil that Jesus mentions in the gospel (Mark 4:20)

There are people who allow themselves to be transformed by the seeds or the words of God. For example from being bad they become good, from being irresponsible they now become responsible, and from being corrupt they become incorruptible. Why? This is for the reason that they allowed God’s words to work miracles in their life!

How about you? Will you allow the words/seeds of God to heal and transform you?  – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for January 27, Tuesday; Third Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 3:31-35

Gospel: Mark 3:31-35

The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you. But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and my brothers? And looking around at those seated in the circle he said “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

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Reflection:

In what way could we become a relative of Jesus? It’s when we do acts of mercy and compassion toward anyone in need. It’s when we help Jesus spread His good news of salvation to others most especially to those who have not heard yet of His gospel message.

To do good to our blood relatives is already a given fact of life. We help them because we are connected with them by consanguinity or through common family tree. Jesus in our gospel wants to stretch further our acts of mercy and compassion He wants us not to limit these acts of mercy and compassion to our own family circle only!

Say for example what if Jesus would ask us, could you also give the same help to a complete stranger in need? The same help that you would normally give to your blood relative/s? This is very difficult to do: To give help to a stranger with the same amount of help that we would normally do to our blood relative/s.

Nonetheless, this is the challenge for all of us if we want to be called a relative of Jesus: We must help anyone in need! In hindsight, why did Jesus said that whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother? Perhaps the purpose of which is to measure our desire to become a relative of Jesus.

Come to think of it, who wouldn’t want to become a relative of Jesus? Of course we all want! Therefore we must do good at all times to anyone and we must extend help to anyone for this is the will of God for us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for January 26, Monday; Sts.Timothy and Titus, Bishops; Mark 3:22-30

Gospel: Mark 3:22-30

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin. For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.

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Reflection:

What is the antidote to evil possession or who can defeat the devil? It’s no other than Jesus only Jesus can defeat the devil. As time progress the devil also progresses; before we only attribute the presence of the devil to evil possession.

 But not anymore today! The devil of today doesn’t only present itself by way of evil possession. It presents itself in manifold ways such as: greed, lust enslavement to the modernity of time and so forth. Who can defeat the devil today? It’s still Jesus the same Jesus that defeated the devil in our gospel.   

Jesus doesn’t change He is the same Jesus yesterday, today and tomorrow. His power to defeat the devil is still present today as it was present yesterday. But do we allow Jesus to dwell in our lives? Do we still have time for Him in this era of high-technology and high-definition gadgets?  

We must at all times give time for Jesus so that we could always ward off the devil from our midst. If you always have Jesus in your life you give no room for the devil to dwell in your life.

Do you give time for Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for Sunday January 25, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time; Mark 1:14-20

Gospel: Mark 1:14-20

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.

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Reflection:

What is the prerequisite in following Jesus? Its repentance and belief in His gospel message, we cannot follow without repentance and firm belief in His gospel message.

 When Simon, Andrew, James and John responded to His call they did not simply respond. Along with their response to Jesus came their desire to repent. They also did not only leave behind them their livelihood and families they also left behind their sinfulness or anything that made them sin.

When the four of them went along with Jesus to become fishers of men they were already renewed by Jesus. They were also equipped by Jesus with practically anything that they would be needing as they go about their mission.

What is the relevance of the gospel to us and to our faith life? We too are being called by Jesus to a life of renewal and repentance. We too are being called by Jesus to follow Him and become fishers of men. Why does Jesus calls us to a life of renewal and repentance? This is for the reason that we are all sinners, no one of us is sinless.

The recent visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines was not only a visit per se. It was also a clarion call for all of us for a life of renewal and repentance. Hundreds and millions of us went to the streets to see the Pope and to greet him. What now after that encounter with Pope Francis?

Let us not waste our encounter with the Pope by doing nothing let us allow it to move us towards our renewal and repentance. The visit of the Pope was also Jesus' direct call to all of us to follow Him so that we too could become His instruments of renewal and repentance by doing so we become fishers of men too!    

To positively respond to Jesus' call of repentance and belief in His gospel message is the best action that we could ever do to our life.

What are we going to do to this call of Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for January 24, Saturday; St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor; Mark 3:20-21

Gospel: Mark 3:20-21

Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.

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Reflection:

What happens when we get to serious with our vocation for the Lord? They normally would label us as someone who is out of his/her mind. For example when we prioritize God over money, when we shun friends even relatives from our environment friends/relatives who do not bring us any good. and instead we focus our time and energy  for the glory of God. They would really label us as somebody who is out of his/her mind.

But come to think of it, who is out of his/her mind? Those who focus their time and energy for the greater glory of God or those who focus their time and energy to this world only? If you focus your attention to this world what will happen to you when you die? Where will you end up if you allow yourself to be possessed by this world?  

Jesus was labeled as out of His mind for the reason that He was very zealous in His mission for the Lord. He allowed Himself to be possessed by His mission for the Lord rather than embrace worldliness.

There really are people who will not understand us for the things that we do for the greater glory of God. We must move on nevertheless and continue doing our mission for Jesus. Let us just pray for the enlightenment of those who do not understand or refuse to understand what we do for the Lord.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for January 23, Friday of the Second Week; Mark 3:13-19

Gospel: Mark 3:13-19

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons: He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee,and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

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Reflection:

What is the relevance of the selection of the twelve apostles to you? It reminds you that you also have a mission for the propagation of the faith. You may say, I know nothing about the faith therefore I can do nothing for I know nothing.

The twelve that was chosen by Jesus know nothing also about the faith; many of them were in fact laborers and sinners. Yet they were called by Jesus to follow Him. Therefore to say that you know nothing is not an excuse because you will know if you will only try to know something about the faith.

Jesus will not fail you He will even equip you so that from knowing nothing you will now know something. And this something that Jesus will give you will soon grow if you will continue to respond to His call.  

Be not afraid to respond, be not afraid to dive into the deep waters of our faith for Jesus will always be with you. Begin your mission in your family first which is your domestic church. Gently evangelize them about Jesus and about our Roman Catholic faith through your healing words and actions. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for January 22, Thursday of the Second Week; Mark 3:7-12

Gospel: Mark 3:7-12

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” He warned them sternly not to make him known.

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Reflection:

Do you always go to Jesus in prayer everyday? It’s is a must for all of us believers so that He could always bless and heal us.  If we will not sought Jesus, to where would we go? We go after the ephemeral riches that this world is always offering us?  

Until we become hooked to the many temporal offerings of this world. Then slowly but surely the devil will see to it that he gets hold of us as we go after the many tempting offerings of this world.

In our gospel people from all over the place went after Jesus because they knew that only Jesus could heal and help them. They sought Jesus like a priceless diamond so that they could be healed of their many sickness.

Let us learn from them by seeking Jesus as well in everyday of our life through our prayers, our presence at Holy Mass and other forms of devotions that will show our deep love for Jesus.  Let us not wait for the time that we are already sick before we embrace Jesus.

Let us go to Him now so that as we go on with our journey in this world we will have Jesus journeying also with us by our side. And as He journeys with us He will surely see to it that He will always be there for us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for January 21, Wednesday Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr; Mark 3:1-6

Gospel: Mark 3:1-6

Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

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Reflection:

Do you always help when you see somebody in need of help? Or you sometimes make excuses so that you would not be obliged to help. Like pretending not to see anyone who is in need of your help. For example you see a poor man who is in dire need of help, what are you going to do to that poor man? Pretend not to see his obvious need of help?

When Jesus went to the synagogue there was this man with a withered hand. He did not ask Jesus for help but Jesus knew that he needed help so Jesus called him and right after restored his withered hand.

All of us also encounter people who are in need of our help. Perhaps many of us simply pretend not to see them for we don’t want to be disturbed. But there are those who would proactively go out of their way to give help even if they are not asked and these people are like Jesus and they have the heart of Jesus.

Let us always be proactive when we give help and let us always be sensitive to their needs. For there really are people who will not ask for help even if they obviously need help. They will simply leave everything in the hands of God and keep silent in the midst of their agony and distress. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for January 20, Tuesday of the Second Week; Mark 2:23-28

Gospel: Mark  2:23-28

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to him “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath? He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest  and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions? Then he said to them “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

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Reflection:

Why was Jesus so popular with the common people of His time? Because He violates some religious norms for the greater good of the people that He loves so dearly.  For example the picking of grain during Sabbath day, doing this was prohibited based on the Jewish religion. But Jesus dared to violate this law for the good of His disciples.

Laws or religious norms are good for the reason that it will teach us obedience and discipline. But there are times that we have to violate it so that it could serve a higher and nobler purpose. In the gospel the nobler or higher purpose why Jesus violated the Sabbath law was to feed the hungry stomachs of His disciples.

Jesus violated the Sabbath law for the reason that humans are more important that laws. We  can amend a law or extinguish the life of a law but are we willing to extinguish the life of a human being to serve the law?

In a deeper sense Jesus is teaching us that the important need of a person (In this case the need for food) is far more important than any law. For Jesus it’s always the good of His followers than the observance of any kind of religious law/s.

This norm of Jesus stands until today we are His priority more than any other rule/law in this world. How about us, is Jesus our priority more than any other undertaking in this world? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for January 19, Monday of the Second Week; Mark 2:18-22

Gospel: Mark 2:18-22

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast? Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

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Reflection:

What is Jesus desire for you? It’s to transform you so that you could become fresh wineskin so that He could pour Himself into you. Jesus is the new wine and you are the old wineskin but Jesus doesn’t want you to become old wineskin which cannot accept His renewing presence. He wants you to be renewed or to be the fresh wineskin so that He could come into your life.

What makes us old wineskins or what makes us unworthy for the presence of Jesus? It’s our many sins, these many sins makes us unworthy to Jesus. Nevertheless, Jesus is also offering Himself to us so that he could cleanse us and make us new once again

Will you let Jesus into your life so that He could make things new for you? Or you will continue to shut your heart to Jesus? The choice is yours, if you want to remain contained in the old wineskin of sin or you allow Jesus to renew you and liberate you  from sin.

The correct choice is always to allow Jesus entry into your life and to allow Jesus to make things new in your life once again. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for Sunday January 18, Feast of the Sto.Nino; Mark 10:13-16

Gospel: Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “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.” Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

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Reflection:

There were two best friends who grew-up and eventually grew old still in constant touch with each other. When they were already in their seventies they were sharing stories about their children. Best friend number one (1) was so proud of her children for they became very successful in their respective careers and family life. Best friend number one’s children were also very loving and caring towards their parents.

Best friend number two’s children were the complete opposite of the children of best friend number one (1). Best friend number two’s children had unstable jobs and their respective married life was in turmoil.

While the two best friends were conversing, best friend number two told best friend number one: “I envy you for your children have very good and fulfilled life, while my children have no decent life that they could speak of.

All of us want our children to grow up like the children of best friend number one (1). Successful in their respective careers and family life and caring and loving to their parents as well. What is the key here? The key is to bring your children to Jesus.

In our gospel when Jesus saw His disciples preventing the children from going toward Him He scolded them and told them: “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Mark 10:14).

When you bring your children to Jesus great things will happen to them as they grow up. Great not because they will become very rich materially, great because they will grow up being blessed and guided by Jesus.

Can you imagine the great blessings that your children will receive if you would always bring them with you to attend Holy Mass? Can you imagine the spiritual blessing that your children will receive if you would introduce them about the life and teachings of Jesus through the bible? They will grow up to become responsible and God loving children, they will become children that will love and take care of their parents.

Do you always bring your children to Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Welcome Pope Francis!