Reflection for April 29, Friday, Saint Catherine of Siena; Virgin and Doctor of the Church, John 15:12-17

Gospel: John 15:12-17

Jesus said to his disciples: “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”

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Reflection:

What if we follow this commandment of Jesus about love?

There would be no more hatred and separation amongst married couples but only love. But the sad reality is we choose to turn a deaf ear to this love commandment of Jesus. For the simple reason that we love ourselves more than we love Jesus and our fellowmen.

There’s a saying that before we could give love we must love ourself first. For how could we know how to give love if we have not experienced loving ourselves first? However this statement does not jibe on how Jesus interprets love or on how Jesus gives the truest meaning of love.

For Jesus to love is not to love oneself first, to love is to lay down ones life for the beloved, for Jesus to love is to forgive the many hurts that has been hurled at you by your beloved. For at the end of the day if we love the way Jesus loves us what would remain in us is love no hatred but only love.

But how do we love? We love selectively and we love with measure, we calibrate the love that we give by the love that we receive. And we oftentimes do not love our fellowmen when they do not fulfil our selfish expectation for them.

Let us love without condition and let us love without expecting love in return.  -  Marino J. Dasmarinas     

Reflection for April 28 Thursday of Fifth Week of Easter, John 15:9-11

Gospel: John 15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”

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Reflection:

What makes marriage last forever? It’s love! Not love according to the meaning of this world but love according to the love of Jesus.  Unfortunately many of us express our love according to this world. Not the kind of love that Jesus mentions to us in the gospel. 

Otherwise if the love that binds a couple together in the sacrament of marriage is like the love of Jesus. There would be no divorce or separation amongst couples.

The word love has been devalued by the people of this modern world. Who is the culprit? No other than us! We have lowered to the gutter the word love because we’ve not been faithful to Jesus this is also the reason why we don’t feel the love of Jesus.

Let us go back and revisit the meaning of love as Jesus meant it to be in the sacrament of Marriage.

Here goes: For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for April 27 Wednesday of Fifth Week of Easter, John 15:1-8

Gospel: John 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

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Reflection:

There’s a story of two neighbors: one has a bright and positive disposition in life the other one was always gloomy and negative in whatever aspects of life that he deals with. Delving deeper into their lifestyles, the positive one always makes it a point to go to Mass and he has a daily prayer life. The other one is an atheist or a non believer.

Jesus says in the gospel that he is the true vine and God is his vine grower, he tells us to remain in him so that he will remain in us and we will bear much fruit if we will always be with him (John:4).

If we will observe the lives of our fellowmen we will obviously notice that those who have incorporated a lifestyle that is always attuned and connected with God regardless of his religious affiliations and social standing are those that live serene lives. Those who refuse to get connected with God because of their hubris are those that lead complicated and problematic lives.

As we traverse this temporary life it is a must that that we are always with our true vine that is Jesus. Of course there will be problems, disappointments, even sufferings for all of these are part and parcel of our life. Amidst all of these Jesus is always there to help us, to strengthen us and to make our burdens light us.

Do you always see to it that you are always connected with Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for April 26 Tuesday of Fifth Week of Easter John 14:27-31a

Gospel: John 14:27-31a

Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”

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Reflection:

Do you allow the peace of Jesus to reign in your heart?

There are cynical people whose thoughts are always on the negative side of life. They always have their own negative interpretations for every incident that happens. For us believers regardless of what unfolds we will be calm and always at peace because we have Jesus. There may be incidents that will temporarily jolt us but after a while we will be back to our normal peaceful selves.

In the gospel Jesus told his disciples: “I leave with you; my peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid (John 14:27).

 In this gospel episode Jesus is telling his disciples that whatever things that may happen to him in the unfolding days. They need to be calm and peaceful because he is still with them. The invincible presence of Jesus within them gives them calmness and peace. Calmness and peace that this world could not give them.  

The peace that Jesus gives is something that you will also experience. If you’re always connected with Jesus by means of frequent attendance at Mass, frequent reception of the Body of Christ,  frequent and humble submission to the Sacrament of Confession and through your regular prayer life.

Do you have peace in your life? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for Sunday April 24, Fifth Sunday of Easter; John 13:31-33a, 34-35

Gospel: John 13:31-33a, 34-35

When Judas had left them, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

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Reflection:

A Wife was distraught upon discovering that her husband had fathered a child outside of their marriage. She confronted him, the husband admitted his sin and asked for forgiveness but she never forgave him for what he did.

There’s an absence of true love in this story otherwise the wife could have forgiven the  betrayal of her husband. And they could have started afresh as if nothing happened. But such is our attitude we oftentimes harbor in our hearts hatred instead of love and forgiveness.

When Jesus told the apostles to love one another He meant that their love for each other must be like His love for them. And what is the love of Jesus? It’s a love that forgives, a love that is not dependent on the love that it receives. A love that doesn’t count the cost of loving and a love that is very much willing sacrifice. 

Perhaps, what Jesus wants to convey to us is we should try our very best to love as He loves. To love without counting the cost of loving and to love by being ready to suffer for the person that we love.

But some of us may say that this kind of love doesn’t fit anymore our modern times where love and sex is not anymore regarded with sacredness. Where forgiveness and martyrdom for the person that we love is not anymore part of the vocabulary of the many young people of today.  

When you love as Jesus loves you would also be willing to forgive no matter how deep the wound that it caused you. You would be willing to bury the past and let bygones be bygones. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for April 23, Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter; John 14:7-14

Gospel: John 14:7-14

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

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Reflection:

One of my fondest memories about my father (Victor O. Dasmarinas Sr.) was when I was around seven to ten years old. He would bring me to church especially during holy week and I would hear him acting as the narrator during Palm Sunday, Good Friday and sometimes during the station of the cross he would also act as one of the readers and sometimes apostle. He had a booming voice which I have inherited.

 Whenever I go for a vacation in our province whenever my friends and relatives would see me they would always say that they are reminded of my father because of how I look. I would always reply with a thank you and with a smile in return.

In the gospel Philip said to Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9).” The two personalities or the Trinity is revealed by Jesus him and God the Father and they are acting as one person. Jesus further told them whoever believes in me will do the works that I do (John 14:12).

There is a great responsibility on us when we say that we are followers of Christ because Jesus tells us that if we are a believer we must do the works that he did in other words we must emulate him if we profess to be His followers.

If we are true followers of Jesus we have no other choice but to do His works in the process we will be closer to Him. And whenever others would see us they will be reminded of Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for April 22, Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter; John 14:1-6

Gospel: John 14:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

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Reflection:

There were two old individuals who were near death one was a believer the other was not. The non believer was deeply troubled on what will happen to his soul when he dies. The believer was very calm and was even looking forward already to see God.

In the gospel Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places (John 14:1-2).”

There are those who dread the mere mention of death as if it’s a plague that needs to be avoided. But no matter how hard we avoid death we cannot escape it because it’s a certain fact of life. It’s a passage to the next life.

If our faith is in Jesus we need not be troubled by death anymore because we have our own dwelling place specially reserved for us in heaven. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for April 21, Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter; John 13:16-20

Gospel: John 13:16-20

When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

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Reflection:

Are you afraid of sufferings and betrayal? In His humanity Jesus was also afraid of sufferings and betrayal. But His fears did not prevent Him from achieving His salvific mission. It even further strengthened His resolve to move-on amidst the difficulty of His mission. Jesus never gave-up no matter how hard the odds against Him for He knew that He had a mission to achieve.

Marriage starts like a rose garden it seems that everything is rosy and sweet. But after a period of time problems will crop-up, there shall be sufferings and betrayal of vows. So what must we do? Should we simply walk-away with our heads bowed in defeat? Or we stay, bear the sufferings/betrayal and fight for the sanctity of the marriage covenant.

We must stay and fight for the sanctity of the marriage covenant. Let us remember that Jesus remained with His mission notwithstanding the sufferings and betrayals. What if Jesus simply gave-up and walked-away from His mission of salvation? Anyway He’s God and powerful but He remained for His love for God and for all of us.

Many married couples nowadays choose the easy way out when testing comes to their marriage. They choose to betray and eventually walk-away from their marriage covenant. They simply walk-away notwithstanding their sacred vows and the welfare of their children.

Jesus never walked-away from His responsibilities, sufferings and betrayals, He faced it all and triumphed over it! – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for April 20, Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter; John 12:44-50

Gospel: John 12:44-50

Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.  And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”

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Reflection:

Do you know somebody who is sinful? Don’t give up on that sinful person continue to stretch your patience and pray for his/her conversion.

There are countless stories of conversion in the scripture/bible and foremost of these is the conversion story of Saul. Saul or Saint Paul was formerly the number one persecutor of the church. He in fact had a hand in the killing of many followers of Jesus yet Jesus did not judge Saul. In His infinite wisdom and mercy Jesus converted Saul/Paul to become the number one propagator of the Christian faith to the gentiles.   

What is the message of these conversion stories for us? The message is, there is hope for all of us no matter how sinful we are and no matter how grave the sins that we have committed there is still hope for us! Jesus even said: for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world (John 12:47).

Jesus is not interested on the sins that you have committed He is rather very much interested in your conversion so that He could change you to become His follower. He is interested to bring you to the light so that you will become also His light for others.

                                                

This is your mission in this world to become bearer of Jesus’ light.  Do you open yourself to this desire of Jesus for you? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for April 19, Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter; John 10:22-30

Gospel: John 10:22-30

The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter. And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

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Reflection:

How can we make others believe in Jesus as our Messiah/Savior? We have to share our faith in Jesus and we have to live His teachings. For example, if we say that we follow Jesus what comes after that is an honest to goodness self-examination about ourselves. Are we humble? Are we forgiving? Are we simple?

In our gospel for this Tuesday, the Jews gathered around Jesus and they said to HIM, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly (John 10:24)." They’re obviously unbelievers/non-followers, yes they know Jesus but they don’t believe in Jesus.

From the time of Jesus let us fast forward today; our present technology driven times. Many are still unbelievers today, yes they know Jesus but it ends there. There’s no personal relationship with Jesus and there’s no living faith in Jesus. What are we going to do about this?

The challenge before us all is so plain and so simple, we have to learn to share and live our faith in Jesus. So that those who don’t believe may now believe and those who don’t have faith will now have faith.

Will you share your faith in Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for April 18, Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter; John 10:1-10

Gospel: John 10:1-10

Jesus said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” Although Jesus used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

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Reflection:

There is a story of a poor family the husband had an ordinary low paying job and the wife was a simple housewife they had six (6) children. Because of the meager salary of the husband they could barely survive and they always borrow money from their relatives.

Despite of their poor financial standing this family was faithful to the church; they would always observe their Sunday obligation. The parents taught their children the values of the faith; the mother would always lead in the prayer of the Holy Rosary and the father would always be there to join them.

Eventually all of their children became very successful in their respective field of endeavors and they’ve given back the love and guidance that their parents gave them. Obviously the parents were Good shepherds for they brought their children to the gate of life that is the church.

Jesus in the gospel tells the crowd including the Pharisees that He is the good shepherd that desires only the best for them. Jesus also tells them that He is the gate of life but they did not believe Him.

It was said that:  “The proof of the pudding is in the eating” Thus unlike the Pharisees we know for a fact that Jesus is really our Good Shepherd. We believe and feel in our heart this declaration of  Jesus. He desires nothing for us but our wellbeing; we also know that He is our only gateway towards life beyond this world and without Him in our lives there would be no life beyond this world.

There are still many who do not know about Jesus as the Good Shepherd, there are still many who do not know that Jesus is the gateway to life beyond this world. Their gateway is the material things of this world and the lies and fleeting happiness that Satan offers them through this world.

Let us spread the word about the real Good Shepherd and Gateway no other than Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

1Reflection for Sunday April 17, fourth Sunday of Easter; John 10:27-30

Gospel: John 10:27-30

Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

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Reflection:

Do you still remember when you were a child? Your mother and father would always shepherd or guide you. They were always there for you in everything that you need to do and know. Then as you grow-up you slowly detached yourself from their guidance because you feel that you are already capable of guiding yourself and charting your own course. 

But as you encounter difficulties in your life you would always return to them to once again seek their guidance even ask for their help and they would always be there for you. This is a testament of your parent’s great love for you. You fall down yet your parents would always be there to help you get-up on your feet and shepherd you once again.

Jesus our good shepherd is very much like our parents. He is always there for us to guide and mold us for us to become what He wants us to be. But there comes a time that we want independence from Jesus, we want to do things our way even if it’s against the will of God.

So by our desire to do things our way we also mire ourselves in sin. But let us not forget that Jesus our good shepherd is always there for us. Ever ready to forgive us, ever ready to guide and shepherd us again. Jesus our good shepherd will not condemn us what He always offers us is  His love and forgiveness.  

Let us not detach ourselves anymore from the shepherding of Jesus for it’s only through Him that we can obtain salvation in this world. It’s only through Him that we could have peace in this world.  Let us continue to hear His voice through the homily of the priest. Through daily reading of His words in the bible/scripture and through the many well meaning commentaries of those who write and speak for Him.

Who is shepherding you right now? If it’s Jesus you are blessed and you’re peaceful. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for April 16, Saturday of the Third Week of Easter; John 6:60-69

Gospel: John 6:60-69

Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

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Reflection:

When many of the followers of Jesus went back to their former way of life because they couldn’t believe that He is the Bread of Life. Jesus perhaps quite sad turned His attention to His twelve apostles and said to them: “Do you also want to leave (John 6:67)?” This is the million dollar question that confronted the twelve apostles, “Do you also want to leave (John 6:67)?”

For many of us the teachings of Jesus are actually hard to follow. For example His teachings about Humility. How many of us are still willing to offer the other cheek if we are hit on the other side(Luke 6:29)?

 His teachings about fidelity to the Sacrament of Marriage. Are we still faithful or have we been faithful to our respective spouses? And there are many more teachings that Jesus wants us to follow but we don’t for the simple reason that we want to satisfy our earthly desires.

We see, it’s hard to follow Jesus because He will stir our lives according to what He wants it to become. Jesus will turn our life upside down, He will shake and disturb it until we are purified. And this is hard for us for the simple reason that we want to follow our own self-serving wants and sometimes immoral desires.

But where would we go? We follow the dictates of this sinful world? if this is so we then end up in hell, we will even taste and feel how it is to be in hell while we are still living in this world.    

it’s only through Jesus that we can have peace, that this world cannot give us and it’s only through Jesus that we can have eternal life. The things that we have right now are all temporary; we will leave it or it will leave us anytime.

Will you also leave Jesus?  – Marino J. Dasmarinas    

Reflection for April 15, Friday of the Third Week of Easter; John 6:52-59

Gospel: John 6:52-59

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

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Reflection:

A man was on the verge of death, he was already gasping for breath. His doctors told his relatives that it was just a matter of minutes before he expires. During such situation relatives and close friends would seemingly be helpless and forlorn.

But no, we will not feel helpless if we know that the person on his deathbed is a frequent Holy Mass goer. And if we know that the person is frequently being nourished by the Body of Christ during Holy Communion.

 This is for the reason that we believe to the core of our bones the proclamation of Jesus that whoever eats His Flesh and drinks His blood has eternal life.

We hold on to this assurance by Jesus and we feel and believe this as we receive His Body and Blood during Holy Communion. But not everyone is knowledgeable of this Bread of Life which is none other than Jesus Himself.

It is therefore our responsibility now to echo this gift of life of Jesus so that many will be enlightened and saved. Let us not become hearers only let us also become sharers of this good news.

Will you share what you know about the Bread of Life which you receive at Holy Mass during Holy Communion? – Marino J. Dasmarinas