Reflection for Friday March 10, First Week of Lent: Matthew 5:20-26

Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

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Reflection:

What is the antidote to sin or what could defeat sin or hatred? Its humility, forgiveness and love. For example if you sin against your spouse the cure for this sin is to humble yourself before your spouse. You do this by  saying, I’m sorry for hurting you or  I’m sorry for betraying your trust.

If your spouse loves you dearly you can expect forgiveness, the mitigating factor here is  your humility to admit your offense or sin. But not everyone is willing to say, I’m sorry for to admit ones mistake or to say I’m sorry is one  of the hardest words to say. But if there’s humility in us we would not think twice to apologize for this will once again heal the relationship.

But the paradox is, we are quick to sin yet we are not quick to apologize  or some are not even willing to apologize. And this lack of humility on our part creates bigger trouble/s in our married relationship or any other kind of relationship for that matter.

In our gospel Jesus is teaching us about humility and to have the courage to admit our own mistakes or shortcomings (Matthew 5:23-25). Why? Because if we are willing to humble ourselves and if we have the courage to admit our own sinfulness. We therefore save ourselves from further trouble/s but if we continue to be dominating and arrogant then trouble/s would always be with us.

Would we be willing to humbly apologize to somebody whom we have offended? To reach-out or to apologize is hard to do but it’s also a redemptive experience for it will set us free from the bondage of guilt.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Thursday March 9, First Week of Lent: Matthew 7:7-12

Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12

Jesus said to his disciples: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.”

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Reflection:

Do you always pray to the Good Lord?

You always open yourself to God’s unfathomable graces when you ask Him, when you seek Him and when you knock on His heart. These actions are signs of your humility before God and you recognize God’s superiority over you and you signify your need of Him.

Those who deeply believe would eternally ask Jesus, eternally seek Jesus and eternally knock on the heart of Jesus. They will never stop even if Jesus seems to be deaf to their pleadings. Why?  This is for the reason that they have an inherent need of God.

When God created us, He created us with an app to need Him yet many of us have the tendency to disregard it for the reason that we think that we can exist in this world without Him. But the truth of the matter is we cannot peacefully exists in this world without God!

God is good all the time if you ask and He doesn't give it to you yet. If you seek and you have not found it yet and if you knock and the door has not been opened for you yet. Dont give up, continue to storm the heavens with your prayers.

Soon enough, God will grant your heart’s desire, for the key to have what you want is in not giving up no matter how hard and gloomy the road that lies ahead. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Wednesday March 8, First Week of Lent: Luke 11:29-32

Gospel: Luke 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

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Reflection:

How would you react if somebody tells you to mend your ways and repent from all of your sinfulness? Will you not feel insulted and antagonized? You'll feel insulted and antagonized because the call for you to mend your ways is prophetic and true.

We get angry when others tell us to repent and walk away from all of our sinfulness but why get angry when they are telling the truth? Why get angry when those who are telling us to mend our ways are only concerned for our own wellbeing? 

Many listened to Jesus  but many did not listen as well. In fact very few listened to Jesus among the high and mighty because they loved sin more than the wise counsel of Jesus.   Isn’t this happening to us today? We love sin (disguised as pleasure/s) more than listen to Jesus?

This is the paradox of our high-technology driven time today. Many of us today listen more to our high-tech gadgets than listen to Jesus by reading His words. Many of us have more time with our earthy undertakings than have our important quite time with Jesus. What will happen to us if we are like this?

Let us listen more to Jesus and let us listen to His call of repentance. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Tuesday March 7, First Week of Lent: Matthew 6:7-15

Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15

(Jesus said to his disciples) “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This is how you are to pray:

‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’

“If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

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Reflection:

How do you pray? Do you pray with a set of structured prayer such as the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be and many other prayers? Nothing is wrong with these prayers for it brings you closer to God. What is important is, when you pray you dive inside your prayer this means that your whole being is in communion with your prayer.

There is no wrong with our spontaneous/personal prayers for these are prayers that originate deep in our hearts.  Our whole beings are with our prayer, and by doing so we establish our connection with the Good Lord.

So we know how to pray and that is very good! But let us think about the many others who do not know how to pray (There are many of them). Perhaps we can make it our mission in life to teach them how to pray and in the process introduce them to Jesus.

Let us do something about this and let us also share this prayer that was taught by Jesus to His disciples. We become productive followers of Jesus when we pay forward whatever we know about Jesus most especially this prayer that HE taught us to pray.

Have you shared the Our Father prayer? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Monday March 6, First Week of Lent: Matthew 25:31-46

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

(Jesus said to his disciples) "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you? And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me. Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs? He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me. And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

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Reflection:

Do you want to attract God’s blessing upon you? You have to do what Jesus commands you in the gospel. Jesus tells you to give food to the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, give clothes to the naked, take care of the sick and visit the imprisoned.

Jesus is teaching us to discard the me first mentality for so many of us have this me first mindset. What would you feel if you do away with the me first mindset? You would be free from the bondage of greed and selfishness which by the way is an instrument of the devil.

Life in this world is temporary you therefore have to make worthy decisions and actions that would impact the lives of your fellowmen. Never be concerned of your own life for God will take care of it for you.

The gospel tells us that there will be judgment and separation amongst those who followed and did not follow the will of God. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 5, First Sunday of Lent; Matthew 4:1-11

Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread." He said in reply, "It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."

Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Jesus answered him, "Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me." At this, Jesus said to him, "Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve."

Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

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Reflection:

Do you fight temptation when it comes to you or you allow it to conquer you?

Thinking that he would be able to temp Jesus the devil said: "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread." Jesus rebuked the devil and said in reply, "It is written: 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Jesus was in control even if he was hungry. Relating this with the many temptations that comes to us, how easily do we loss control of our minds and values when we are tempted by  the devil? We have to remember that we begin to commit sin the moment we allow the devil to temp us.  

On the second temptation: how often do we dare God to do this and that for us so that we would believe in Him. We should not dare test God, we simply have to believe even without seeing what we believe for it is an  indication of steadfast faith.  

The third temptation is towards material things like money and material possessions. Isn’t that sometimes we worship money? Money per se doesn't make us sin; it’s our greed for money that transforms us to become sinful.

During this lent we will surely be encountering many temptations from the devil. We simply have to refuse every temptation that the devil dangles before us no matter how attractive. Otherwise we allow the devil to control us and that is very dangerous. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for March 4, Saturday after Ash Wednesday: Luke 5:27-32

Gospel: Luke 5:27-32

Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners."

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Reflection:

What made Jesus call Levi to follow Him and what made Levi leave everything behind to follow Jesus? Of course the main reason was Levi is a sinner and he was tired of living a life of sin. Therefore when Levi was called by Jesus he throw caution to the wind to follow Jesus. For he knew that at long last there is someone who’s not judging him. And someone who’s willing to give him a second chance to live life away from sin.

In this gospel episode Jesus gives us valuable lesson on how we can call others to conversion. First is let us not be judgmental with those whom we perceive as sinners. Who are we to judge when we are sinners also? Second is let us always give others a second chance no matter how sinful they are.

There are many who are itching to live their lives away from sin but no one is willing to give them a second chance. It seems to them that almost everyone is condemning them. If only we know that they are already sick and tired of living in sin. If only we know that they are just waiting for us to call them to a life of renewal.

During this season of lent let us make it our vow not to be judgmental. Let us make it our vow to give those whom we perceive as sinners a second chance. There are sinners because there are people who are judgmental and people who are not willing to give them a second chance. – Marino J. Dasmarinas   

Reflection for March 3, Friday after Ash Wednesday: Matthew 9:14-15

Gospel: Matthew 9:14-15

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

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Reflection:

Have you tried abstaining from eating food?

The question about fasting is most relevant to all of us during this season of Lent. Because it’s here where the church actively reminds us about it.  And the gospel for today is a reiteration of this reminder.

It may seem that Jesus is defending His disciples for not fasting. But in hindsight, they were actually fasting; not the literal fasting per see to appease the discriminating eyes of John's disciples.  The disciples of Jesus were fasting from self-righteousness, from doing wrong, from judging others as good for nothing.

This is the deeper form of fasting that Jesus wants from us all and this should not be done only during the season of Lent. Are you capable from permanently fasting from your bloated ego, from doing wrong and from unjustly judging others?

These are the deeper form of fasting that Jesus appreciates for what good it is if we fast from food when we don’t change our undesirable attitudes? Say for example we fast yet we continue to be arrogant, to be judgmental, to be unforgiving, to be uncaring and so forth. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for March 2, Thursday after Ash Wednesday: Luke 9:22-25

Gospel: Luke 9:22-25

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”

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Reflection:

Are you afraid of suffering?

Suffering is part and parcel of our Christian life; in fact we will not be able to reach the fullness of our Christian life without suffering.  For the reason that it is in our suffering that we intensely feel the presence of God. It is through these periods of sufferings that God becomes more real to us.

Try observing your behavior when you don’t have sufferings God seems distant for we rarely remember Him in our days of prosperity. But notice also that when we are having some difficult moments it seems that God is within our reach. We call on Him we cry and unburden to Him.

In the gospel, Jesus tells His disciples about the suffering that He has to go through. Why? This is for the reason that this was Jesus’ destiny. From the beginning Jesus knew that He would be going through intense suffering. So why did He not exempted Himself from it when He actually could?

Because Jesus is faithful to the mission that was given to Him by God, thus Jesus endured suffering for His love of God.  Therefore, the true measure of our love for God is when we are ready to suffer for Him. When we are ready to sacrifice our everything for Him. -  Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Wednesday March 1, Ash Wednesday: Fasting and Abstinence; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

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Reflection:

Do you have the habit of showing off the good acts that you do? For example you went to church for Holy Mass or you helped somebody in need. Do you take pictures of these acts of piety and post it in your social media account for others to take notice?

The three core teachings of the gospel this Ash Wednesday is about Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting. Unlike our many facebook posts (pictures, comments, likes, etc…) wherein we show off so that our friends and many others will know who we are and what we are doing. We are being invited by Jesus to permanently veer away from this selfish and ego tripping mentality.

On the aspect of Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting, Jesus is inviting us to do these noble acts without letting everyone know about it. Let us do these acts piety privately and ensure that nobody will know about it.

For if we do these hidden from the prying eyes of our friends and the public at large. We would then earn approval from Jesus. This is what Jesus would always want us to do for as long as we live: Do our noble acts hidden from anyone’s eye.

In the same breath, lent is also an invitation for us to reflect about our life, concerning our relationship with Jesus and the many sins that we have committed. For example concerning our sins; would we just let this sins remain or we will do something about it by humbly submitting ourselves to the Sacrament of Confession?

Our many sins pull us further away from God and if we are not careful we may live our life permanently away from the love of God. Do you want a life permanently cut off from the love of God?  Of course not! Nobody wants to live his/her own life away from the love of God.

Therefore, let us take a deeper spiritual reflection about our life this Ash Wednesday in particular and during lent in general. Let us take a closer look at our sinfulness, let us take note of the shortness and uncertainty of life. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for Tuesday February 28, Eighth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 10:28-31

Gospel: Mark 10:28-31

Peter began to say to Jesus, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

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Reflection:

What are you capable of giving up for Jesus? Could you give up your riches? Could you give up your life of hedonism and worldliness? Perhaps this is quite hard to do if you do this abruptly.

But if you try to slowly detach yourself from your life of worldliness and you begin to trust and love Jesus more than this world. You’ll also see a marked improvement in your life, slowly also there would be less human created worries, stress and problems.

This is for the reason that you’ve decided to embrace Jesus more than this world. Jesus tells us in the gospel that if we give up this world and choose to follow Him. We would receive more than this world could offer.

Try it even for only a short time and see the big improvement that it will create in your life. Slowly cut and cut cleanly your relationship with your friends who have not brought any good into your life. Then begin to develop deeper relationship with your family. 

Slowly detach yourself from your vices and anything that is impure. After doing so develop a real relationship with Jesus: Attend Holy Mass more often, pray more often and start to develop a habit of reading your Bible.

Never be afraid to give-up this world for Jesus for this is the best decision that you could ever make in your life. Marino J. Dasmarinas 

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Reflection for Monday February 27, Eighth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 10:17-27

Gospel: Mark 10:17-27

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.”  Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God! The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.”

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Reflection:

Do you cling to your wealth as if your life hangs upon it?

The man who asked Jesus as to what must he do to have eternal life was at the threshold of eternal life. But when Jesus asked him to part ways with his wealth and give it to the poor. His face fell, after which he walked away from Jesus for he couldn’t obey the request of Jesus.

Many of us are like this man, very possessive and in love with wealth that we are not willing to give it away. But what we don’t know is it is when we give away our wealth that we will receive more wealth. Perhaps Jesus was just testing this man if he could still accept more wealth. But the man failed the prosperity test of Jesus.

If we want to attract wealth we must always be willing to give because it’s only in giving that we would receive more blessings. Never in not giving that we would receive more wealth. Let us look around and see who are those who are prosperous they are the people who are generous. Let us therefore pray to have the grace to become more generous so that we could bless others.

What if you continue to cling to your wealth and refuse to become generous?  You therefore shut the door of blessings from God and you distance yourself from His kingdom. But all is not lost yet, you still have the time to turn things around and hear the call of Jesus for you to become generous. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Sunday February 26, Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Matthew 6:24-34

Gospel: Matthew 6:24-34

Jesus said to his disciples: "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."

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Reflection:

An intelligent lady was hell-bent in her goal of becoming a rich businesswoman. So she engaged in business and she was very successful with it. However, she also noticed that there was no happiness and fulfillment with what she was doing notwithstanding the amount of money that she was earning. She asked herself, why am I not happy even though I am already very successful materially and financially?    

Material and financial wealth will never make us happy no matter how enormous. In fact the more that we become wealthy the more that there would be disturbance and pressure or even emptiness in our lives.

Material wealth will always come to pass us by. It may stay with us for a certain period of time but eventually it will leave us or we will leave it. There’s no security in material wealth; sad to say a lot of us finds security with it.

So what is the best choice? The wisdom filled choice is always God; to be with God and to walk with God. Thus, we will finally find that elusive contentment and happiness that which material wealth can never give us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas