Reflection for Thursday May 25, Sixth Week of Easter: John 16:16-20

Gospel: John 16:16-20

Jesus said to his disciples: "A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me." So some of his disciples said to one another, "What does this mean that he is saying to us, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" So they said, "What is this 'little while' of which he speaks? We do not know what he means." Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Are you discussing with one another what I said, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy."

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Reflection:

Are you afraid to be separated from someone you love?

Separation from someone we’ve idolized or loved is one of the hardest feelings that we can ever experience. For example when a close relative dies it’s as if a part of us dies as well, thus we will feel incomplete from thereon. That’s how heart wrenching some separations are.

Here in the gospel Jesus was saying goodbye already to his disciples for He knew that He would soon be arrested, tortured and be killed.  However, He was also saying that a little while later you will also see me, He was referring about His resurrection three days after He dies.

Unlike permanent separation from a friend or relative who dies, the disciples’ separation from Jesus was temporary for He resurrected from the dead after three days. We make  Jesus always present and alive within ourselves when we follow His teachings. And when we make a positive impact in the lives of others especially the poor.

Let us always allow Jesus to be seen and felt within us through our humility and humble acts of selfless service for others. – Marino J. Dasmarinas     

Reflection for Wednesday May 24, Sixth Week of Easter: John 16:12-15

Gospel: John 16:12-15

(Jesus said to his disciples) “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”

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Reflection:

How can we feel the presence of the Triune God (God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) in our lives? We need to live our lives according to how Jesus wants us to live it based on the commandments of love (Luke 10:27). Everything starts with following these commandments and once we follow and live it, we would have an awareness of the presence of the Holy Trinity.  

Therefore we must learn to live Jesus’ commandments of love. But do we live these love commandments of Jesus? Are we not being selective when we give our love to our fellowmen? For example, the command of Jesus pertaining to love of our neighbor, it’s so easy to follow this when the person is loving us in return. But when the person is hurting us it’s now very difficult for us to give our love. The challenge for us is to love even more those who are not loving us in return.

The situation is basically the same on how we express our love for God. For many of us God is easier to love when HE answers all our prayers. But when HE doesn’t answer our prayers it’s sometimes difficult for us to express our love for God.  The challenge therefore for all of us is to  love God and neighbor in good times and in bad.

Do we have an awareness of the presence of the Holy Trinity in our life? If our answer is no, then, we must start to follow Jesus’ commandments of love. Not according to how we want to follow it but according to how Jesus wants us to follow and live it. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Tuesday May 23, Sixth Week of Easter: John 16:5-11

Gospel: John 16:5-11

Jesus said to his disciples: "Now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned."

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Reflection:    

Have you experienced saying goodbye to someone?

          

Saying goodbye permanently to a love one or a friend is always a heart wrenching experience. We may even wish that there would be no more goodbyes anymore. But the reality of life is that we shall say goodbye permanently someday whether we like it or not we shall say goodbye on a time that God has willed for us.

But let us not let our goodbye be a forgetful experience by not doing something indelible in the lives of our fellowmen. As we live in this world let us do something good that will remain forever in the minds of those who know us.

So that when our time to say goodbye come our beautiful deeds would forever be imprinted in the hearts of those who know us.

Jesus in our gospel reading today was indirectly saying goodbye to the disciples but more than two thousand years had passed since then He still remain a positive influence in our lives. Why? This is for the reason that He did the greatest good for all of us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Monday May 22, Sixth Week of Easter: John 15:26-16:4a

Gospel: John 15:26—16:4a

Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

                                                          

“I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.”

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Reflection:              

A man was trying very hard to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life. He would always be murmuring, come Holy Spirit I need you, he would say this a couple of times to no avail.

We will not be able to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit by saying come Holy Spirit alone. We must live our lives always attuned to the teachings of Jesus; we must live and breathe the teachings of Jesus so to speak.

Then as we live and breathe His teachings we would slowly but surely begin to feel the empowering presence of the Advocate or the Holy Spirit. Let us always live the teachings of Jesus. Let us never be afraid to share and live it because this is the only means where we can truly discern the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

In the gospel, Jesus speaks to the disciples about the Advocate which is no other than the Holy Spirit. Jesus will give it to them in His own time of choosing what they need to do is to simply be faithful to Him and His teachings. This is what we need to do as well for us to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. 

Therefore inviting the Holy Spirit to come into our lives is not enough we first have to be faithful to Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

1Reflection for May 21, Sixth Sunday of Easter; John 14:15-21

Gospel: John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

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Reflection:

A husband would always tell his wife that he loves her, his show of love does not end by his vocal profession. He follows it up by actual acts of love, say for example by helping her with household chores and by being faithful to their Marriage vows.

 As the husband continues to do these noble acts their love and marriage would surely flourish. And it would perpetually be blessed by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus promised the disciples an advocate who would always be there for them; to help and guide them. But for the advocate to be with them, the disciples must show their love for God by propagating His teachings and by living HIS commandments. Therefore there is no fulfillment of the promise of the advocate without the disciples’ obedience and actual acts of love.

It’s very easy for us to profess that we love Jesus, but do we really love Jesus? For example we say we love Jesus yet we betray the sanctity of the sacrament of marriage. Or we choose to turn a blind eye to someone in need of our help.  Where is then the concrete action of our love for God?

For our love for Jesus to grow and bear fruit we have to nurture it with actual acts of love. We therefore have to be faithful to our Matrimonial vows, we have to share Jesus and we have to become a living Jesus for others so that through us they will know Jesus.

As we do these noble acts we allow the Holy Spirit to come to us and we allow it to move freely within us. We therefore do good all the time and this we do not do by our singular actions. We do this because the Holy Spirit is prompting us to do it.

Do you want to feel the living presence of the Holy Spirit within you? – Marino J. Dasmarinas   

Reflection for Saturday May 20, Fifth Week of Easter: John 15:18-21

Gospel: John 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples: "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me."

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Reflection:     

A worldly and sinful man unexpectedly had a spiritual awakening. It happened when he suddenly opened his long dormant bible and was able to read this passage: “You do not belong to the world. (John 15:19)”

After which he immediately abhorred every sin that he had been doing. He completely left behind his worldly friends that drove him to sin. As a result of his righteous and drastic actions they condemned him as someone who is already out of his mind.

This world will hate us, even our worldly friends will hate us too once we choose to be faithful to Jesus. But we must not worry about worldly condemnation for so long as we are already with Jesus. If God is with us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

        

It takes great courage to decide not to belong to this world! Why? Because almost everyone wants to belong to this world! Material wealth and power are the most sought after possessions in this world. Who would not want material wealth and power?

However, not all are blinded by the glitters of this world there are also those who chose to shun the offerings of this world they’ve instead chose to follow Jesus. When we’re faced with the challenge on whom to choose, we hope that we would also choose Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Friday May 19, Fifth Week of Easter: 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 would happen if the love of Jesus is present in the family? There would be no conflict, no arrogance, no dominant behavior and no misunderstanding. There would also be forgiveness and humility. All of these factors are present because of the presence of the love of Jesus.

Let us say that we take away the love of Jesus, surely we will have conflict inside the family. This is brought about by arrogance, domination, infidelity, lies and so forth.

When Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another as He loved them (John 15:12). He envisioned harmony, forgiveness, trust and everything that is good for His disciples.  This is for the reason that Jesus wanted His disciples to become successful in their mission of evangelization.

Jesus perfectly knew that without love that originates from Him the disciples will not become successful in their mission. Their efforts would simply be in vain because they will simply be pulling each other’s leg downward. And there would be jealousy, arrogance and misunderstanding among His disciples. Therefore there would be failure of their mission of evangelization.

We too will not become successful in our mission for Jesus and we will not have harmony inside the family. Unless we learn to imbibe and live this love commandment of Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

1Reflection for Thursday May 18, 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:

There was a woman who would vocally profess her love for Jesus. She would always tell the members of her church ministry that she loves Jesus more than her life. But the woman is also a domineering figure in her church community she throws her weight around so as to achieve what she wants.

What does it mean to remain in the love of Jesus? Is it enough to worship Him but impede His transformational power to move us? Of course not! We must worship Him and we must also allow Him to transform us.

The woman in our story is obviously deficient in her love for Jesus because even if she religiously worships Him She doesn’t allow the transformational power of Jesus to transform her to become a humble and gentle person.

Many of us are like this woman, we are very proud with our worship and love for Jesus but we don’t allow Jesus to transform us. Those who love Jesus are not only fervent worshippers they also zealously follow His virtue of humility and gentleness. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for Wednesday May 17, 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 a pious man; he was active in their church, he was a responsible father and husband. His friends and relatives look-up to him for he lived his life worthy in the eyes of God and men. However, there was one instance wherein he met a woman and that meeting created an attraction between them.

He threw away his Godly values and he coveted the woman. In the process of his covetous desires his family and personal life started to suffer. Before he knew it he was already living a miserable life.

This story sometimes happen to some of us, we sometimes choose to lead our lives our own selfish way not God’s way. Often times many of us are very stubborn to follow our worldly caprices and wants even if we know that what we want is wrong. We follow our selfish desires and not the desire of God.

In the gospel Jesus tells us that He is our vine and God is our vine grower. He urges us to remain in Him no matter what happens in our lives. For through Him emanates all graces; sometimes there are instances wherein we also encounter trials/temptations. We must therefore not let these trials/temptations be an instrument of our separation from Jesus.

What are these temptations that often steers us away from God? It’s the temptation of the flesh, the temptation to engage in corrupt acts to add more numbers to our bank accounts. And there’s a lot more temptation out there waiting to capture us.

We must not cut ourselves from the true Vine and the Vine grower for it is only through them that we would experience happiness that will outlast our lifetime.

Eventually we will die, perhaps one of the questions that God would ask us before we are allowed entry into heaven is this: Did you remain with me in your lifetime? Did you not allow the temptations of the world cut you off from me; your True Vine?

How would we answer God then? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Tuesday May 16, 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:

What is the peace that Jesus speaks about in the gospel and can we also have this peace within us?

The peaceful feeling that Jesus is talking about in the gospel is already with many of us, we feel it in the deepest recesses of our being. This is the reason why we are very much ready for whatever that may happen to us. We are not even afraid anymore to die because we acknowledge this gift of peace by Jesus.

But while we are still alive and kicking in this world Jesus is entrusting us with a mission. And this mission is to help Him extend this gift of peace to those who do not have it yet.  Many are still not aware of this gift of peace by Jesus thus we must not sit idly. We must do something so that our fellowmen will know this wonderful gift by Jesus.

Where would we start? Start within our domestic church that is our very own family circle. Let us strengthen their spirits and give them hope by sharing Jesus with them. We may not know it but there may be members of our family who are losing hope already because of their life struggles.

It will not cost us anything except a little of our time if we would share Jesus with them. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Monday May 15, Fifth Week of Easter: John 14:21-26

Gospel: John 14:21-26

Jesus said to his disciples: "Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him." Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, "Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.

"I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name— he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you."

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Reflection:

There’s a story about a couple who always go to Sunday Mass to fulfill their Sunday obligation. While in church they look pious and devoted to the faith. However when they go home their other side which is their real personality is suddenly revealed. They shout at their maid, they yell at their kids and they act like dictators in their house.

Do they really love God? I don’t think so, their love for God is superficial and is limited inside the four walls of their church.

In the gospel Jesus says: “Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Certainly Jesus and God the Father the first two persons of the trinity have not revealed themselves to this couple.

Jesus further states: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”

Sometimes it’s very hard for many of us to understand the mystery of the oneness of God and Jesus simply because we are not true to our faith. What we hear and learn in the church during the Priest sermon/homily just comes in and out in our ears. Many of us don’t live and give substance to our faith. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for May 14, Fifth Sunday of Easter; John 14:1-12

Gospel: John 14:1-12

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. 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 him, "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."

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Reflection:

A man would always be troubled whenever he would see on TV news about massive wars and killings. He would always ask himself, is the end of the world coming? Like this man we all have our own secret worries and fears, for example we worry about how we could sustain the future for our children. Worry about money, about our family relationships and it seems that we are never running out of worries in this world.

But have we thought of God in the midst of our worries? Have we thought of just telling Jesus take care of our secret worries and fears whatever it may be?

We are very much bothered by our troubles in this world because we never trust Jesus that much and our faith in Jesus is wanting. What we do instead is to trust on ourselves and have faith on ourselves. This is the reason why we are bothered by our worldly troubles.

Why don’t we try to let go and let God? We let go of our worries and let God take control of everything! For example if you’re being bothered by a sickness, family problem or a personal problem. Start to slowly let go of those worries and pains, then raise everything up to God, learn to trust and have faith in the powerful name of Jesus. 

In our gospel for this Sunday Jesus gives us an antidote for our worries and fears HE tells us: Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me (John 14:1).

Thomas said: “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.

Sometimes we seek to discover things that we think will make us happy only to realize that it won’t and we keep on looking for it until we feel empty and broken. To avoid this from happening we must rediscover Jesus in our lives. For he is our way, our truth and our life.

 Without Jesus there’s only emptiness and brokenness. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for Saturday May 13, 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:

How well do we know God the Father? How well do we know Jesus? No one of us can say that by our own effort we know God the Father and Jesus very well. Because the gift of deeply knowing God the Father and Jesus is something that we cannot achieve by our own effort for it’s a gift by the Holy Spirit.

In this gospel episode Jesus tells the disciples and us too about His oneness with God the Father. Yet Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father and that would be enough for them (John 14:8). What was going on in Philip’s mind? Perhaps Philip was simply following Jesus for the sake of His miracles and mission. There was no deeper conversion within Philip that’s why He wasn’t able to decipher the oneness of Jesus and the Father. 

When we decide to follow Jesus, let us not only follow Him because of His miracles and the desire to share in His mission. Let us decide to follow Jesus also because of our love for Him thus we yearn for our own spiritual growth with Him. We yearn for a deeper faith and a deeper conversion within ourselves. 

If we only follow Jesus for His miracles and mission sooner or later this desire for discipleship will decrease. Until we decide to lie low and eventually detach ourselves from following Jesus. Let us therefore pray and be open for the gift of deeper faith and deeper conversion within ourselves. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Friday May 12, 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:

Where are we going after our life in this world is over? We don’t know only God knows. But Jesus in our gospel is giving us a hint as to where would we be eventually. Jesus tells us: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The secret therefore to know where we would eventually end-up is to follow Jesus. Why follow Jesus? Because He is the truth and the life and we cannot reach the Father in heaven except through Him.

We will often hear in stories of conversion testimonies about troubled lives, lives lived without peace and contentment. Until they’ve known Jesus after which their lives were never the same again. From troublesome or worrisome lives it became peaceful and serene courtesy of Jesus.

Jesus is the only way and He is the only one that can give us peace that transcends this world. Jesus will give us a glimpse of this peaceful feeling once we immediately choose to rest our lives in Him.

We all know that life in this world is uncertain it may end very abruptly anytime. Let us therefore invest more on Jesus rather than on this world. Let us help the poor, let us become the living symbol of Jesus for them.

This is not easy to do because it would entail much self-sacrifice on our part but it’s actually nothing. Compared to His promise that we will eventually have our reserved dwelling place in heaven someday. – Marino J. Dasmarinas