1Reflection for Thursday, February 21; Sixth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 8:27-33

Gospel: Mark 8:27-33

Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.” Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

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Reflection:

Have you suffered for someone you love?

Suffering is part and parcel of loving, there’s no real love without suffering for that love. For so long as you love you should expect some big and little sufferings along the way. Why? Because suffering perfects and purifies love, love without suffering is not love it’s simply lust or a shallow object of attraction. 

For example, a man and a woman decided to marry. So, after their marriage they move to a place to be together.  After a few months the man found out that his partner is sick of cancer so he decided to leave her.  It was not real love that attracted the man to the woman. It was simply lust for he was not willing to suffer for his beloved.

Jesus in the gospel gives us the best example of perfect love when He said that the Son of man must suffer greatly. To whom did Jesus suffer? For us, He suffered out of His great love for us; He could have avoided going thru intense suffering for He was God too. But He chose to tread the road of suffering so that we can be redeemed from our sinfulness.

Have you done something to reciprocate this perfect love of Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for Wednesday, February 20; Sixth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 8:22-26

Gospel: Mark 8:22-26

When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida, people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked, “Do you see anything?” Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.” Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly. Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.”

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Reflection:

A woman who was a come and go Catholic suddenly decided to leave the church in favor for another Christian denomination. When she was asked why she decided to leave she said: “The protestant faith opened my eyes to the real Christian church.”

Perhaps we know of Catholics who are not well versed about the basic teachings of the church. They are also vulnerable to abandon the faith. What should we do? We must be the vehicle for their enlightenment about the truths of the catholic faith.

Let us open their eyes and let them know that we don’t worship the saints. Let us open their eyes and let them know that the Catholic church was founded by Jesus through Peter. Let us open their eyes and let them know that the Holy Bible is the book of the church that we must always read.

There are many more truths about the church that our fellow Catholics do not know yet. Let us allow ourselves to be Jesus’ vehicle so that their eyes of faith will be opened. So that they will not anymore be blinded to decide to leave the church which Jesus founded through Peter. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Tuesday, February 19; Sixth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 8:14-21

Gospel: Mark 8:14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up? They answered him, “Twelve.” “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?” They answered him, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

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Reflection:

Power corrupts people who don’t know how to handle it.

The Pharisees and King Herod were very powerful but they did not use their power responsibly they in fact abused it. They used it to oppress and manipulate people. Eventually they allowed the same power that they have to corrupt them.

Opposed to the manipulative and arrogant power of the Pharisees and Herod is the power of Jesus that emanates from God. Power that is used to sincerely help and power that is used with humility and purity. This power was shown to them by Jesus when He feed twice the thousands of people.

Many of us handle power like how the Pharisees and Herod handled it. We use it to manipulate, we use it to advance our selfish agendas. Many politicians use their power to steal money from the government in the guise of helping the poor. The power of the Pharisees and King Herod is temporary it doesn’t last and this kind of power has a retribution factor in the end.

Of course, we know the power of Jesus; it forever leaves an imprint in our hearts. It’s power firmly rooted in humility and power that will bring us safely to God’s kingdom someday.

Whose power do you embrace? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Monday, February 18; Sixth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 8 11-13

Gospel: Mark 8:11-13

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation. Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore.

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Reflection:

What does it mean when we seek signs from the Lord Jesus? It means weakness of faith, it means that Jesus is not yet enough for us to hold on for our salvation for we still need signs and wonders from Jesus. A true believer and a person of faith will not anymore seek a sign from the Lord. He/She will trust the Lord Jesus regardless of if he/she will see or not see signs from Him.

If we truly love the Lord and if we have faith in the Lord we will not anymore ask for a sign from Him. Why? Because His name alone is more than enough to deliver us from all of our fears and doubts.  This is for that reason that we always feel His abiding presence in our lives.

The Lord is with us the moment we reverently attend Holy Mass most especially when we partake of His Body and Blood during Holy Communion. The Lord speaks to us the moment we reverently read His words in the bible. Jesus is with us the moment we pray with reverence the Holy Rosary.  

If only we would invest time to dive deeper into the life of Jesus and our catholic faith we will not anymore ask for any signs from Jesus. Because as we invest time for Him, we will also notice slowly but surely His abiding presence in our life.

Let us not ask for signs let us instead get intimate with Jesus and our faith by our faithful presence at Holy Mass. By having a daily habit of reading our bible and by having a daily quite time in prayer with Him. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for Sunday February 17, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Luke 6:17, 20-26

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Gospel: Luke 6:17, 20-26

Jesus came down with the Twelve and stood on a stretch of level ground with a great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon. And Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.

Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.

But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

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                                                                      Reflection:

There’s a story of a man in his late thirties who had a successful life in this world. Name it and he had it: women, riches, power and the like. It may seem that he was enjoying what he was going through but he was empty deep inside. So, he resigned from his high paying job and he subsequently joined a catholic organization that serves the poor.

His life there was simple but he found real happiness and fulfillment. Many of his friends hated and insulted him for what he did. However, he did not mind them because he found Jesus in that organization and subsequently built a deep friendship with the Lord.

What is the main requirement to get closer to Jesus? It’s to suffer for the sake of the advancement of His kingdom in this world. Without suffering for Christ there would be no close friendship with him.

 Many of us are so afraid to suffer for Christ sake because this will disturb us. If we have this mentality, we therefore are only thinking of ourselves and not thinking of the welfare of others. We only are concerned of what we can get from this present world (wealth, power and the like). And forget about what is there for us after this world.

We may be stripped of our riches in the process of our desire to get closer to Jesus. Many will hate us even distance themselves from us. But what the heck! We have to understand that we don’t live in this world to be in this world. We live in this world now so that we can go to heaven and be with the Lord someday.

Our motivation in existing in this world should always be heaven to be with Jesus. Otherwise if our motivation is centered in this world alone, we would never have peace. We may have all the things in this world but we still will have no peace for there’s an absence of Christ in our life.

In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus tells us: Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man (Luke 6:22).

Therefore, let us not be afraid of the challenges. That we might face for the sake of advancing the kingdom of God in this world. For this is the reason of our existence. God made us to exist in this world so that we could bring others closer to Jesus.

Have you already suffered for Christ and have you already brought somebody closer to him? If your answer is yes, you are truly blessed! – Marino J. Dasmarinas    

Reflection for Saturday, February 16; Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 8:1-10

Gospel: Mark 8:1-10

In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, Jesus summoned the disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance. His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?” Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have? They replied, “Seven.” He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets. There were about four thousand people.

He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

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Reflection:

What kind of God is Jesus? He is a God of compassion and mercy, Jesus feels our loneliness when we are lonely. Jesus cries with us when we cry. Jesus feels the heavy load that we carry when we are so burdened by it. Does this feeling of compassion and mercy stops with Jesus empathy? No, Jesus never stops of thinking of ways on how He can make light the burdens that we carry.

We see this deep compassion and mercy of Jesus in our gospel today. When Jesus saw the crowd who had been following them for days He had deep compassion with them for they were already hungry. And His mercy and compassion led Him to think on how He could feed them.

So Jesus asked His disciples for whatever food that they may have and out of seven loaves and few fish Jesus miraculously multiplied it to feed almost four thousand. This is how merciful and compassionate Jesus is to those who follow Him.

What does this gospel tell us? This tells us that we will never go hungry the moment we decide to faithfully follow Jesus! Jesus will never let us go hungry for He will take care of our food and He will take care of our needs. This may be hard to believe for others but this is very true! Jesus provides for those who faithfully follow Him.

Do you faithfully follow Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas   

Reflection for Friday, February 15; Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 7:31-37

Gospel: Mark 7:31-37

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” — And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

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Reflection:

There’s a story of a man who was diagnosed to have a terminal sickness, of course he was bothered, who would not be? But the man had great faith in Jesus so he earnestly prayed.  He went to Mass everyday, he prayed the rosary regularly and he read his bible fervently.  

As the days, weeks and months passed by there was observable decline on his physical appearance. But those around him noticed also the increase in his faith and confidence in Jesus. They’ve noticed the peacefulness and calmness that he exudes so unlikely of a dying man.

We are presented in the gospel a story of physical healing, a deaf man was able to speak again through the healing power of Jesus.  With the help of those around him the deaf man was brought closer to Jesus. After which he begged Jesus to lay His hand on him.

Jesus took the man away from the crowd. And in the stillness of the environment Jesus groaned and said, “Ephphatha!” which means be opened. The man was immediately healed, he was able to hear and speak once again.

Eventually, everyone of us will get sick and everyone of us will also pray for physical healing from Jesus. But not all of us would experience physical healing like what the deaf man experienced in the gospel. Some of us would experience deep spiritual healing, the same spiritual healing that the terminally sick man in our story received from Jesus.

We must therefore take steps also to get closer and build a relationship with Jesus. Let us take the initiative and do it by ourselves now. Let us not wait for the time to come that we will go to Him because we are already in dire need of Him. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Thursday, February 14; Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop; Mark 7:24-30

Gospel: Mark 7:24-30

Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

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Reflection:

What is the key for us to have what we want from Jesus? It’s persistence, if we think that Jesus doesn’t hear our prayers, we should continue to beg Him to grant us what want. We should never give up because giving up is a sign of our lack of faith in Jesus.

The Syrophoenician woman in our gospel never gave up on her prayer request even if she was already being tested by Jesus. She persisted and humbly beg Jesus to cure her daughter possessed by the devil. Eventually her persistence bore fruit for when she went home she found out that her daughter was not anymore possessed by the devil.

As we continue our journey in this temporal world, we surely will be facing a lot of problematic situations. Let us not let these disappointing events bring us down and let us not let these situations separate us from Jesus. The more we encounter trials in our lives the more that we go persistently to Jesus for help.

For it’s only Jesus and it’s only through Jesus that we would be able to survive the many trials and tribulations in this world.  What if for example we persistently pray to Jesus for help and he does not help us? Would this be possible that we pray and we don’t receive any help from Jesus? Yes this is very possible but this should not be a reason for us to give up and distance ourselves from Jesus.

Are you always persistent when you pray to Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Wednesday, February 13; Fifth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 7:14-23

Gospel: Mark 7:14-23

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) “But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

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Reflection:

Where does the desire to commit sin emanates? It first emanates from within us. It begins when we think about it and if we don’t stop thinking about our desire to commit sin it slowly progresses. Until we actually give flesh to our desire to sin by actually doing it.

For example, the desire of a husband/wife to betray their marriage vows. It starts by thinking about it and when she/he sees that the situation is conducive to commit the act of sin/betrayal. The spouse will now succumb to commit this immoral sin. Therefore, the desire to commit sin originates from within us.

How then could we avoid sin? We pray to Jesus and ask His help to exterminate whatever sinful desires that we have in our minds. Then we also have to do our part by taking action to rid ourselves of the desire to sin and by running away from sin. Because if we pray yet our actions are not according to what we have been praying for we would still commit sin sooner or later. As the saying goes God help those who help themselves.

But come to think of it, why do we commit sin? The simple answer is we don’t take our faith in Jesus seriously this is the reason why we commit sin when we want to commit it. Are we not tired yet of sinning? Are we not tired yet of mortgaging our lives to the devil? When we continuously mortgage our lives to the devil through sin, there is the danger that we may not anymore be able to get out of it!

It’s about time that we change this cycle of sin, it’s about time that we rid ourselves of any sinful thoughts and desires. It’s about time that we free ourselves from any problems and complication brought about by sin.  This could only happen if we ask Jesus to come into our lives.  

Would you be willing to humbly pray to Jesus to come into your life? –  Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Tuesday, February 12; Fifth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 7:1-13

Gospel: Mark 7:1-13

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.) So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and Whoever curses father or mother shall die. Yet you say, ‘If someone says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban”’ (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”

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Reflection:

Are you very strict with the observance of your customs and traditions?

The Pharisees were very particular of their custom/tradition they follow it to the letter. So, when they saw that Jesus’ disciples ate their meals without washing their hands—they told Jesus about it.

They said to Jesus: “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?" and Jesus told them: You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition." He went on to say, "How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!

We see that Jesus puts more weight on the commandments of God more than their traditions the interior rather than the exterior, the inside conversion rather than the fake exterior observance of their laws.

The conversion that Jesus desires for us is one that involves change of our hearts and mindsets. For example, from sinner we now become a non-sinner. From staying in an environment where we sinned, we now completely walk away from that environment and so on. For Jesus, what matters most is not our external appearance but our internal conversion and renewal.  

Are you sometimes quick to judge based on what you see?  - Marino J. Dasmarinas    

Reflection for Monday, February 11; Fifth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 6:53-56

Gospel: Mark 6:53-56

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

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Reflection:

A man sick with cancer asked the Lord, “Why am I suffering Lord”? I can’t bear my sickness anymore and I can’t bear the pain of going through the procedure of chemotherapy anymore.” 

     

In the gospel those who were able to touch the tassel of Jesus’ cloak were very fortunate for they received healing in return.  It speaks volumes of their faith. But there are also those who have faith but not physically healed. There are those who have faith but they continue to suffer from their sickness. Sometimes it may baffle us why they physically suffer considering that they also have faith that they also love Jesus.

The healing that Jesus gives us is not always physical, oftentimes its spiritual which means that we're given the grace to accept our physical sickness and the grace to completely surrender our life to the great mercy of Jesus.

There are people who are still happy in spite of their physical sickness for they’ve learned to offer to God their suffering. They’ve learned that the suffering that they’re undergoing right now is nothing compared to the suffering that Jesus went through.

There will come a time that we will also get sick and may suffer as well. Let us never forget to offer our suffering/s to Jesus. Let us ask Jesus to help us endure our suffering/sickness. Though it may be difficult, let us learn to accept it and continue to have that enormous faith in the Lord. – Marino J. Dasmarinas   

Reflection for Sunday February 10, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Luke 5:1-11

                                                                                    Gospel: Luke 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

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Reflection:

A middle-aged man who was newly out of prison wanted to follow Jesus. But he would always have second thoughts if he would proceed with his desire because he was sinful. Thus, the feeling of unworthiness always creeps into him. However, there was always that inner voice that whispers to him to follow the Lord no matter his sinfulness.

Who among us are worthy to become a follower of Jesus? Nobody for all of us are sinful, all of us have offended the Lord one way or another. Yet in spite of our unworthiness we are always being called by Jesus to follow Him so that He can purify us of our sins no matter how dark those sins are. 

The Lord does not call us to condemn us of the countless sins that we have committed. He calls us so that He could restore us of our dignity which we lost through our sinfulness. He calls us to tell us that His love for us can overcome whatever sins that we have committed.

All He want from us is our yes! When we say yes to the Lord, we also would be willing to leave behind the environment which made us sin. We leave behind those people who influenced us to sin. In other words, there’s no turning back or looking back the moment we decide to follow the Lord.  

In the gospel, after Jesus performed the miracle of the great catch of fish before the very eyes of Simon and the other fishermen (Luke 5:6). Simon Peter kneeled before Jesus and he begged Jesus to leave them for they were all sinful. And therefore unworthy of His presence and the miracle that he did for them (Luke 5:8). 

However, Jesus with all the love, mercy and forgiveness in His heart told Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men (Luke 5:10).” Right after bringing their boats to the shore, Simon and the other fishermen left everything to follow the Lord (Luke 5:11).

Regardless of your sins and your dark past Jesus is calling you as well to begin a new life with Him. Will you heed this call of Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Saturday, February 9; Fourth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 6:30-34

Gospel: Mark 6:30-34

The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.

When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

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Reflection:

Do you want Jesus to teach you many things (Mark 6:34)? Therefore, you must thirst for Jesus, you must follow Jesus and you must hunger for Jesus.

Many of us today do not feel Jesus in our life because we don’t thirst and hunger for Him anymore. We thirst and hunger more for the things of this world, we follow more the false teachings of this world than abide by the teachings of Jesus.

What would it benefit you if you follow Jesus and If you give up everything for Jesus? You gain a foretaste of heaven while you are still in this world. This doesn’t mean that you will not experience anymore human difficulties once you choose Jesus over this world.

Yet you can be assured that as you go through your human difficulties or problems you are certain of Jesus abiding presence in your life. Jesus will make your difficulties lighter and Jesus will walk with you.

In the gospel for this Saturday we read about the multitude of people chasing after Jesus and His disciples. The disciples were about to rest and go through some physical and spiritual re-charging. Yet when the multitude of people discovered it they hurriedly went there leaving behind whatever worldly undertaking/s that they were doing.

When Jesus saw the vast crowd waiting for Him, He did not turn them away, never did He scold them or told them, why are you people disturbing our rest? Jesus instead pitied them. Then, He taught them and healed them of whatever sickness that they have.

Are you willing to leave everything to have a precious encounter with Jesus? - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Friday, February 8; Fourth Week in Ordinary Time; Mark 6:14-29

Gospel: Mark 6:14-29

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; That is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah” still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets. But when Herod learned of it, he said “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up. Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. His own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you. He even swore many things to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom. She went out and said to her mother “What shall I ask for? Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist. The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist. The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

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Reflection:

What does it mean when you’re constantly being bothered by your conscience? It simply means that you’ve done something wrong and the only cure for this wrongdoing is to correct it. For example, if a believer has cheated on his/her spouse she/he will naturally be bothered by her/his conscience. And this torment will not end until there’s a closure or admission of sin.

When King Herod heard about the miraculous actions of Jesus and the popularity that He was earning from the ordinary people. Herod thought of John whom he ordered beheaded it suddenly came to his mind that John was alive. But it was very clear to King Herod that he ordered John killed.

So why did King Herod thought of John when he heard about Jesus? This is for the reason that King Herod was already being bothered by his conscience. Herod did something which is terribly wrong and the price that he has to pay for his wrongdoing was the guilt of conscience which was constantly bothering him.

Aren’t we like that also when we do wrong? But what separates us from Herod is we have an opportunity to repent and admit our wrongdoing. And once we do so the guilty feeling will not be there anymore.

But why allow ourselves to be pestered by our guilt? Why not permanently delete guilt from our minds by not committing sin? Some of us may say that it’s impossible not to commit a wrongdoing or sin. Yes it may be impossible but, why not try asking Jesus to help us be clean all the time or if we sin, why not humbly apologize and admit our sin? –  Marino J. Dasmarinas