1 Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him
were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and
infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who
provided for them out of their resources.
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Reflection:
Have you already preached or even shared the good news about Jesus? The gospel
today opens our eyes to the preaching ministry of Jesus. Have you shared Jesus?
For example through your life, through actual preaching or sharing or even
writing in the internet anything that deals about Jesus.
An active follower is not ashamed to share Jesus, he/she find ways and
means to share the teachings of Jesus. Let us reflect on this for we may have
not yet shared Jesus or yes we have already shared Jesus but we don’t actually
live what we have shared or preached about Jesus.
Be not be afraid to share Jesus for by sharing Jesus you will straighten
crooked lives. By sharing Jesus you are able to give hope to the hopeless and
by sharing Jesus you save lives. Jesus is alive up to this very moment and He wants to be in your heart. However, the
dwelling of Jesus in your heart can only be facilitated when you begin to share
Him.
It is therefore incumbent upon you to share Jesus and to let others know
about the Lord. So that they too would
also be transformed by Jesus the same way that Jesus is continuously
transforming you up to this very hour.- Marino J. Dasmarinas
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the
Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the
city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an
alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began
to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed
them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited
him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who
and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me,
teacher,” he said. “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed
five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to
repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I
suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged
rightly.” Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this
woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but
she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not
give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I
entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with
ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown
great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to
her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others at table said to themselves, “Who is
this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved
you; go in peace.”
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Reflection:
What compelled the woman to wet the feet of Jesus with her tears? What
compelled her to wipe Jesus’ feet with her hair and to kiss Jesus’ feet and
anoint them with an ointment?
It was her sinfulness, she was already tired of living her life in sin
that’s why when she learned that Jesus was in Simon’s house. She did everything
to get near Him so that she could humbly honor Him with whatever humble gesture
that she could offer Jesus.
The repentant woman went to Jesus she did not verbally ask Jesus for
forgiveness. But it was very evident that through her actions she wanted Jesus
to forgive her of her sinfulness. She wanted a renewal on her life which no one
could give her except Jesus. By her actions Jesus recognized her desire for
forgiveness and renewal, therefore her sins were forgiven.
Never did she think that Jesus would condemn and judge her she
simply focused on her need to be forgiven. This is Jesus for all of us, a God
who will never condemn our sinfulness no matter how serious. A God who will
never judge us based on the sins that we have committed in the past.
What is important for Jesus is for us to completely walk away from our
sinfulness. The here and now which is free from any form of sin. Never mind the
past sins for as long as we have the humility to ask for forgiveness and to
walk away from it all.
The humble gesture of the woman was her way of asking for
forgiveness of her past sins. The woman spoke to Jesus through her heart, she
spoke through her acts of humility. Thus, Jesus heard the desire of her
repentant heart. - Marino J. Dasmarinas
(Jesus said to the crowds) 31 “Then to what shall I compare the people of
this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children who sit in the
marketplace and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did
not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep. 33 For John the Baptist came
neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a
demon. 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a
glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. 35 But wisdom
is vindicated by all her children.”
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Reflection:
Why did the Pharisees and scribes refuse to hear the message of
conversion and hope of John and Jesus? There are many reasons why they refused
to hear their message of conversion. But primarily Jesus and John were nobodies
for them; they (Pharisees and scribes) were the ruling class and rulers of
their time. So why hear the message of these two nobodies?
By their contemptuous treatment of John and Jesus they deprived
themselves of a meaningful life. A life that is not based on earthly power but
based on a higher power that is beyond this world.
Why do many of us refuse to hear the conversion message of John and Jesus
as well? Because we love this world more than we love the wisdom filled words
of Jesus and John. This is the reason why so many of us refuse to hear the
conversion message of John and Jesus.
But what would it do us if we amass all the things in this world if we
are without Jesus? Could we bring to the next life the wealth that we have
amassed in this world? Could our love of earthly wealth help us gain passage to
heaven?
What if we hear and ponder the conversion message of John and Jesus?
We will certainly gain entry to heaven even if we are materially poor in
this present and fleeting world.
It’s absolutely better to be materially poor yet have Jesus in our lives
than to be rich without Jesus. - Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large
crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had
died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A
large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved
with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped forward and
touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell
you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his
mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great
prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.” This report
about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.
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Reflection:
What does Jesus do to our life?
He makes miracles for us everyday some of us notice these miracles that’s
why we always thank HIM everyday through prayers. Many of us also do not notice
this, so we live our lives without being aware of the goodness of Jesus.
While on their way to Nain Jesus saw a funeral march with a grieving
widow. Jesus saw her approached her and told her, “Do not weep.” And thereafter
HE approached the coffin of her son and HE said, Young man I tell you arise!
The grieving widow suddenly became joyous and thankful for the reason that
Jesus brought to life again her only son.
This is Jesus for you and me, a God who heals, a God who create miracles.
And a God that is always by our side ever ready to help us in whatever way. Therefore,
in everyday of our life we must strive to walk with Jesus. We must discard any
actions and thoughts which would only make us sin.
Do you make a conscious effort to avoid sin or distance yourself away
from people who influence you to sin? Have you recently thought of submitting
yourself to the healing Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession? – Marino J.
Dasmarinas
When Jesus had finished all his words to the people, he entered
Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he
was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to
him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus
and strongly urged him to come, saying, “He deserves to have you do this for
him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.” And Jesus went
with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion
sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy
to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to
come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a
person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one,
‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave,
‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, not even in Israel
have I found such faith.” When the messengers returned to the house, they found
the slave in good health.
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Reflection:
Do you always favor your rich relatives and friends?
The concern of the centurion/military officer for his slave was very
admirable; just imagine he went to Jesus to ask for healing for his very sick
slave. The centurion/military officer’s love for his slave was very pleasing to
Jesus that’s why Jesus granted his pleading.
To whom can we compare the slave today? The slaves of our time are the
poor people that we know, whose status in life is way way below us. Oftentimes
our concern for the poor is very different from those who are rich.
Many of us have two sets of standards of concern for our friends who are
poor and rich. Many of us lean towards our rich relatives and friends for this
are what is normal for us: go for the rich relatives and friends first.
Jesus would always wants us to help and pray for those who are in need
specially the poor for they are closest to His heart. This doesn’t mean that we
neglect the rich but if there would be a choice to whom would we extend help
first.
It’s no brainer that we go to the poor first, we have to
prioritize them over the rich. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but
the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners
and eats with them.” So to them he addressed this parable. “What man
among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave
the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And
when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his
arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the
same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.
“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and
sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find
it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice
with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ In just the same way, I
tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who
repents.”
Then he said, “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his
father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So
the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son
collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he
squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely
spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in
dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to
his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on
which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but
here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall
say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer
deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired
workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long
way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran
to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have
sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your
son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and
put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the
fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because
this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has
been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the
field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music
and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has
slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He
became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and
pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I
served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a
young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns, who
swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened
calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have
is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead
and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.
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Reflection:
A wife told his Godly husband: “Don’t mingle anymore with our neighbors
for they are drunkards and sinful.” The husband told his wife, “If I would not
mingle with them how could I convince them to walk away from their sinful lives
and how could I show them that God still cares for them?” Oftentimes we are
like that wife we feel that we are more holy and less sinful than others but
that is far from the truth.
Holier than thou and feeling of self-righteousness these were the
attitudes of the Pharisees and the scribes. When they complained that Jesus was
mingling with tax collectors and sinners.
So, Jesus gave them three parables for them to realize that He doesn’t
discriminate, that His love, forgiveness and mercy is for everyone. The Lord
looks for and welcomes everyone no matter how sinful and poor. This is also the
message of Jesus for us all sinners thru these parables in the gospel.
In the first parable, the shepherd of the hundred sheep did not stop
looking for the one who got lost. Never minding to temporarily leave the
ninety-nine. And after finding the one that got lost he joyfully put it on his
shoulders to bring it home. In the second parable of the lost coin, the woman
searched diligently for the lost coin until she found it again.
In the third parable of the lost son, when the lost son had a realization
of his misdeeds. He humbly decided to go back home, not certain if his father
would accept him again. But lo and behold when his father saw him coming home
he ordered his people to prepare a big banquet for the lost son. Then, the
father full of love run to his repentant son embraced and kissed him as if
saying, “Everything is forgiven my son.”
God in His infinite love, mercy and forgiveness is always looking for us
sinners. Why? Because the Lord wants us to completely walk away from our sinful
life. The Lord wants us to live a new life completely free from any form of
sin. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said to
Nicodemus: "No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down
from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that everyone who believes in
him may have eternal life."
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who
believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not
send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be
saved through him.
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Reflection:
Why do we suffer and what is the purpose of our suffering in this world?
We suffer because we refuse to embrace the love of God. Human suffering is not
a suffering that God created for us because it’s us who create our own suffering/s.
And when we suffer many of us point not to ourselves as the culprit.
Think about the many wars that the powerful leaders of this world have
created. Think about the many personal and family problems that many of us have
created for ourselves. Nevertheless in the midst of our self-created sufferings
there’s hope and this hope is being offered to us by Jesus on the cross.
Perhaps, many of us are averse to look at this cross of Jesus because we
are reminded of Jesus’ own sufferings. We are reminded that to suffer entails
hardship and sacrifice. But how would we know that there’s hope, healing and
salvation in the cross of Jesus if we will not look up to it? If we will not
embrace it and if we will not hold on to it?
In our first reading the people that were saved by Moses from the slavery
of Pharaoh created their own sufferings by complaining to Moses about their
hardships. And by complaining they were severely punished by God yet they would
also be saved by the same merciful God. That is If they’ll would look up to the
bronze serpent mounted on a pole. We all know that the bronze serpent that was
mounted on the pole that healed the suffering people in our first reading is
now represented by Jesus on the cross in our gospel.
We have so many sufferings in this world and majority if not all of these
sufferings are created by us that we ironically sometimes blame on God.
Nevertheless our merciful God so loved us that He let His only begotten son to
die on the cross for our salvation.
Do you have a cross with Jesus nailed upon it in
your house or in your room? Look at it hold it if you could and prayerfully ask
Jesus to heal all your pains and sufferings. - Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus told his disciples a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind
person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher;
but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you
notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in
your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that
splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own
eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will
see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”
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Reflection:
In courtroom litigation before a judge gives his verdict or judgment he
sees to it that every witness from the opposing sides are heard. This assures
that whatever decision that the judge would give, is appropriate and based on
the facts of the case.
Do we not oftentimes act as judge in our own sphere of environment? For
example, a father or a mother acts as a judge when he/she gives orders to their
children not to do this and that. They also act as judge when they
admonish and give disciplinary actions to their children.
But in giving judgment or orders, do we see to it that we are worthy to
give judgment? If we are worthy of the judgment that we give then
that is very good for our orders would be followed. But what if we are not good
role models? Here the problem lies, for we are not worthy to give judgment.
The gospel tells us that before you give judgment to anyone you must see
to it first that you have the moral authority and ascendancy to give that
judgment. And how would you do this? You always have to have a self-reflection
about yourself, such as, am I a good role model? Do I follow what I tell others
to do? Well and good if you are a good role model and if you lead by example.
But what if you are not? Then, the judgment or order that you give
will simply not be heard it will simply fall on deaf ears. Therefore you have
to be a good role model. - Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who
mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one
as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your
tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is
yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For
if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love
those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what
credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect
repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get
back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and
lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be
children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the
wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will
not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be
given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in
return be measured out to you.”
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Reflection:
How do you love?
All of us will agree that we can easily love those who give us love in
return. But are we willing to love those who’ve hurt us or those who continue
on hurting us? Mother Teresa once said: “If you love until it hurts, there can
be no more hurt, only more love.” A wife or a husband who truly love would continue to love his/her spouse notwithstanding the betrayal/s.
Many marriages fail because we put limits on how we give love. For
example, if a wife discovers that her husband is playing around with fire. The
reaction of the wife is perhaps to take revenge and play with fire also and not
to anymore love her philandering husband. But what will happen if our attitude
is like that? There would be many broken marriages, there would be many
suffering children simply because we put limits on how we give our love.
Jesus in our gospel is advising us to change this mindset of reactive
love. And to bring our understanding of love to a much higher level. Perhaps,
to the level of God’s love for us. But are we capable of raising to a
higher level our love and on how we give love?
If we truly love Jesus we would be able to forgive and once again love a
spouse who betrayed us. We would be able to love our siblings/relatives who’ve
hurt us and who don’t want to listen to our well-meaning advice/s. We would be
able to love a friend who betrayed our trust.
Jesus tells us in the gospel: For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you
do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners
do the same (Luke 6:32-33). - Marino J. Dasmarinas
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:
Would you be willing to be poor, to be hungry, to weep and to be insulted
for your steadfast faith in Jesus? Surely, these questions will drive you to
think hard because it’s not easy to be poor to be insulted, to weep and be
hungry for the sake of your steadfast discipleship.
But if this is the means for us to gain intimacy with Jesus we have no
other way but to embrace these hard choices. But how many of us are willing to
embrace this kind of life? Come to think of it, are these choices really hard?
Is it really hard to be poor, hungry, to weep and to be insulted?
It is hard if Jesus is not with us but if Jesus is with us and if He
walks with us. To be poor, hungry, to weep and be persecuted becomes a blessing
for us. For the simple reason that this assures us of a life with Jesus in
heaven after our life in this world is over and done with already.
What would it benefit us if we are rich, powerful and if everyone is
praising us to high heavens if it drives us to sin? If Jesus is not in our life
or if Jesus is just a miniscule particle in our life? The best choice is to
have a life with Jesus even if it would entail sacrifices and hardship.
Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer
to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he
chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his
brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the
son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of
James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. 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 came to hear him and to
be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean
spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power
came forth from him and healed them all.
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Reflection:
Why did Jesus called the twelve to be His apostles?
There was a reason why Jesus called the twelve disciples to be His
apostles and that is to help Him spread the good news of our salvation. Looking
back on the lives of these apostles except for Judas all were faithful servants
of the Lord. They were His eyes and ears they were His collaborators in His
mission.
The apostles did not lead lives of ease and comfort in fact except for
Judas almost all of them were martyred in doing the mission that Jesus bestowed
upon them. What is the significance of this call on the apostles in our lives?
By virtue of our Baptism we too are called to collaborate with Jesus and
the apostles to spread the good news of our salvation. We are called to lead
Holy lives so that others may see Jesus in us; we are called to be patient, to
persevere and to be enduring in our discipleship.
If we say that we love Jesus it amounts to saying that we are always
ready to suffer and to be humiliated for the sake of the advancement of His
kingdom. This is the mark of a true and faithful disciple/apostle.
Are you ready to sacrifice for Lord? You will be rewarded someday when
you do so. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the Sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him. But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up and stand before us.” And he rose and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” Looking around at them all, he then said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored. But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
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Reflection:
What is the Sabbath day? It is a sacred day for the Jews, it’s their day for the Lord. We can compare the Sabbath day to our observance of Sunday our own day of rest and day for the Lord also.
The question that arose from the minds of the scribes and Pharisees was this: Would Jesus cure on a Sabbath day? Which was prohibited by their Jewish religion? When Jesus cured the hand of the man with a withered hand it did not mean that He was disrespecting the Sabbath day.
Jesus simply saw an opportunity to show His infinite compassion and love for the sick man. Thus Jesus healed the man with a withered hand even if it was prohibited by their religion. Jesus is showing us that if we want our faith to be effective we have to humbly show compassion and love too!
Jesus attracts people for the simple reason that He is always ever ready to show His compassion and love to anyone who seeks it. His love and compassion does not choose what time or day. He would always be there for so long as there’s someone in need of His help. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever
does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of
you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the
foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should
laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources
to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and
decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still
far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my
disciple.”
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Reflection:
The story is told about a man who was being prodded by his friend to
follow Jesus. So, the man asked his friend: “What would I get if I decide to
follow the Lord?” The friend told the man: “All the crosses that you carry
would be gone the moment you decide to follow Jesus.” With the promise of a
problem free life the man followed Jesus. However, the man noticed that as he
followed Jesus the crosses that he carried in his shoulders started to file up
as well.
Why do you follow Jesus?
When Jesus noticed that great crowds were travelling with him he knew
that they were there because of the many miracles and healings that he does. Jesus
knew that the moment He stops doing miracles for them they would eventually
abandon him. Jesus knew it like seeing through a crystal clear water!
So he addressed them, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come
after me cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:27).” What is this cross that Jesus is
speaking about? The cross are the many life challenges, burdens and trials that
we would encounter the moment we decide to follow the Lord.
Other Christian denominations project Jesus as a God who can immediately
lighten our burdens the moment we accept Him as our Lord and savior. A miracle
worker or a cure all God so to speak! And many are immediately hypnotized by
this promise so they leave the church for the Christian denomination.
However there will be instances wherein Jesus would not help us carry our
burden; would not cure us of our sickness. It may even seem that Jesus is an
absentee God, a God who doesn’t care. Yes, it’s not all the time that we would
get what we want from Jesus. He cares nevertheless and He is always with us
even in the most difficult episodes of our life.
What Jesus is telling us in the Gospel is: if you want to follow me be
prepared to persevere. Be prepared to carry your own cross and be prepared to
sacrifice and leave your own comfort zone. And don’t worry about anything because
I will take care of it.
Truth be told, to follow the Lord amidst your burdens, trials and
challenges is the best decision that you can ever do in your life. Would you
follow the Lord in spite of the many crosses that you carry? – Marino J.
Dasmarinas
While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his
disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and
eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the
sabbath?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when
he and those who were with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God,
took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of
it, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man
is lord of the sabbath.”
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Reflection:
What kind of God is Jesus? He is a loving and caring God, He will always
see to it that His people are properly taken care of no matter what the
circumstances are. For Jesus the need of His people always takes precedence
over the observance of laws and traditions.
When Jesus defended His disciples from the rebuke of the Pharisees (From
picking and eating grains on a Sabbath day) He was simply saying that the need
of His disciples always takes precedence over any observance of the Jewish
law/s.
Jesus was indirectly saying to His critics that they sometimes have to be
flexible also anyway they did not commit any criminal act. The disciples were
simply hungry and that was it, they simply have to satisfy their valid need.
Here we see what kind of God Jesus is, He properly takes care of His
people. Jesus is even willing to violate the sacred Sabbath law for as long as
it would be beneficial to His followers. By virtue of our baptism we already are
followers of the Lord.
We may not be faithful to Him all the time. Nevertheless, His
unconditional love, care and concern is always there for us in all the seasons
of our life. - Marino J. Dasmarinas
