Reflection for Sunday March 14, Fourth Sunday of Lent: John 3:14-21

Gospel: John 3:14-21

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “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. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  

And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

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Reflection:

The story is told about a woman who was being convinced by her neighbor to leave the Catholic Church. So, the woman asked her neighbor, “Why would I leave the Catholic church to join your church?” The neighbor said to her: “Because you have images in your church which is prohibited in the bible and you worship those images.” The woman said: To have images are allowed in the bible and we don’t worship those images.  

Why do we have images in the Catholic Church? Is there a specific passage in the bible that refers to this? There are actually many passages in the bible that God commanded his people to create images. One of these is cited in the gospel reading for today. (Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” Jesus was referring in this Old Testament passage (Numbers 21:4-9). Then, Jesus said: “So that everyone who believes may have eternal life.” 

Those who are deep in their Catholic faith know what Jesus is talking about. We know that our deep faith in Him will carry us through eternal life. We know that our life here on earth is just temporary and fleeting and this can be taken away from us anytime. But we don’t worry about it for we know what awaits us in our afterlife.  

Let us shift our attention to this bible passage: “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.” (John 3:16)  

The love of God for us is always ours for the taking it’s perpetually there for us and it’s free it’s given by God to us without strings attached on it. God loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son for us. Can we fathom God’s love for us? No we cannot! Our finite minds will not be able to comprehend the infinity of God’s love.  

How come that there are those who are not aware of this eternal love of God? The answer to this question is very simple—their life is so much taken by the lure of riches, trappings and worries of this temporary world. This is the reason why they are not aware of this great love of God.  

If only we would make ourselves available for Holy Mass most especially Sunday Holy Mass If only we would regularly find time to read the bible the grace of the Holy Spirit would be upon us. And it would slowly but surely give us the gift of awareness of the love of God.  

Let us always make time to know more about God, let us nurture it until it blossoms in our hearts. Why? Because the time we invest with God will become our key to the doorway of heaven someday. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Linggo Marso 14, Ikaapat na Linggo ng Kuwaresma: Juan 3:14-21

Mabuting Balita: Juan 3:14-21

Noong panahong iyon sinabi ni Jesus kay Nicodemo kung paanong itinaas ni Moises ang ahas sa disyerto, gayundin dapat itaas ang Anak ng Tao 15 upang mag­karoon ng buhay magpakailanman ang bawat nananalig sa kanya. Ganito nga kamahal ng Diyos ang mundo! Kayat ibinigay niya ang kanyang bugtong na anak upang hindi na ma­wala ang bawat nananalig sa kanya kundi magkaroon ng buhay magpa­kailanman. 

Hindi nga sinugo ng Diyos sa mundo ang Anak upang hukuman ang mundo kundi upang maligtas ang mundo sa pamamagitan niya. 18 Hindi hinuhukuman ang nananalig sa kanya. Ngunit hinu-kuman na ang hindi nana­nalig pagkat hindi siya nananalig sa Ngalan ng bugtong na Anak ng Diyos.  

Ito ang paghuhukom: dumating sa mundo ang liwanag pero mas minahal pa ng mga tao ang karimlan kaysa liwanag sapagkat masasama ang kanilang gawa. 20 Ang gumagawa ng masama’y napopoot nga sa liwanag at hindi lumalapit sa liwanag, at baka malantad ang kanyang mga gawa. 21 Lumalapit naman sa liwanag ang gumagawa ng katotohanan upang mabunyag na sa Diyos ginagawa ang kanyang mga gawa. 

Reflection for March 13 Saturday of the Third Week of Lent: Luke 18:9-14

Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity --greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector. 

I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

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Reflection:

Have you tried practicing the virtue of humility? When you practice humility all things will be alright with you. For example, you will not anymore harbor resentment and anger towards anyone and your day will be free from any form of stress. 

You will have a positive disposition, you will be able to accept whatever that may come to you even humiliation and trials no matter how severe. Your fellowmen will silently look up to you and admire you without you noticing it. 

Humility therefore is like an effective medicine that cures us: it cures us of our arrogance, our need for attention and most importantly it brings us an awareness of our own sinfulness and our need to get close and be forgiven by God. 

In our gospel, Jesus gives us the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector that went to the temple to pray. The tax collector obviously wants to live a new life, and he wants to be reconciled with God. Moreover, he obviously wants to be cured of his sinfulness that’s why he humbly submitted himself to God and God did not disappoint the tax collector. 

We have everything to gain and nothing to lose if we decide to imbibe and live humility. We will have a positive disposition, we will have peace and contentment and most importantly we will gain the forgiveness of our merciful God. 

Are we ready to abandon ourselves to God by humbly acknowledging our own sinfulness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation? – Marino J. Dasmarinas    

Reflection for March 12 Friday of the Third Week of Lent: Mark 12:28-34

Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.  

The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 

And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

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Reflection:

Why did Jesus give us these two timeless and greatest commandments about love? Because we need these two instructions about love to heal the world of its many sufferings. For example if only there’s authentic love for God in the hearts of the rich there would be no more suffering and hunger amongst the poor. 

But many of them don’t have the love of God in their hearts that’s why they continue to oppress and take advantage of the poor. They love themselves more than God, they love temporal power more than they love the people of God. 

Let us hear the command of God to us: Let us love Him with all our heart, mind and soul. Let us also allow God to use us as his vehicle so that those who are alien to the love of God would feel it through us. And those who don’t know God will come to know God  because of our unconditional love for them. 

Let us little by little conquer the enmity of this world with our love for God and for our neighbors. And let us not only love those who will love us back or those who are lovable to our eyes. 

Let us also love even those who have hurt us deeply and those who have been making life difficult for us because it’s through our exercise of unconditional love for them they would be enlightened of God’s love.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas   

Reflection for March 11 Thursday of the Third Week of Lent: Luke 11:14-23

Gospel: Luke 11:14-23

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed. Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. 

And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe.  

But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

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Reflection:

Is the devil real? 

The devil is real and he's a pervading influence in our society and in our political system as well. Why is the Philippines still a third world country considering that it has rich human and natural resources? The reason is many of our leaders have allowed themselves to be seduced and manipulated by the devil. The devil in the guise of corrupted wealth and power always offers himself to our politicians in exchange for their honest to goodness public service and governance. 

In the same vein, the devil is also a presence inside the  family. This is the reason why there are separation and infidelity inside the marriage covenant. Who can defeat the influence of the devil in our society’s political system and in our respective families? It’s our practice of our faith in Jesus. 

Many of us profess to be believers in Jesus and many of our politicians are graduates of catholic schools. Yet there are many plunderers and killers in government nowadays, yet there are many broken families. Why is this so? This is for the reason that many of us are believers in name only. Many of us attend Holy Mass but we don’t live the grace of Holy Mass. 

If only we would allow our faith in Jesus to take root deep into our bones, our country would once again be progressive. If only we would allow our faith in Jesus to take center stage in our respective families there would also be no more broken marriages. 

Let us think about how many times we have betrayed our faith in Jesus. In exchange for the salivating offers of the devil which in the long run will only destroy us. Reject the devil therefore and do not allow yourself to become his agent and slave in this world. – Marino J. Dasmarinas   

Reflection for March 10 Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent: Matthew 5:17-19

Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.  

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

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Reflection:

What will happen to us if we would always observe the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17) and the two greatest commandments that Jesus gave us (Matthew 22:36-40)? We surely would move closer to Jesus, we would grow in faith and there would be peace in our lives.  

This is the price that awaits those who would observe the laws of God. Without close observance of God’s commandments there would also be no close relationship with God. Observe those who don’t follow the commandments of God or observe your very own self when you don’t follow God’s commandments. What kind of life would you have? Isn’t a life of chaos, disturbance and endless problems?  

Therefore the key to friendship with God is our faithful observance of His commandments. But human as we are we are subject to our own frailties. We fall and sin every once in a while and thus we are temporarily separated from the love of God.  

However Jesus also instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that whenever we sin we have a recourse out of sin. But even if we have a recourse let us not abuse it by saying that, we will sin because there is the Sacrament of Confession anyway.  

Let us always be conscious that sin separates us from the love of God. We therefore have to endeavor to always remain within the ambit of the love of God. Hence, we always have to follow the commandments of the Lord.     – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for March 9 Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent: Matthew 18:21-35

Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

Peter approached Jesus and asked him,“Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants.  

When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.  

Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe. Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back. But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair.  

His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant as I had pity on you? Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

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Reflection:

Do you easily forgive?  

In our gospel there is a servant who asked to be forgiven for the huge amount that he owed from his lord, so he was forgiven. Yet when he met the person who owed him a much lesser amount, he demanded for the debt to be paid back to him.  

Perhaps many of us are like this servant who asked for forgiveness from his Lord and Master. We ask for forgiveness from Jesus from all of our sins, yes we submit ourselves to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But do we truly live this forgiveness that we have received from Jesus? Do we pay forward this forgiveness that we have received from Jesus?  

When we forgive we free ourselves from the imprisonment of anger and hatred. Just imagine if we have anger in our hearts we carry this burden that does no good to us except to heighten our blood pressure. Why not let bygones be bygones and forgive and forget and move on without carrying a heavy burden in our hearts?  

We only are punishing ourselves if we don’t forgive. And we only leave a devious space for the devil to dwell when we don’t forgive. Let us always learn from Jesus who is always forgiving. Let us learn from Jesus who doesn’t keep any record of wrong in His heart.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Marso 9 Martes sa Ikatlong Linggo ng Kuwaresma: Mateo 18:21-35

Mabuting Balita: Mateo 18:21-35
21 Nagtanong naman si Pedro: “Pa­nginoon, gaano kadalas ko naman dapat patawarin ang mga pagku­kulang ng aking kapatid? Pitong be­ses ba?” 22 Sumagot si Jesus: “Hindi, hindi pitong beses kundi pitumpu’t pitong beses.
 
23 Tungkol sa kaharian ng Langit ang kasaysayang ito. Isang hari ang nag­pasyang pagbayarin ng utang ang kanyang mga utusan. 24 Nang simulan niyang suriin ang kuwenta, ini­harap sa kanya ang isang may utang na sampung libong baretang ginto. 25 Dahil walang ma­ibayad sa kanya ang tao, iniutos ng panginoon na ipagbili at maging alipin siya kasama ng kan­yang asawa, mga anak at mga ari-arian bilang bayad-utang.
 
26 At nagpatirapa sa paanan ng hari ang opisyal at sinabi: ‘Bigyan mo pa ako ng panahon, at ba­bayaran kong lahat ang utang ko.’ 27 Naawa sa kanya ang hari at hindi lamang siya pinalaya kundi kinansela pa ang kanyang utang. 28 Pagkaalis ng opisyal na ito, nasa­lu­bong ni­ya ang isa sa kanyang mga kasamahan na may utang namang sandaang barya sa kanya. Si­nung­gaban niya ito sa leeg at halos sakalin habang sumisigaw ng ‘Bayaran mo ang utang mo!’
 
29 Nagpa­tirapa sa paanan niya ang kanyang kasamahan at nag­sabi: ‘Big­yan mo pa ako ng panahon, at baba­yaran kong lahat ang utang ko sa iyo.’ 30 Ngunit tumanggi siya at ipina­kulong ito hanggang maka­bayad ng utang. 31 Labis na nalungkot ang iba nilang kapwa-lingkod nang makita ang nang­yari. Kaya pinuntahan nila ang kani­lang panginoon at ibinalita ang buong pang­yayari. 32 Ipinatawag naman niya ang opisyal at sinabi: ‘Masamang utusan, pinatawad ko ang lahat ng iyong utang nang maki­usap ka sa akin. 33 Di ba dapat ay naawa ka rin sa iyong kasamahan gaya ng pagkaawa ko sa iyo?’ 34 Galit na galit ang panginoon kaya ibinigay niya ang kanyang utusan sa mga tagapag­pa­hirap hang­gang mabaya­ran nito ang lahat ng utang.”
 
35 Idinagdag ni Jesus: “Ganito rin ang gagawin sa inyo ng aking Ama sa Langit kung hindi pata­tawarin ng bawat isa sa inyo mula sa puso ang kanyang kapatid.”

Reflection for March 8 Monday of the Third Week of Lent: Luke 4:24-30

Gospel: Luke 4:24-30

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land.  

It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

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Reflection: 

How does God give His blessings?  God gives His blessings to anyone that He pleases and He surely doesn’t play the game of favoritism.  

If God has favorites among us because we are prayerful or because we attend Holy Mass and do noble acts. Our worship for God would now be motivated by our actions focused to get His favor.  Therefore our worship for God is not anymore motivated by our love for Him. It’s now rather motivated by the result that we want from Him.   

In our gospel Jesus shared the story of a Syrian named Naaman who was sick with leprosy. There were also many lepers in Israel around that time but God chose to heal a non Israelite named  Naaman. 

Jesus cited the story of Naaman to send a strong message to those who were listening to Him in the synagogue. That they cannot gain God’s favor by means of their self-serving acts of piety 0r worship for God that has selfish motivations.  

This is a good point of reflection for all of us for we may be doing things for God with selfish motives. Or we do things for God and our fellowmen because we want something in return from God.  

For example we would say to God, I will serve you but I request you to bless my family in return. But this is not how it is because our ways is not God’s ways, we cannot force God to do something because we want Him to do it for us.   

When we do acts for God let us make sure that we primarily do it because of our deep love for God. No other motives than our deep love for God. – Marino J. Dasmarinas    

Reflection for Sunday March 7, Third Sunday of Lent: John 2:13-25

Gospel: John 2:13-25

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace. 

His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this? Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews said “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead his disciples remembered that he had said this and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. 

While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.

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Reflection:

Is it OK to get angry? Yes, when there is a valid reason for that anger. Anger is not bad per se when you focus your anger to the act and not to the person. Anger should not also last for a long time it should only have a very limited life in our system of thinking so that it will not control us. 

In the gospel, the temple area was not anymore being used according to its purpose which is for  worship of God. It was not OK to have business there for the temple area was intended for the worship of God and nothing else but for the worship of God only. But the people used the temple for business and other unworthy things that defiled its sacredness.   

Therefore Jesus had no other choice but to create order and in the process He got angry but for a very limited time only. Anger that was justified for it reminded the people that the temple area and the temple itself must be free from anything outside of the worship of God. And from anything that is fraudulent, deceitful and immoral. The temple area and the temple itself must always be free from any form of desecration for it is the house of God. 

This is a good reminder for all of us when we go to church to worship God. We should go there only to worship God and not do anything that would defile the church. The defilement or desecration that we do is not limited to physical defilement. We also defile the church when we think of anything that is not good and ungodly while we are in the church. 

So, we go to church for the primary reason of worshipping God at Holy Mass. There should be no other reason but to worship God only. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Linggo Marso 7, Ikatlong Linggo ng Kuwaresma: Juan 2:13-25

Mabuting Balita: Juan 2:13-25

13 Malapit na noon ang Paskuwa ng mga Judio, at umahon si Jesus pa-Jerusalem. 14 Natagpuan niya sa patyo ng Templo ang mga nagtitinda ng mga baka, mga tupa at mga kalapati, at ang mga nakaupong tagapalit ng pera. 15 Kaya gumawa siya ng panghagupit mula sa mga lubid, at ipinagtabuyan ang lahat mula sa Templo, pati ang mga tupa at mga baka, at isinabog ang pera ng mga tagapalit at ipinagtataob ang mga mesa. 

16 At sinabi niya sa mga nagtitinda ng mga kalapati: “Alisin n’yo ang mga ito! Huwag n’yong gawing palengke ang Bahay ng aking Ama.” 17 Naalaala ng kanyang mga alagad na nasusulat: “Tinutupok ako ng mala­sakit sa iyong Bahay.” 18 Kaya sumagot ang mga Judio: “Anong tanda ang maipapakita mo sa amin at ginagawa mo ito?” 19 Sinagot sila ni Jesus: “Gibain n’yo ang templong ito, at ibabangon ko ito sa tatlong araw.” 

20 Sinabi naman ng mga Judio: “Apat­­-napu’t anim na taon nang itina­tayo ang templong ito, at ibabangon mo ito sa tatlong araw?” 21 Ngunit and templong katawan niya ang kanyang tinutukoy. 22 Nang iba­ngon siya mula sa mga patay, naalaala ng kanyang mga alagad ang sinabi niyang ito. Kaya naniwala sila sa Kasulatan at sa salitang sinabi ni Jesus. 

23 Nang nasa Jerusalem siya sa Piyesta ng Paskuwa, maraming nanalig sa kanyang Pangalan nang mapansin nila ang mga tandang ginagawa niya. 24 Ngunit hindi naman nagtiwala si Jesus sa kanila dahil kilala niya ang lahat. 25 Hindi niya kailangang may magpatunay tungkol sa isang tao dahil alam niya mismo kung ano nga ang nasa tao.

Reflection for March 6 Saturday of the Second Week of Lent: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

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 Jesus addressed this parable. “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:

Would you return and ask forgiveness to someone you’ve hurt? 

After wasting his money on his vices and other sinful cravings the younger son decided to humbly return to his father. He swallowed his pride; he braved the insults and ridicule that might come his way just to be home again with his father who unconditionally loved him.  

There is also a stretch in our lives that we drift away from God; we personally take command of our lives. We indulge in different worldly vices and sins thinking that it would make us happy. Then we realize that there is still this void that has not been filled by our worldly and sinful cravings. 

So  where would we go? We humbly go back to Jesus and ask for His mercy and forgiveness. Jesus will surely not refuse a repentant sinner like us. What we only have to do is to go back to Him. Never mind the many sins that we have committed for Jesus doesn’t count the sins that we have committed.    

He is always looking at our humble and repentant hearts. Therefore, we have to go back to Him for Jesus is eagerly waiting to embrace us once again. WE should not look back at our dark past anymore what is important for Jesus is our now and our future. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 5 Friday of the Second Week of Lent: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned.  

Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.  

What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” They answered him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times. Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?  

Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

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Reflection:

What is your mission as far as your faith life in this world is concerned? It’s to pay forward or share whatever you know about your faith. It’s to give life to your faith by not keeping it to yourself. And it’s to generously share whatever you know about your faith.  

 In our gospel for today, Jesus gives us the parable of the tenants who were entrusted by the landowner of his property. Before the landowner left them he first ensured that they already have all that they would need to make them productive. And so the landowner left and when harvest time came the landowner was demanding his share from the tenants.  

We are the tenants which Jesus is speaking about in the gospel.  The land or property that Jesus has entrusted to us is no other than our faith. What have we done so far to the gift of faith that He has entrusted us? Have we already shared it? Or we are still up to now keeping it to ourselves?  

If we want to grow in faith we have to humbly share it for it is in sharing our faith that we would grow in faith. It is in sharing our faith that would make us productive followers of Jesus. Many are still not properly educated as far as their faith life is concerned and many are Catholics in name only. And who is to blame for this lack of education of our catholic faith? We are partly to be blamed because many of us have not yet shared the gift of faith that Jesus has entrusted us.  

But it’s not yet late for you still have time.  Therefore you have to do something, start first by inviting your family to attend Holy Mass. Then gently teach them with whatever you know about the Bible and your catholic faith.  

Have courage to do this for God’s blessings will be upon you. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 4 Thursday of the Second Week of Lent: Luke 16:19-31

Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.  

The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’  

He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. ’Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’

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Reflection:

The story is told about a man who did not believe in God and in the afterlife. He wantonly wasted his life by living a life of sinful pleasures.   It was always a life of immoral satisfaction for him: drugs, sex, and other sinful things, in other words he had no time for God. This became his life because he did not believe in the existence of the afterlife much less God.  

Is there really an afterlife or a life which will immediately replace our present life after our life in this world is over and done with already? The answer is a resounding yes! The gospel shows us that there is an afterlife which is very different from the life that we have today. There in the afterlife exist two kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of satan where he  and his minions dwell.  

In the gospel, we see the characters of the unnamed rich and indifferent man and the poor man named Lazarus. The rich man perhaps did not believe in the afterlife or was not aware that there is an afterlife that’s why he did not mind the poor man Lazarus who was in dire need of his help. He nonchalantly ignored Lazarus as if the poor man did not exist.  

When both of them died there was a reversal of places: The poor man Lazarus who endured a difficult life when he was still alive was in the kingdom of God and the rich man who savored earthly life was in the dark kingdom of the devil.  

Why was there a reversal of places? Because the rich man was indifferent to the crying need of the poor man Lazarus. If he only knew that Lazarus was very close to God. If he only knew that Lazarus could have been God in disguise. The lesson for us is very simple, we should not ignore the crying need of the poor and we should always be sensitive to their plight.      

Do we callously ignore the poor when we encounter them or we help them by giving them something or by praying for them? – Marino J. Dasmarinas