Reflection for May 14 Friday Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle: John 15:9-17

Gospel: John 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.  

“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.  

I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”

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Reflection:

Have you been in love? 

Many of us have fallen in love already and many have fallen out of love as well. For those who are still in love up to this very day, say for example to your spouse   notwithstanding the hurts and pains. The love that you have in your heart is somewhat near to the love of God. 

The love of God is a love that is forgiving. It’s not a discriminating love for it does not look at the physical attributes, sins and the social standing of a person. For the love of God is a love that restores and heals.  

In the gospel, Jesus commands us, “love one another as I love you (John 15:12).” Here lies the challenge for all of us because if God’s love is encompassing our love for our fellowmen should be encompassing also. 

We should be capable of loving even those who’ve hurt us and those who do not love us in return. If we truly love Jesus, we have no other choice but to love like Jesus. – Marino  J. Dasmarinas

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Mayo 14 Biyernes San Matias apostol (Kapistahan) : Juan 15:9-17

Mabuting Balita: Juan 15:9-17

Sinabi ni Jesus sa kanyang mga alagad: 9 Kung paano ako minamahal ng Ama, gayon ko rin kayo minahal. Ma­ma­lagi kayo sa pagmamahal ko. 10 Kung isasa­katuparan ninyo ang mga kautusan ko, mamamalagi kayo sa pagmamahal ko kung paanong isina­katuparan ko ang mga kautusan ng aking Ama at nama­malagi sa kanyang pagmamahal.   

11 Sinabi ko sa inyo ang mga ito upang mapasainyo ang aking kaga­lakan at maging ganap ang inyong kagalakan. 12 Ito ang kautusan ko: magmahalan kayo kung paano ko kayo minahal. 13 Wala nang pagma­mahal na hihigit pa sa pag-aalay ng sariling buhay alang-alang sa kanyang mga kaibigan.   

14 Mga kaibigan ko kayo kung gina­gawa ninyo ang iniuutos ko sa inyo. 15 Hindi ko na kayo tinatawag na mga lingkod sapagkat hindi alam ng lingkod ang ginagawa ng kanyang panginoon. Mga kaibigan naman ang turing ko sa inyo sapagkat ipinagbibigay-alam ko sa inyo lahat ng narinig ko mula sa aking Ama. 

16 Hindi kayo ang humirang sa akin, ako ang humirang sa inyo at nagtalaga sa inyo para humayo at mamunga, at mamalagi ang inyong bunga. At ipagka­kaloob sa inyo anumang hingin n’yo sa Ama sa pangalan ko. 17 Iniuutos ko nga sa inyo: magma­halan kayo. 

Reflection for May 13 Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter: John 16:16-20

Gospel: John 16:16-20

Jesus said to his disciples: "A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me." So some of his disciples said to one another, "What does this mean that he is saying to us, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" 

So they said, "What is this 'little while' of which he speaks? We do not know what he means." Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Are you discussing with one another what I said, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy."

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Reflection:

Are you afraid of separation? 

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

Here in the gospel Jesus is saying goodbye already to his disciples for He knew that He would soon be arrested, tortured and be killed.  However, He was also saying that a little while later you will also see me, He was referring about His resurrection three days after He dies. Unlike permanent separation from a friend or relative. The disciples’ separation from Jesus was temporary for He resurrected from the dead after three days. 

We are not anymore separated from the Lord we are in fact always connected to Him. Therefore, We make  Jesus always present and alive within ourselves when we follow His teachings. And through our humility and humble acts of selfless love. – Marino J. Dasmarinas     

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Mayo 13 Huwebes sa Ikaanim na Linggo ng Pasko ng Pagkabuhay: Juan 16:16-20

Mabuting Balita: Juan 16:16-20

Noong panahong iyon, sinabi ni Hesus sa kanyang mga alagad: 16 Sandali pa at hindi n’yo na ako mapapansin, at sandali pa at makikita ninyo ako.” 17 At sinabi ng kanyang mga alagad sa isa’t isa: “Ano itong sinasabi niya sa atin: ‘Sandali pa at hindi n’yo na ako mapa­pansin at sandali pa at makikita ninyo ako.’ At ‘Papunta ako sa Ama’?” 18 At sinabi nila: “Ano ba itong sinasabi niyang ‘sandali’? Hindi natin maintin­dihan ang sinasabi niya.” 

19 Naintindihan ni Jesus na gusto nila siyang tanungin kaya sinabi niya sa kanila: “Nagtatanungan kayo tungkol dito dahil sinabi kong ‘Sandali pa at hindi n’yo na ako mapapansin, at san­dali pa at makikita ninyo ako.’ 20 Talagang-talagang sinasabi ko sa inyo, iiyak kayo at tataghoy, at maga­galak naman ang mundo. Maninimdim kayo ngunit magiging kagalakan ang inyong paninimdim.

1Reflection for May 12 Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter: John 16:12-15

Gospel: John 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. 

 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”

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Reflection:

What is the impediment that prevents us from discerning the presence of the Holy Spirit? It’s when we live our lives away from the teachings of the church. It’s when we create our own rules to follow instead of following the rules of the church. It’s when we follow the teachings of the church based on our convenience. 

 For example, the obligation of going to Holy Mass every Sunday. Many of us do not follow this Sunday obligation we instead follow our own self-created rule/s. This is the reason why we just go to Holy Mass when we feel like going. This kind of behavior prevents us from discerning the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic many of us are not able to go to Holy Mass in lieu of this we attend online Holy Mass. But many don’t have access with internet perhaps the best that we can do is to pray the Holy Rosary or we can read the Holy Mass reading for the day which we can easily find in the bible.  

The Holy Spirit acts as our honest and true counsellor who will never dare tell us to distort the truth. In fact it will tell us to speak the truth no matter who gets hurt. It will forever counsel us to do good and not to do evil to extend love and forgiveness instead of hatred and unforgiveness.  

This is the reason why we are bothered by our conscience whenever we tell lies and do wrong. And this feeling of guilt does not fade away until we tell the truth and correct the wrong/s that we have committed. 

Do you have an awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life? Live your faith and be faithful to its teachings for this is the beginning of your journey with God the Holy Spirit.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Mayo 12 Miyerkules sa Ikaanim na Linggo ng Pasko ng Pagkabuhay: Juan 16:12-15

Mabuting Balita: Juan 16:12-15

Noong panahong iyon, sinabi ni Hesus sa kanyang mga alagad: 12 Marami pa sana akong sasabihin sa inyo pero hindi ninyo masasakyan nga­yon. 13 Ngunit pagdating niya, ang Espi­ritu ng katotohanan, ihahatid niya kayo sa buong katotohanan. 

Hindi siya mangungusap mula sa ganang sarili kundi ang naririnig niya ang ipangungusap niya at ang mga bagay na darating ang ibabalita niya sa inyo. 14 Mula sa akin siya tatanggap at magbabalita sa inyo, at sa gayon niya ako luluwalhatiin. 15 Akin ang tanang sa Ama. Dahil dito kaya ko sinabing ‘Mula sa akin siya tatanggap at magbabalita sa inyo.’

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

Gospel: John 16:5-11

Jesus said to his disciples: "Now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.  

And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned."

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Reflection:    

Have you experienced saying goodbye?          

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

But let us not let our goodbye be a forgetful experience by not doing something indelible in the lives of our fellowmen. As we live in this world let us do something good that will remain forever in the hearts and minds of those who know us. So that when our time to say goodbye comes our beautiful deeds would forever be etched in the hearts of those who know us.  

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

We therefore have to be like Jesus: We always have to do good deeds.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Mayo 11 Martes sa Ikaanim na Linggo ng Pasko ng Pagkabuhay: Juan 16:5-11

Mabuting Balita: Juan 16:5-11

Noong panahong iyon, sinabi ni Hesus sa kanyang mga alagad: 5 Ngayon nama’y papunta ako sa nag­­padala sa akin, at wala sa inyong nag-ta­tanong sa akin kung saan ako pa­punta, 6 kundi tigib ng lungkot ang inyong puso dahil sinabi ko sa inyo ang lahat ng ito.  

7 Ngunit sinasabi ko sa inyo ang kato­tohanan: makabubuti sa inyong ako’y umalis sapagkat kung hindi ako aalis. hinding-hindi darating sa inyo ang Tagapagtanggol. Kung aalis naman ako, ipadadala ko siya sa inyo. 8 At pagdating niya, hihiyain niya ang mundo tungkol sa kasalanan, sa daan ng pagkamatuwid at sa paghatol.  

9 Ito ang kasalanan: hindi sila nana­nalig sa akin. 10 Ito ang daan ng pagka­matuwid: sa Ama ako papunta, at hindi na ninyo ako mapapansin. 11 At hina­tulan na ang pinuno ng mundong ito: ito ang paghatol.

Reflection for May 10 Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter: John 15 26—16:4a

Gospel: John 15:26—16:4a

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

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

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Reflection:

The story is told about a man who was trying very hard to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life. He would always be murmuring come Holy Spirit I need you, he had said this for countless times to no avail. 

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

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

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

Therefore inviting the Holy Spirit to come into our lives is not enough we first have to be faithful to the Lord and His teachings. If we do so we would soon feel the presence of the Holy Spirit which is our advocate – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Mayo 10 Lunes sa Ikaanim na Linggo ng Pasko ng Pagkabuhay: Juan 15:26—16:4a

Mabuting Balita: Juan 15:26—16:4a

Noong panahong iyon, sinabi ni Hesus sa kanyang mga alagad: "Ngunit ang Patnubay, ang Espiritu ng Katotohan, ang paparito mula sa Ama. Susuguin ko siya sa inyo buhat sa Ama, at siya ang magpapatotoo tungkol sa akin. At magpapatotoo rin kayo tungkol sa akin, sapagkat sa pasimula pa'y kasama ko na kayo. 

"Sinasabi ko ito sa inyo upang huwag kayong mawalan ng pananalig sa akin. Palalayasin nila kayo sa mga sinagoga. Darating ang panahon na ang sinumang pumatay sa inyo ay mag-aakalang naglilingkod siya sa Diyos. At gagawin nila ito sapagkat hindi nila ako nakikilala ni ang Ama. Ito'y sinasabi ko sa inyo upang, pagdating ng oras na gawin nila, maalaala ninyong ipinagpauna ko na ito sa inyo."

1Reflection for Sunday May 9, Sixth Sunday of Easter: John 15:9-17

Gospel: John 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 

“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing.  

I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”

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Reflection:

The story is told about a wife whose husband has strayed so many times. Therefore, the wife’s relatives were asking her to leave her philandering husband. However, the wife would have none of her relatives’ suggestion. She instead remained in their marriage covenant. Eventually, the philandering husband was enlightened and they lived happily until the end of their lives.  

How could we remain in God’s love forever? Jesus gives us the answer, we must keep the commandments. For example in the marriage covenant, Jesus command for the couple is to be married until the end.  To share their burdens, trials and joys forever. Not to give burdens, domination and mental torture forever.    

The only way for a married couple to remain in God’s love forever is to love his/her spouse until the end. But none of us are perfect; many of us sin and wander away from the marriage covenant. Nonetheless, we are not hopeless for Jesus also instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation for us to be within the ambit of His love again whenever we sin and stray. 

There is no perfect marriage in this world because we are not perfect beings; each of us has our own flaws and shortcomings. Therefore we should be forgiving and must always have the humility to admit our own mistakes and shortcomings.  

The love of God is always there for us each day to assure us that none of us are beyond its reach. The same with the love of a spouse for his/her beloved He/she always keeps that sacred love for his/her beloved inside her/his heart. Always hoping that the spouses who strayed would soon find the light, forgiveness and love of God.  

This is also God’s hope and expectation for you. That you may soon find the light, love and forgiveness of God which by the way is always there for you. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Mayo 9 Ikaanim na Linggo ng Pasko ng Pagkabuhay: Juan 15:9-17

Mabuting Balita: Juan 15:9-17

Sinabi ni Jesus sa kanyang mga alagad: 9 Kung paano ako minamahal ng Ama, gayon ko rin kayo minahal. Ma­ma­lagi kayo sa pagmamahal ko. 10 Kung isasa­katuparan ninyo ang mga kautusan ko, mamamalagi kayo sa pagmamahal ko kung paanong isina­katuparan ko ang mga kautusan ng aking Ama at nama­malagi sa kanyang pagmamahal.  

11 Sinabi ko sa inyo ang mga ito upang mapasainyo ang aking kaga­lakan at maging ganap ang inyong kagalakan. 12 Ito ang kautusan ko: magmahalan kayo kung paano ko kayo minahal. 13 Wala nang pagma­mahal na hihigit pa sa pag-aalay ng sariling buhay alang-alang sa kanyang mga kaibigan.  

14 Mga kaibigan ko kayo kung gina­gawa ninyo ang iniuutos ko sa inyo. 15 Hindi ko na kayo tinatawag na mga lingkod sapagkat hindi alam ng lingkod ang ginagawa ng kanyang panginoon.

Mga kaibigan naman ang turing ko sa inyo sapagkat ipinagbibigay-alam ko sa inyo lahat ng narinig ko mula sa aking Ama. 

16 Hindi kayo ang humirang sa akin, ako ang humirang sa inyo at nagtalaga sa inyo para humayo at mamunga, at mamalagi ang inyong bunga. At ipagka­kaloob sa inyo anumang hingin n’yo sa Ama sa pangalan ko. 17 Iniuutos ko nga sa inyo: magma­halan kayo. 

Reflection for May 8 Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter: John 15:18-21

Gospel: John 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples: "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. 

Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me."

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Reflection:     

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

After reading that passage he began to detest every sin that he had been doing. And he completely left behind his worldly friends that drove him to sin. As a result of his righteous and drastic actions they condemned him as someone who is already out of his mind.

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

It takes great courage to decide not to belong to this world for the reason that this would mean sacrificing temporal comforts. But it’s all worth it because if we have God we have everything if we have God we have peace and contentment and if we have God we would have flawless access to heaven someday. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Mayo 8 Sabado sa Ikalimang Linggo ng Pasko ng Pagkabuhay: Juan 15:18-21

Mabuting Balita: Juan 15:18-21

Sinabi ni Jesus sa kanyang mga alagad: 18 Kung napopoot sa inyo ang mundo, alamin n’yo na sa akin muna ito napoot bago sa inyo. 19 Kung kayo’y maka­mun­do, inibig na sana ng mundo ang sariling kanya. Ngunit dahil hindi kayo maka­mundo kundi hinirang ko kayo mula sa mundo kaya napopoot sa inyo ang mundo. 

20 Tandaan ninyo ang salitang sinabi ko sa inyo: ‘Walang lingkod na mas dakila sa kanyang panginoon.’ Di ba’t inusig nila ako? Uusigin din kayo. Tinupad ba nila ang aking salita? Gayon din nila tutuparin ang sa inyo. 21 Gagawin nila sa inyo ang lahat ng ito dahil sa aking pangalan sapag­kat hindi nila nakikilala ang nagpa­dala sa akin.