Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Agosto 4 Miyerkules San Juan Maria Vianney, pari (Paggunita): Mateo 15:21-28

Mabuting Balita: Mateo 15:21-28

Umalis doon si Jesus at nagpunta sa lupaing malapit sa Tiro at Sidon. Isang Cananea na nakatira doon ang lumapit sa kanya na sumisigaw, "Panginoon, Anak ni David, maawa po kayo sa akin! Ang anak kong babae ay sinasapian ng demonyo at labis na pinapahirapan nito."  

Ngunit hindi sumagot si Jesus. Lumapit ang kanyang mga alagad at sinabi kay Jesus, "Paalisin na nga po ninyo siya. Napakaingay niya at sunod nang sunod sa atin." Sumagot si Jesus, "Sa mga naliligaw na tupa ng sambahayan ng Israel lamang ako isinugo."    Ngunit lumapit sa kanya ang babae, lumuhod ito at nagmakaawa, "Tulungan po ninyo ako, Panginoon."  

Sumagot si Jesus, "Hindi dapat kunin ang pagkain ng mga bata at ibigay sa mga aso."  

Totoo nga, Panginoon. Ngunit ang mga aso man po ay kumakain ng mumong nalalaglag sa hapag ng kanilang panginoon," tugon ng babae. At sinabi sa kanya ni Jesus, "Napakalaki ng iyong pananampalataya! Mangyayari ang hinihiling mo." At noon di'y gumaling ang kanyang anak.

Reflection for August 3 Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 14:22-36

Gospel: Matthew 14:22-36

Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side of the sea, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone.  

Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.  

“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.  

But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”  

After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought to him all those who were sick and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as touched it were healed.

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Reflection:

The story is told about a woman who was praying to the Lord for a husband.  After two years of praying there was still no reply from the Lord. So she said, I give up my Lord for you are deaf to my prayer. The Lord replied to her telling her, if you did not give up. I would have sent you a handsome, humble and good man that would be your husband and best friend for the rest of your life.  

Lack of faith can oftentimes lead us to give up on our dreams; it can even lead us to doubt the abiding presence of Jesus in our lives.  

When Peter saw Jesus walking at sea, he asked the Lord to let him walk also on the sea going to Him and he did. While walking going to Jesus Peter saw the big waves and it distracted him. Thus Peter began to sink, yet as he was sinking he had the presence of mind to call on Jesus. Peter said, “Lord, save me!” And Jesus immediately saved him.  

This gospel episode is a timely reminder for all of us who are going through some rough times caused by the new covid-19 delta variant. We need not worry because with the Lord’s help we would eventually be able to get over this hump. We simply have to observe all the health protocols laid before us by the government, have a healthy lifestyle and of course we call on Jesus to take us out soon from this dreaded pandemic.   

Human as we are we oftentimes falter in our journey of faith with Jesus. But even if we falter in our faith life Jesus is still there for us to help and save us in whatever difficult predicament that we are in.  All we need to do is to ask the Lord to save us and Jesus will surely be there for us to save us.  

How is your faith in the Lord? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

1Reflection for August 2 Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 14:13-21

Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.  

When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.”  

But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.  

They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over— twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

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Reflection:

Do you believe that Jesus loves you dearly no matter who you are and no matter the sins that you’ve committed? Jesus’ love for the ordinary people, those who rest their lives in Him is unfathomable and it is very evident in this gospel.  

The disciples were already worried because there were so many people who were following Jesus and it was already getting late in the night and there was no available food for them. So they said to Jesus: , “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves (Matthew 14:15).”  

 The people whom the disciples wanted to dismiss were those who’d been following Jesus some were the very people whom Jesus’ cured. So Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves (Matthew 14:16).”  

The disciples were baffled! Where would they get the food for these multitudes of people? They temporarily forgot or they’ve already taken for granted that Jesus was with them. The very same Jesus who’d been performing miracles left and right for those who had been following Him.  

Perhaps, since Jesus was with them daily they’ve already treated Him as one of the guys, just an ordinary mortal. They’ve forgotten that Jesus is the Messiah and He is very capable of feeding the hundreds of people with them.  

This too happens to us: sometimes we take Jesus for granted that we don’t take Him seriously and the teachings of our catholic faith. Sometimes we don’t even care it we attend Mass or not. Sometimes we just attend Sunday Mass out of obligation not out of love and devotion for Jesus.  

Like the disciples we perhaps forget that Jesus is our God who’s capable of making a big difference in our lives. We perhaps forget that Jesus loves us no matter who we are and no matter the sins that we’ve committed.  

How's your relationship with the Lord? - Marino J. Dasmarinas     

Reflection for Sunday August 1, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: John 6:24-35

Gospel: John 6:24-35

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 

Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal. So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.  

So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat. So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”  

So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

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Reflection:   

Why do you seek the Lord?  

After the crowd was fed by Jesus in the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves (John 6:9-13) Jesus and His disciples went to Capernaum. After a day the crowd was hungry again and what happened in the multiplication of the loaves was still vivid in their minds. So they looked for Jesus hoping that He will feed them again and they found Him in Capernaum.  

They said: “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you (John 6:25-27).  

It was very clear that the crowd was looking for Jesus because He feed them. They did not look for Him because they wanted to follow Him and be one of His disciples. The action of the crowd invites us also to look at ourselves and reflect on our desire to be with Him. Do we go to Jesus because of His miracles? Or do we go to Jesus because we love Him and we want to be His partner in His mission of evangelization? Often times we go to Jesus because we need something from Him and that’s OK but the ideal desire is we go to Jesus out of our love for Him.  

In the latter part of the gospel Jesus told the crowd: “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Here, Jesus was already talking about himself to the crowd for they were still not aware of His true identity.  

Sad to say that some of us are not fully aware of the Divinity of Jesus. Some are not fully aware of what transpires during the liturgy of the Eucharist especially in the Consecration. Some are not fully aware that they receive Jesus during Communion that they don’t even care to observe Eucharistic fasting.  

Talking from experience, I noticed that during communion there are those who receive Jesus as if they are receiving ordinary bread. If only they know that what they’re about to received is the Bread of Life which is Jesus Himself!  

There is a great need for us to go to Jesus: not because we desire His miracles. We go to the Lord because of our love for Him and out of our desire to be His partner in His mission of evangelization. Let us not worry for the Lord will sustain us in this noble mission.  

Would you respond? Of course you will respond notwithstanding the distraction of the Covid-19 pandemic. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Linggo Agosto 1 Ika – 18 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon: Juan 6:24-35

Mabuting Balita: Juan 6:24-35

Noong panahong iyon, nang makita ng mga tao na wala na roon si Jesus, ni ang kanyang mga alagad, sila'y sumakay sa mga bangka at pumunta rin sa Capernaum upang hanapin si Jesus.  

Nakita nila si Jesus sa ibayo ng lawa, at kanilang tinanong, "Rabi, kailan pa kayo rito?" Sumagot si Jesus, "Sinasabi ko sa inyo: hinahanap ninyo ako, hindi dahil sa mga kababalaghang nakita ninyo, kundi dahil sa nakakain kayo ng tinapay at nabusog. Gumawa kayo, hindi upang magkaroon ng pagkaing nasisira, kundi upang magkaroon ng pagkaing hindi nasisira at nagbibigay ng buhay na walang hanggan.  

Ibibigay ito sa inyo ng Anak ng Tao, sapagkat siya ang binigyan ng kapangyarihan ng Diyos Ama." Kaya't siya'y tinanong nila, "Ano po ang dapat naming gawin upang aming maganap ang kalooban ng Diyos?" Ito ang ipinagagawa sa inyo ng Diyos: manalig kayo sa sinugo niya," tugon ni Jesus.  

Ano pong kababalaghan ang maipakikita ninyo upang manalig kami sa inyo? Ano po ang gagawin ninyo?" tanong nila. Ang aming mga magulang ay kumain ng manna sa ilang, ayon sa nasusulat, 'Sila'y binigyan niya ng pagkaing mula sa langit,' " dugtong pa nila. Sumagot si Jesus, "Dapat ninyong malamang hindi si Moises ang nagbigay sa sa inyo ng pagkaing mula sa langit, kundi ang aking Ama. 

Siya ang nagbibigay sa inyo ng tunay na pagkaing mula sa langit. Sapagkat ang pagkaing bigay ng Diyos ay yaong mula sa langit at nagbibigay-buhay sa sanlibutan." "Ginoo," wika nila, "bigyan po ninyo kaming lagi ng pagkaing iyon." "Ako ang pagkaing nagbibigay-buhay," sabi ni Jesus. "Ang lumalapit sa akin ay hindi na magugutom, at ang nananalig sa akin ay hindi na mauuhaw kailanman." 

Reflection for July 31 Saturday Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest (M): Matthew 14:1-12

Gospel: Matthew 14:1-12

Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him. Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him “It is not lawful for you to have her.  

Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.  

Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist. The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.

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Reflection:

Who is King Herod?  

King Herod is a tyrant, a leader who will never think twice to suppress anyone who dares cross his path. He will not only suppress, Herod could even order the killing of anyone he wants so that he could remain in power.  

Respect for human rights is not part of the vocabulary of Herod, abuse of human rights and dignity are. This is the reason why John the Baptist was imprisoned John did nothing wrong he simply said what was to be truthfully said yet John suffered for it.  

Many leaders are like King Herod, they would bully themselves by the use of strong words and autocratic power to achieve what they want. We should be very careful and watchful of these kinds of leaders for they will not do us any good. They will only use and manipulate us and bring us to perdition.  

Many Herods are roaming around in this world today we therefore have to be watchful so that we can immediately distance ourselves from them. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for July 30 Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:54-58

Gospel: Matthew 13:54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter's son' Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas' Are not his sisters all with us' Where did this man get all this?"  

And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.

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Reflection:

Do you sometimes allow unbelief and envy to to rule over you? For example, you saw a post of your friend on facebook about his rich and expensive lifestyle. Are you once in a while taken over by envy because of that fb post?    

Unbelief and envy ruled the feelings of Jesus’ town mates towards Him because they were familiar with Him. To them He was just a carpenter’s son; they know Him so well that they were full of skepticism about His miraculous actions and moving teachings.  

But looking deeper into their motives we can also see that they were envious of the adulation that Jesus gets from the people. This is the reality of life there really are people who are envious of the success of their fellowmen. It happened to Jesus and it’s still happening right now.  

Envy and scorn are unhealthy emotions that muddle one’s mind and heart and it prevents a person from achieving a positive outlook in his own life. 

Jesus knew of their envy, scorn and lack of faith that’s why He did not perform much miracle in His native place. If only they were not envious and scornful of Jesus, if only they were not lacking in faith they could have witnessed and even received many miracles from the Lord.  

We must always have faith in Jesus and we must discard any envious feelings toward anyone from our hearts. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for July 29 Thursday Saint Martha (M): John 11:19-27

Gospel: John 11:19-27

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died]. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 

But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.”  Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. 

Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

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Reflection:

The story is told about a young man who was living his life without a clear direction It was all boozing for him. His mother told the young man, “If you will not change you will depart this world early.” The young man said to his mother, “help me live a new life mama.” His mother told him:  “Be with me as I go to Holy Mass daily.” The man did so and slowly but surely he lived a renewed life.    

When Lazarus died both Martha and Mary were forlorn as if their world had ended with the death of their brother Lazarus. Until Jesus came to pay them a visit and from there on the sister’s hopeless life suddenly had hope and life once again.  

This is for the reason that Jesus went to visit them, that visit culminated with the raising of their brother Lazarus. Do you feel that you are without hope for the reason of the many problems that you’ve been going through?  

There is hope and you can find it in Jesus, in the midst of this problem filled world. Jesus is offering you not only hope but a new lease on life.  Believe, have hope and faith in Him and you’ll have a new life with the Lord. -  Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for July 28 Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:44-46

Gospel: Matthew 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  

Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

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Reflection:

What are you willing to give up so that you’ll find God? 

A lady in her late 20’ was working in a high paying job in a bank. Her parents thought that she was already settled in her job until she’ll have a family of her own and eventually retire.  

They suddenly had the shock of their lives when she told them that she would resign from her job and enter a convent to be a nun. After a few months she resigned and entered the convent. Years passed by until she became a full pledge member of a congregation of nuns. Amidst the secular life that she was in, the lady left everything to follow Jesus in her vocation.  

In the gospel, Jesus gave the disciples two parables about the kingdom of heaven. The first one was the parable of the treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. The second one was the parable of the merchant who was searching for fine pearls. When he found the pearl of great price, he sold everything that he has and buys it.”  

In both instances the individuals involved left everything they have and sought  the kingdom of heaven. It was an easy decision for them to make because they saw the hidden splendor of God’s kingdom.  

The trappings of this material world often times present itself as the doorway to our happiness. We chase it even at the cost of our honor and dignity and after we catch up with it we find out that happiness does not reside there. We end up still looking for that elusive happiness and contentment in life. The big mistake of most of us is that we equate our happiness and contentment with the material things of this world.  

True happiness, contentment and peace of mind can only be found in God. For He is our hidden treasure; He is our pearl of exceptional quality. -  Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for July 27 Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:36-43

Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.  

The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.  

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

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Reflection:

How are you living your life today? Are you living it in accord with what Jesus wants you to live it? 

 Many of us live life as if there is no tomorrow, we live life to enjoy whatever this world could offer us, including sin. But life lived for this world alone is not the real life; there is something more profound than the life that we enjoy in this fleeting world.    

The profound life is a life lived in the company of Jesus. But how could we discover the movement of Jesus in our lives? There are so many ways to discern this movement of Jesus in our lives.  

For example, we will discover that Jesus wants to have a deep friendship with us through a relative or a good friend. Through a written commentary that we just read out of nowhere and this written commentary made us think about how we are living our lives today.  

The good friend and the written commentary that we’ve read are part of the many seeds that Jesus sows in our hearts. And Jesus expects nothing less from us than to listen to Him so that He could guide us as we journey in this fleeting world.  

At the end of the gospel Jesus speaks about harvest time or judgment day. When would this be? This will be at the end of our lives, when we die to be more specific. We will be judged according to what we’ve done in this world. If we listened to Jesus we will have a place in His kingdom. - Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Hulyo 27 Martes sa ika-17 na Linggo ng Taon: Mateo 13:36-43

Mabuting Balita: Mateo 13:36-43

36 At pinaalis ni Jesus ang mga tao at saka pumasok sa bahay. Lumapit noon sa kanya ang kanyang mga alagad at nagtanong: “Ipaliwanag mo sa amin ang talinhaga ng mga trigo sa bukid.” 37 Su­magot si Jesus: “Ang nagtanim ng ma­buting buto ay ang Anak ng Tao.  

38 Ang bukid naman, ang daigdig; ang mabuting buto, ang mga tao ng Kaha­rian; at ang masasamang damo, ang mga tauhan ng demonyo. 39 Ang kaaway na naghasik sa kanila ay ang demonyo; ang pag-aani ay ang kata­pusan ng mundo, at ang mga mang­gagawa ay ang mga anghel.  

40 Kung paanong tinitipon ang masa­samang damo at sinusunog sa apoy, ga­nito rin ang mangyayari sa katapusan ng mundo. 41 Ipadadala ng Anak ng Tao ang kanyang mga anghel at titipunin nila sa kanyang kaharian ang mga eskandalo at ang mga guma­gawa ng masama.  

42 At itatapon ang mga ito sa nagliliyab na pugon kung saan may iyakan at pagnga­ngalit ng ngipin. 43 At pagkatapos nito, magni­ningning ang mga makatarungan tulad ng araw sa Kaharian ng kanilang Ama. Makinig ang may tainga!

Reflection for July 26 Monday Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary (M): Matthew 13:31-35

Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.  "The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'" He spoke to them another parable. "The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened." 

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.

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Reflection:

Do you want to grow your faith? 

The tiny mustard seed became the largest of plants, the yeast was little until it was mixed with three measures of wheat flour after which it grew bigger. There’s that transition in the gospel for both parables from being small both grew big. 

By virtue of the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of Confirmation God planted that small seed of faith within us. God has no other desire but for us to nurture it and let it grow and bloom so other could benefit from it. 

God’s desire is for us to nurture our faith, it’s His perpetual yearning for us: to grow our faith. Let us therefore ask Jesus to grant us the grace to increase our faith. And of course let us also do our part by faithfully adhering to the teachings of the church, by our pious presence at Holy Mass if this is not possible caused by the Covid-19 pandemic thru online Holy Mass and by reading the bible. 

Thus our faith would grow, just like the tiny mustard seed which grew big and the yeast which livened the three measures of wheat flour. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

1Reflection for Sunday July 25, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mark 6:1-15

Gospel: John 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" 

He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people recline." 

Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted. 

"So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world." Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

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Reflection:

The story is told about a young woman who was doubting if she would be able to fulfill her childhood ambition to become a doctor. So, she asked her mother to pray that she would be able to realize her childhood dream. Then, her mother said to her, “Daughter the Lord will help you achieve your childhood dream for as long you don’t doublt.  

Do you sometimes doubt when you have a prayer before Jesus?   

Our doubts will always be a stumbling block for the realization of what we pray for. But why doubt? Perhaps our faith is lacking or perhaps we have not yet developed a close friendship with Jesus that is why we doubt. Doubt by itself is a negative word and as such is not good and helpful to us. We therefore have to eliminate doubt in our system of thinking so that we would be able to achieve whatever we want. 

In our gospel for this Sunday, Philip and Andrew were already doubting if Jesus would be able to feed the large crowd that have been following Him. Philip said to Jesus, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little." (John 6:7) Andrew said to Jesus "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" (John 6:8-9) 

Jesus simply told them: “Have the people recline." (John 6:10) And after which the multiplication of the loaves and fish happened. They therefore were able to feed the five thousand men and they had plenty to spare. 

What is the lesson that the Lord is trying to communicate with us in this miracle of the loaves and fish? There is no impossible with Jesus. Everything is possible for those who never doubt, for those who always believe and for those who have faith in Jesus. 

Do you want something from the Lord? Trust, believe, have faith and you will have it. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for July 24 Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:24-30

Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.  

The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from? He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’  

He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”

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Reflection:

The story is told about a married man and woman who chose to engage in an adulterous relationship. It's no-brainer that the will of God for both of them is not to engage in that sinful relationship. But, they disregarded God’s will to satisfy their lustful, shameless, wicked and bestial will.  

Perhaps we wonder, why there are people who choose to go against the will of God. Instead of living life attuned to the desire of God they live it according to what they want even if what they want is sinful. Therefore, in pursuing what they want they immerse themselves into sin. Thus, they become the sales representatives or the walking advertisements of the devil in this world.  

However, why does God allow sin? Why does He allow it to exist and in the process temp or even destroy us? When He can easily eliminate it from our environment? Lest we forget that our God is not a dictatorial God our God is a God of love and part of that love of God is to give us the freewill to choose for ourselves what we want to do in this world.  

God has a purpose for allowing sin to exist which is for us to avoid, confront and eliminate it. We have to remember that by virtue of our baptism we became Jesus’ extension in this world. Hence, Jesus expects us not only to avoid, not only to confront but to neutralize sin immediately the moment it rears its devious head.    

What if they would not or we would not stop sinning? We must prepare for its many consequences including death. In the Bible Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans tells us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). And Jesus alludes to this severe punishment in the gospel by saying: “Collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning.” (Matthew 13:30)  

Nevertheless, why go to the extent of experiencing the very painful wages of sin when we can confront and eliminate it immediately? – Marino J. Dasmarinas