1Reflection for October 20, Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 12:39-48

Gospel: Luke 12:39-48

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. 

Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. 

That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

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Reflection:

Are you a faithful and prudent steward of the Lord?

We are all just stewards of everything that we have right. It’s not ours everything that we have right now is only lent to us God. For example, the power that we have, the intelligence, the material wealth and our spiritual gift and so forth.  As such, we should properly manage and use  what we have in our possession. We should all be worthy stewards; we should put to good use whatever talents that God has given us.

However, if we would not be up to the task that God has given us. We can rest assure that eventually everything that we have will be taken from us because we were not worthy of the blessings that God bestowed on us.

The gospel today talks about the coming of the Son of Man.  The servants who were caught unaware were busy doing their own thing. These servants are like some of us; always very busy with the things of this world. We forget God or God becomes only our second or third priority.

We must put God forward first, before anything else it should be God first. How about the things of this world? It should be secondary. When we put God first and we abhor sin everything else would follow including our need for material things. - Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for October 19, Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 12:35-38

Gospel: Luke 12:35-38

Jesus said to his disciples: “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.  

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants.”

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Reflection:

Why does Jesus tells us to be vigilant? Because we never know when he will come, He may come any day that we least expect. This is how much Jesus loves us! If Jesus doesn’t love us He wouldn’t bother to tell us to be prepared. But in truth and in fact Jesus loves us dearly, are we able to reciprocate this great love of Jesus for us?  

If we continue to do good; if we continue to be humble, if we are able to attend Holy Mass if we continue to bring others closer to Jesus and if we can walk away from sin then we are prepared. Are these already enough preparation for the coming of the Lord? We never know for we don’t have the capacity to read the mind of God.  

Nevertheless, Jesus has already given us the lead on how we can best prepare ourselves for the great coming of the Lord. What if we are not prepared? We have nobody to blame but ourselves for this simply means that we refused to heed the call of Jesus.  

Yet, there are many who live their life as if they own it for themselves, as if they are in control of their lives. But nobody is in control except Jesus that’s why we must always be prepared.  

Life is never permanent we may be in the pink of health today but we never know what may happen to us the next day or even the next minute. We never know if the breath that we will take before we sleep tonight is our last or not, this is how fragile life is.  

This gospel is a wake up call for all of us to always be prepared. Are you always prepared? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

1Reflection for October 18, Monday Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist Luke 10:1-9

Gospel: Luke 10:1-9

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. 

Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household. If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 

Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you cure the sick in it and say to them ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.

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Reflection:

Why did Jesus send the seventy-two disciples in pairs? Jesus could have sent them one by one so that they could cover more ground thus the spread of the gospel would be much faster. But Jesus chose them to go in pairs. 

In pairs for the reason that He wanted them to help each other in doing their mission for Him.   Jesus had it already in His mind that to do His mission is realistically not that easy. So, He deemed it right and wise to send them in pairs for them to help each other as they face the many challenges of their mission. 

Why do we exist in this world? Do we exist for ourselves only? Of course not! We exist in this world for a reason. And that reason is to help our fellowmen; we need to extend to them the good news about Jesus. We need to feed the hungry; we need to clothe those who do not have clothes. And we need to give hope to those who are losing hope.   

This is our vocation and mission as followers and missioners of Christ Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Sunday October 17, Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mark 10:35-45

Gospel: Mark 10:35-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?" They answered him, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.  

Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" They said to him, "We can." Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.  

Jesus summoned them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.  

For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
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 Reflection:

The story is told about a young man who saw the arrival of their bishop in their parish church. The young man was so overwhelmed by the respect that was being given by the parishioners to the bishop. Many were bowing to him; some were holding his right hand so that they could put it on their forehead for them to be blessed.  Others were lining up to kiss the bishop’s ring. The young man was so impressed by what he saw that he said to his parents, I want to become a bishop someday so that I will also be admired and respected. 

James and John were also after respect and admiration this is the reason why they asked Jesus if they could sit beside Him in His kingdom. They wanted those who would see them to be  in awe by the influence that they have. Imagine sitting beside the Lord, it is a badge of honor; it is something that will make any believer proud. But Jesus rebuked them by saying, “You do not know what you are asking.” 

Why do we aspire for respect and admiration? Do we want it because it enhances our self-worth and ego? Do we want it for the reason that we want others to look up to us and perceive us as someone who is influential? It is all of the above and more, whether we admit it or not many of us are craving for self-centered honor to be bestowed upon us for we hunger and love it.       

But in Jesus’ viewpoint self-centered honor, egotism, and every kind of action for us to be adored and exalted amounts to nothing. Because Jesus himself shunned all of these exaltation, Jesus avoided it like a plague. What is important for Jesus is to follow the will of God and that is none other than humble service to His people. This eventually led Him to suffer and eventually sacrifice His very own life on the cross.   

We ask ourselves now: Why do we aspire to be great, to be popular and to be admired. The answer is no brainer: Many of us simply want to increase our temporal human value, we want to feed our hungry egos. But all of these are self-promotion which does not count in the eyes of the Lord. – Marino J. Dasmarinas   

Reflection for October 16, Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 12:8-12

Gospel: Luke 12:8-12
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.

“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”
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Reflection:
Are you proud with your relationship with Jesus? Do you own it like a badge of honor? Of course you will say that you are proud. However, this not always true because there are instances that you betray Jesus for the fleeting things of this world.

The sad truth is our profession of love for Jesus is often times lip service only. When we are faced with temptation we oftentimes give up Jesus in favor of the fleeting temptation. When we are put on the spot to make a stand for Jesus we betray Him easily just like how Judas betrayed Jesus.

If we say that we love Jesus we must be proud of it and we must live it, we must not betray Jesus for the things of this world. For what is this world compared to having a relationship with our Lord and Savior?

What would it do us if we acquire all the things and cravings of this temporary world but in the process we lose our relationship with the Lord? Nothing except misery and problems! We always have to remember that what we presently own and have we will leave or it will leave us.

How about Jesus? He will never leave us, in good times and in bad, in our sorrows and triumphs and in life in this world and beyond this world. He will always be there for us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for October 15, Friday Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church: Luke 12:1-7

Gospel: Luke 12:1-7
At that time so many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot. Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.

“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops. I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. I shall show you whom to fear.

Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one. Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”
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Reflection:
Does God know everything about us?

Yes, God knows everything about us; including those sins that we think are known only to ourselves He knows too! What is the proof that God knows about it? The proof is our conscience which bothers us whenever we sin. These sins would continue to bother us until we ask forgiveness or we make amends to the person whom we have hurt.

God is an all-knowing and all-pervading God. We therefore have to shape up and walk away from sin while we still have the luxury of time. We also have to do away with the sinful thoughts that we keep in our minds.

It would be much better if we always align all our thoughts and actions with God. So that when our time to leave this world comes we would be ready. Thus, from here we go straight to the eternal dwelling of God.

However, we are weak human beings we often times sin but we can overcome this weakness if ask the Lord to help us overcome it and if we would strongly resolve to overcome it. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Oktubre 15 Biyernes Santa Teresa de Jesus, dalaga at pantas ng Iglesia (Paggunita) Lucas 12:1-7

Mabuting Balita: Lucas 12:1-7

1 Nang magkatipon ang libu-libong tao hanggang magkatapakan na sila, sinimulang sabihin ni Jesus sa kanyang mga alagad: “Mag-ingat muna kayo sa lebadura ng mga Pariseo, na walang iba kundi ang pag¬ku¬kunwari.

2 Walang tinatakpan na di mabu¬bun¬yag, walang natatago na di malalaman. 3 Kaya naman, ang sinabi ninyo sa dilim, sa liwanag maririnig; at ang ibi¬nulong ninyo sa mga kuwarto, sa bubungan ipahahayag.

4 Sinasabi ko naman ito sa inyo na mga kaibigan ko: huwag ninyong kata¬kutan ang mga nakapapatay sa katawan at wala nang magagawa pa. 5 Ituturo ko sa inyo kung sino ang dapat ninyong katakutan: matakot kayo sa may kapangyarihang pumatay at may ka¬pangyarihan pang mag¬bulid sa impiyerno.

Oo, sinasabi ko sa inyo, ito ang kata¬kutan ninyo. 6 Di ba’t ipinag¬bibili nang dala¬wang pera ang limang maya? Subalit isa man sa kanila’y di nalilimutan ng Diyos. 7 Bilang na pati ang lahat ng buhok sa inyong ulo. Huwag ka¬yong matakot; mas maha¬laga pa kayo kaysa maraming maya. 

Reflection for October 14, Thursday of the Twenty-eight Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 11:47-54

Gospel: Luke 11:47-54

The Lord said: “Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets whom your fathers killed. Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building. 

Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute’ in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building.

Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood! Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.” When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things, for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.

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Reflection:

Why were the Pharisees and scribes angry with Jesus? It was for the reason that Jesus was telling the truth about their hypocrisy and double speak.  The truth hurts but Jesus doesn’t mince words He tells it as He sees it.  So Jesus tells it directly to them without fear because He wants them to open their minds about their pretentions and double standard. 

When somebody corrects us and tells negative things about us; let us accept it as a constructive criticism and let us look at it on a positive way.  Where we can learn and further improve, if we close our minds to criticism it’s like saying that we don’t want to improve. And those who do not want to improve and those who refuse correction would never become better individuals.   

Let us remember that nobody is perfect except God. We all have our own flaws and shortcomings and these are natural for we are imperfect humans. We all are subject to our own frailties and weakness.  What is important is we accept corrections and we make it as our reference point for us to become better and useful citizens of this fleeting world.   

Let us therefore always be humble let us be open to advice, let us always be open to corrections and let us make these as a springboard for us to become better citizens of this world and eventually beyond this world. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for October 13, Wednesday of the Twenty-eight Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 11:42-46

Gospel: Luke 11:42-46

The Lord said: “Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others. Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces. Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.” 

Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply, “Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.” And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.

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Reflection:

Do you live what you say? For example you will say to your children that they should live simply yet your lifestyle is not simple because you want expensive things. How will your children follow and believe what you say? 

Jesus is angry with the Pharisees because many of them were full of pretension their external actions were very much different from their internal thought. They command the people to do this and that yet they themselves were not willing to do it. 

What Jesus wants for the Pharisees then and for us now is to lead by example; let us mean what we say and live what we say. This is where we are often lacking, yes we go to church and yes we worship God. But do we translate these to living acts of faith? 

Let us not be like the Pharisees and the scholars of the law who are very good only in giving orders. Let us be like Jesus who put into action every word and phrase that He said.

 Jesus lived every word that He preached, for example Jesus preached simplicity of lifestyle, He therefore lived this simple lifestyle. Jesus preached about forgiveness, mercy and love and He lived His preaching of forgiveness, mercy and love as well.

Do you live a simple lifestyle and are you forgiving, merciful and loving? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for October 12, Tuesday of the Twenty-eight Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 11:37-41

Gospel: Luke 11:37-41

After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal. 

The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

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Reflection:

What do you do when you invite people to dine in your home? 

Many of us discreetly observe them especially if our invited guests are few the more that we observe them. We sometimes pretend to be busy but we observe them quietly: How they behave and so forth. 

However, amidst our being observant Jesus wants to tell us something: Let us not judge them based on their external behavior. Because our judgment based on what we see do not really represent who they really are. There’s a whole lot more that we could discover from them if we would not be quick on judging them. 

It feeds our ego when we are noticed based on our external appearance: What we do, the clothes that we wear, our physical appearance etc. The more that we are noticed the more that we would reinforce our external actions. These are all superficial, before God these egocentric actions count for nothing before the eyes of God. 

What counts before God are those that are not seen by our eyes. What counts before the Lord is what is inside us not what is outside of us. Those that are not seen such as: Clean conscience, a caring, forgiving and loving heart and a mind that has no place for ill thoughts. 

Perhaps, the Pharisee in our gospel invited Jesus to his house not out of his goodwill and kindness. He invited Jesus because he wants to see if Jesus would subscribe to the many rituals of their Jewish faith. 

Are many of us not like this Pharisee? When friends come to our house we also observe them as to how they would behave. And based on what we saw we would now conjure our unfavorable conclusion towards them. 

But our judgment is often wrong for we don’t know what’s inside the heart of the person. And besides, it’s hard to judge based solely on the few times that we’ve observed them. Let us not judge quickly and let us not judge based on what we see. 

Are you quick to judge? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for October 11, Monday of the Twenty-eight Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 11:29-32

Gospel: Luke 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 

At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. 

At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

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Reflection:

Do you ask for signs before you decide about an important decision? For example, if you’re a woman, would you ask for a sign if the man courting you is the right one for you? And based on that sign you now would decide to say yes or no to that man? 

Jesus is much bigger than the signs that we ask for from God. If we have Him in our hearts we need not ask anymore for signs. But do we allow Jesus to have a special place in our hearts? Jesus has a simple request for all of us for Him to dwell in our hearts. The simple request is our repentance from all of our sins. This is His simple request for all of us, so that He could dwell in our hearts. 

During the time of Jonah, the people of Nineveh listened to Jonah’s call of repentance. Otherwise there would be destruction upon them. So they listened, they’ve put on sackcloth to show God that they are sorry for the many sins that they’ve committed and they are ready to walk away from it. 

Why do we continue to embrace sin when it will not do us any good? Why do we continue to embrace sin when we know for a fact that sin is evil and it eventually will destroy us? We continue to sin because the devil gives us generous incentives to commit it. But there is always a time of reckoning and we will be destroyed eventually because we decided to embrace the devil. 

If we will love this world more than we love God we certainly will continue to sin. However, God is always there for us no matter how sinful we are, ever ready to embrace us with His infinite love, mercy and forgiveness. 

Prayer:

We are sinful creatures of this world O Lord and we are tired of sinning for it has not brought anything good into our lives. We seek your forgiveness O Lord and we seek your love, this we pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Sunday October 10, Twenty-eight Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mark 10:17-30

Gospel: Mark 10-17-30

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother." 

He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.  

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?"  

Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

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Reflection:

The story is told about a man who went to a foreign country to work for a company that was offering him a high paying job. The man was already living a comfortable life with his mother and siblings but he wanted to accquire more material wealth.  

So, he went abroad amid the protestation of his mother. While he was abroad he lived a promiscuous life which resulted in him getting sick of Covid-19. This is a sad story brought about by the man’s greed for material possessions.  

In this Sunday’s gospel there is a man who asked Jesus this question, “Good teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus enumerated what he must do and the man said, "All of these I have observed from my youth." But Jesus told him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." With that statement his face fell, and he walked away sad, for he had many possessions.  

Eternal life was already within reach for the man in the gospel. And the man in our story was already living a comfortable life. But they both let go of it because they were so enslaved by their greed for material possessions.     

Many of us are also enslaved by our greed for material possessions such as money and the like. We greedily want more of it even if we can live with a little of it. We are very much willing to have it even if we barter our souls to the devil. We may not know it but our greed for material wealth is the foundation of our many troubles in this world. 

For example many siblings and relatives are not in speaking terms because they cannot agree on how to divide their inherited wealth. Many parents are problematic with their grown up children for the reason that they spoiled them with material wealth but they famished them with parental love and guidance. 

It is never too late to let go of our greed for material possession in favor of harmony, peace of mind and love in the family. It is never too late to share our wealth with the poor to have eternal life with God. And it’s never too late to follow God in exchange for all that we have in this world.     

When we are already at the doorway of death our material possessions will not be a factor for our salvation. What will become a factor is the response that we gave God when He invited us to follow HIM in exchange for everything that we have in this world. 

The gospel invites us to think deeply on how we are presently living  our lives in this world: Are we living our lives for this world or we live it for the glory of God? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for October 9, Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 11:27-28

Luke 11:27-28

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

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Reflection:

How can we hear the healing voice of God? But does God speak to us in the first place? Yes of course God speaks to us when we pray. God speaks to us when we read the scriptures. God speaks to us also through the poor, hungry and spiritually deprived person.  

What would you do after hearing God speak to you? You should act, you must learn to translate your conversation with God though your concrete acts of faith.  

Many of us sometimes forget to have a daily interaction with Jesus. Sad to say but we often spend more time browsing the internet, tinkering our smart phones or in front of our high definition television rather than listen to God. This is the reality; we lack time for God that’s why we have so many worries.  

But the moment we learn to hear and listen more to God. We would begin to have a more peaceful life. Yes from time to time there would still be problems but we would be able to pull through it. Why? For the reason that we now have that deeper friendship with God. Facilitated by our frequent interaction with Him.  

If we can make time for our many earthly undertakings, why can’t we create time for God? We gain more wisdom when we create time for God. And when we translate our interactions with God to actual acts of faith.  

Have time to listen to God and you will begin to become deaf to the worries of this world. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for October 8, Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 11:15-26

Gospel: Luke 11:15-26

When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd 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. 

“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”

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Reflection:

What motivates us to accuse falsely or to destroy the good reputation of our fellowmen? It’s greed, anger, envy and other negative emotions. These emotions are so dangerous that it could even lead us to kill. All of these are devious instruments of Satan. All of these are used by Satan to capture us. 

How could we refuse these enticements of Satan? We must be prayerful, we must always do good. We must at all times be focused on our mission to spread the teachings of Jesus through our words and actions. 

By doing good, Jesus was accused as being with Satan, what a reckless accusation emanating from the crowd! Is it Jesus siding with the demon or the crowd siding with the demon? The demon will never do good it will always seek to create chaos and manufacture baseless accusations. 

Come to think of it, by accusing Jesus the crowd allowed themselves to be used by the demon himself. In like manner we also allow ourselves to be an instrument of the demon when we purposely accuse people even without a grain of truth. 

The demon or devil is a clear and present danger to all of us. It’s always there looking for the right timing to capture us. However, if we are close to Jesus and we practice and live the teachings of Jesus. We have nothing to worry because the devil can do nothing to us. 

Do you always create time to get closer to Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas