Reflection for October 25, Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 13:10-17

Gospel: Luke 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. 

But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.” The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? 

This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?” When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

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Reflection:

Was the woman crippled by a spirit listening to Jesus in the synagogue?   

Yes she was there on a Sabbath day listening to the Lord. This woman was also a follower and she had faith otherwise he would have not been cured from her sickness that had been making life very difficult for her for eighteen years. 

Do we still have time to listen to Jesus as well? Many of us have no more time to follow and listen to Jesus for the simple reason that we are so busy following and listening to the dictates of this material and temporary world. 

So what do we get from following the dictates of this material world? Nothing but stress and emptiness! Material riches no matter how huge will never give us contentment much less peace. Let us not be misled into following this world for it’s just like chasing the wind! We will not get anything by chasing the offerings of this world except stress and eventual sickness. 

Like the sick woman in the gospel, let us choose to follow Jesus and let us choose to listen more to Jesus than to listen to this temporary and materialistic world. For the simple reason that if you have the presence Jesus in your life He would always be there for you ever ready to help and heal you. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Oktubre 25 Lunes sa Ika 30 na Linggo ng Taon: Lucas 13:10-17

Mabuting Balita: Lucas 13:10-17

10 Nagtuturo si Jesus sa isang sinagoga sa Araw ng Pa­hinga, 11 at may isang babae roon. Labingwalong taon na siyang may espiritung nagbibigay-sakit; nagkaka­kandakuba na siya at di makatingala. 12 Pag­ka­kita sa kanya ni Jesus, tinawag siya nito at sinabi: “Ba­bae, lumaya ka sa iyong sakit.” 13 Ipinatong nito sa kanya ang mga kamay at agad na nakatayo nang tuwid ang babae at nagpuri sa Diyos. 

14 Nagalit ang pangulo ng sinagoga dahil nagpagaling si Jesus sa Araw ng Pahinga kaya sinabi niya sa mga tao: “May anim na araw para magtrabaho kaya sa mga araw na iyon kayo puma­rito para mapagaling, hindi sa Araw ng Pa­hinga!” 

15 Sinagot siya ng Panginoon: “Mga mapag­kunwari, hindi ba kinakalagan ng bawat isa sa inyo ang kanyang baka o asno mula sa sabsaban nito sa Araw ng Pahinga at inilalabas para painumin? 16 At isang babae naman ang narito na anak ni Abraham na labingwalong taon nang iginapos ni Satanas. Di ba siya dapat kalagan sa Araw ng Pahinga?” 

17 Napahiya ang lahat niyang kalaban pag­karinig sa kanya pero nagalak naman ang mga tao sa lahat ng kahanga-hangang gina­gawa ni Jesus. 

1Reflection for Sunday October 24, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mark 10:46-52

Gospel: Mark 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. 

But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”  

The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

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Reflection:

What would happen if you don’t give up on something that you want to have? Sooner or later you will have what you want. What would happen if you have strong faith? You will never lose hope no matter the difficulties and challenges that you face in your life. 

We have in the gospel a blind man named Bartimaeus, because of his blindness there was no way for him to go to Jesus to ask for His healing touch. Therefore, upon hearing that Jesus was passing by he shouted his prayer to the Lord, “Jesus, son of David have pity on me.”  

 He was told to keep quite by those around him but he did not obey them he instead shouted louder once again: “Son of David have pity on me.” His persistence immediately bore fruit because Jesus heard him and the Lord subsequently called him and after a short conversation with Jesus the blind man was able to regain his sight and he became His follower. 

The healing of the blind man Bartimaeus shows us that there is hope even if we are in the darkest episodes of our lives there is hope. What is important is we do not give up no matter the difficulties so that we keep the fire of hope burning.  

What if Bartimaeus easily gave up? He could not have been healed by the Lord and he could not have become a follower of the Lord. Our prayers can move mountains so long as we never give up on our faith in the Lord.  

Do you have a prayer before the Lord? Don’t give up, continue to be persistent and continue to have faith because the good Lord will soon hear you. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for October 23, Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 13:1-9

Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means!  

But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them–do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” 

And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. 

So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

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Reflection:

What does sin do to us? It makes our life miserable and problematic but sin does not immediately show its true color. It sugarcoats itself first as pleasure or something that would make life enjoyable for us. Then when we are deep into it already it shows its hideous identity. 

Jesus through our gospel calls us to change our ways and repent from our sinfulness. Jesus has been very patient with us even if we have been offending Him for so many times. He patiently calls us everyday to permanently walk away from our sinfulness while there is still time. Let us listen to His call of repentance. 

When are we going to listen? Should we wait until such time that we are already incapacitated or when we are already on our deathbeds? It might be too late already, let us listen to Him while there is still time, let us listen to Him while we are still in the pink of health. Jesus loves us so dearly that He wants us to be liberated from the enslavement of sin. This liberation will only happen if we would listen to His call of repentance.  

What if we don’t listen to Jesus call of repentance? What would happen to us? We allow ourselves to be continuously enslaved by the devil and we all know that the devil will bring us nothing but misery. Do we want our lives to be miserable? Of course not! Nobody wants to live a miserable life. Let us therefore listen to the call of Jesus for us to repent and walk away from our sinfulness.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for October 22, Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 12:54-59

Gospel: Luke 12:54-59

Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time? 

“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

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Reflection:

Do you seek fortunetellers to know what is your future? 

Fortunetellers make a living by means of predicting the obvious things that will happen in our future. There are those who believe because what they foretold became a reality. So, they make a habit of consulting fortunetellers whenever there are major decisions to be made. 

For some who cannot afford to pay their services. They make do by reading the daily horoscope available for free in some internet sites and other newspapers. And if what is written in their horoscopes are not favorable for them they would be bothered by it.   

If we have faith in Jesus, there’s no need to consult anyone regarding our future. We only have to get closer to Jesus through prayer, by listening to Him who directly speaks to us when we read the bible and through our pious attendance at Holy Mass. 

Jesus is always an ever-present friend who is always there for us. He will not predict our future based on the obvious signs of the times. But He will always be an omnipresent companion as we walk from our present going to our future. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for October 21, Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 12:49-53

Gospel: Luke 12:49-53

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 

From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

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Reflection:

Has there been an instance in your family wherein you created conflict because you tried to correct a wrong behavior? For example, you gently reminded your spouse to go home early and not hangout with his/friends after work for the simple reason that when he arrives late he is a little bit drunk. 

In the gospel we hear Jesus telling us to loudly speak out whenever we observe deviation from normal behavior within family and friendship. If by speaking out we create walls that might temporarily divide us, so be it. 

For example, if we see immorality within the family (The husband/wife is playing with fire) should the wife/husband just ignore this and pretend to see and hear no evil with this blatant show of disrespect to her/him? Of course not! The wife/husband must speak out! 

The problem with some of us is we sometimes have a passive or no concern attitude even if there’s already wrongdoing in the family. We have this attitude because we are afraid that it will create division and enmity. 

This mindset is terribly wrong. What Jesus wants us to do whenever we see a wrongdoing is to denounce the evil inside that wrongdoing. Even if our denouncement would create temporary divisions and enmity. Why? For the simple reason that we cannot correct a wrong behavior by keeping silent.  

So, instead of keeping silent we have to denounce and make noise about the wrong doing until we exorcise the wrongdoing and the wrongdoer.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

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