Short, Simple and Personal reflections on the daily Holy Mass Gospel. I provide talks.
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Tuesday, November 02, 2021
Reflection for Sunday November 7, Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mark 12:38-44
Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Linggo Nobyembre 7 Ika-32 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon: Marcos 12:38-44
41 Naupo si Jesus sa tapat ng kabang-yaman at tiningnan ang paghuhulog ng mga tao ng pera para sa Templo. Maraming mayamang nagbigay ng malalaking halaga. 42 At may dumating na isang pobreng biyuda na naghulog ng dalawang barya.
43 Kaya tinawag ni Jesus ang kanyang mga alagad at sinabi sa kanila: “Talagang sinasabi ko sa inyo na pinakamahalaga sa lahat ang inihulog ng biyudang ito sa kabang-yaman. 44 Naghulog nga ang lahat mula sa sobra nila, ngunit siya nama’y mula sa kanyang kasalatan. Inihulog nga niya ang lahat ng nasa kanya – ang mismong ikabubuhay niya.”
Reflection for November 6, Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 16:9-15
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all
these things and sneered at him. And he said to them, “You justify yourselves
in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem
is an abomination in the sight of God.”
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Reflection:
Do you allow yourself to be influenced by the love of material things?
Advertisers continuously bombard us with ads that entice us to love material things for example, these smart phones. Manufacturers would always come up with new models to drive up their sales and profit. So what we do is we buy simply because we allow ourselves to be captured by the very enticing advertising even if there’s actually no need yet for us to buy it.
This is what we must watch out for because if we are not careful there’s that tendency to serve the God of this world which is mammon or money. Who is behind this advertisers that induces us to mindlessly spend so that we are always busy to earn more money until we eventually shun God in our lives?
The one behind is the Devil it deludes us to believe that mammon or materialism is the be all and end all of life. And if we are not careful we may believe it thus we may favor mammon over God. But we all know that mammon is an instrument of the devil to take us away from God.
We therefore have to choose God over the
God of this world which is mammon or materialism. If we choose God we would
have peaceful lives. We may not be able to ward off every problems that may
come our way. But we would be able to handle it no matter how difficult it may
be. Why? Because we’ve chosen to be with God and not allow ourselves to be
captured by this materialistic driven world. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Nobyembre 6, Sabado sa Ika-31 na Linggo ng Taon: Lucas 16:9-15
10 Ang mapagkakatiwalaan sa maliliit na bagay ay mapagkakatiwalaan din sa malalaki, at ang di mapagkakatiwalaan sa maliliit ay di rin mapagkakatiwalaan sa malalaki. 11 Kung hindi kayo mapagkatiwalaan sa di-matuwid na pera, sino ang magtitiwala sa inyo ng tunay na kayamanan?
12 Kung hindi kayo mapagkatiwalaan sa mga bagay na hindi talaga sa inyo, sino pa kaya ang magbibigay sa inyo ng talagang inyo? 13 Walang katulong na makapagsi-silbi sa dalawang amo; siguradong kamumuhian niya ang isa at mamahalin naman ang isa pa, o magiging matapat sa isa at mapababayaan ang ikalawa. Hindi kayo makapaglilingkod sa Diyos at sa pera.”
14 Naririnig ng mga
Pariseo ang lahat ng ito. Sakim sila kaya pinagtatawanan nila siya. 15 At
sinabi ni Jesus sa kanila: “Ginagawa ninyo ang lahat para magmukhang mabuti
sa paningin ng mga tao ngunit alam ng Diyos ang inyong mga puso. At
kasuklam-suklam sa paningin ng Diyos ang mataas sa mga tao.
Reflection for November 5, Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 16:1-8
I am not strong enough to dig and I am
ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the
stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ He called in his master’s
debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He
replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory
note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ Then to another he said, ‘And
you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’ He said
to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ And the master
commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this
world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children
of light.
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This is the big danger that may come to the lives of those who are materially successful there’s that tendency to drown in their worldly success. And totally forget that they’re simply stewards of their material possession.
What is the secret to a successful and
fulfilling life? We must learn how to share not only to share a small portion
of what we earn. We must hugely share for we are merely stewards with the
things that we have. It’s not ours to own; we have what we have right now for
us to share it and not to keep it to ourselves. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Nobyembre 5 Biyernes sa Ika-31 na Linggo ng Taon: Lucas 16:1-8
3 At inisip ng katiwala: ‘Tatanggalin ako ngayon sa pangangasiwa ng aking panginoon. Ano ang gagawin ko? Kulang ako ng lakas para magbungkal ng lupa, nahihiya naman akong magpalimos. 4 Ah, alam ko na ang gagawin ko. At pagkatanggal sa akin sa pangangasiwa, may mga magpapatuloy sa akin sa kanilang mga bahay.’
5 Kaya tinawag niyang isa-isa ang mga may-utang sa kanyang panginoon. Tinanong niya ang una: “Magkano ang utang mo sa aking panginoon?’ 6 Sumagot ito: ‘Sandaang galon ng langis.’ Sinabi ng katiwala: ‘Narito ang resibo mo; maupo ka agad at isulat mo: Limampu.’ 7 Tinanong naman niya ang ikalawa: ‘At ikaw, magkano ang utang mo?’ Sumagot siya: ‘Sanlibong takal ng trigo.’ Sinabi ng katiwala: ‘Narito ang iyong resibo at isulat mo: Walundaan.”
8 Hinangaan ng panginoon ang mata¬linong paggawa ng di-matuwid na katiwala. Mas matalino nga ang mga taong makamundo sa pakikitungo sa mga gaya nila kaysa mga tao ng liwanag.
Reflection for November 4, Thursday Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop (M): Luke 15:1-10
And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.
“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp
and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she
does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ In just the same
way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one
sinner who repents.”
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Reflection:
What is your attitude toward the so-called sinners of our society? For example, if you have a sibling and you perceive him to be a sinner, how would you treat him? Should you simply ignore him? Or you would build bridge to gently seek him out and let him know that the love of Jesus knows no bounds. That the love of Jesus upon him is not diminished by the sins that he has committed.
There are many of us who give up on the lost or sinners and we cannot blame ourselves for this because this is basic human nature. For example if you have a spouse who is a serial womanizer and you have forgiven him for so many times and yet he does not change his ways. What is your natural reaction to this kind of attitude? Isn’t that your natural reaction is to raise your hands in surrender and give up on that unrepentant spouse?
If we give up with sinners, Jesus doesn’t give up He will continuously seek out the lost or sinners until He finds them. And when Jesus finds them, He will do everything (without questions asked!) to let this sinner feel His infinite love, mercy and forgiveness.
The parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin is a showcase of the
infinite love of Jesus for us. We who are all sinners and we who continue to
struggle with sin. There’s hope after all for all of us sinners for as long as
we immediately walk away from anything that makes us sin. - Marino J.
Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Nobyembre 4 Huwebes San Carlos Borromeo, obispo : Lucas 15:1-10
Mabuting Balita: Lucas 15:1-10
1 Lumapit kay Jesus ang
lahat ng kolektor ng buwis at mga makasalanan para makinig. 2 Kaya
nag¬bulung-bulungan ang mga Pariseo at mga guro ng Batas: “Tinatanggap niyan
ang mga makasalanan at nakikisalo sa kanila.” 3 Kaya sinabi ni Jesus ang
talinhagang ito sa kanila:
4 “Kung may sandaang tupa ang isa sa inyo at mawala ang isa sa mga ito, hindi ba niya iiwan ang siyamnapu’t siyam sa ilang para hanapin ang nawawala hanggang matagpuan niya ito?
5 At pag natagpuan ito’y masaya niya itong pinapasan sa balikat, 6 at pagdating sa bahay ay tatawagin niya ang mga kaibigan at mga kapitbahay at sasabihin sa kanila: ‘Matuwa kayong kasama ko sapagkat natagpuan ko na ang nawawala kong tupa.’ 7 Sinasabi ko sa inyo: mag-kakaroon din ng higit na kagalakan sa langit para sa isang makasalanang nagsisisi kaysa siyam-napu’t siyam na matuwid na di nangangailangan ng pagsisisi.
8 Kung may sampung baryang pilak ang isang babae at nawala ang isa sa mga ito, hindi ba siya magsisindi ng ilaw, magwawalis sa bahay at hahanaping mabuti hanggang matagpuan ito? 9 At pagkakita rito’y tatawagin ang mga kaibigang babae at mga kapitbahay: ‘Matuwa kayong kasama ko sapagkat natagpuan ko ang nawawala kong baryang pilak.’ Sinasabi ko sa inyo na ganito rin sa mga anghel ng Diyos, magkakaroon ng kagalakan para sa isang makasalanang nagsisisi.”
Reflection for November 3, Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 14:25-33
Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away, he
will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, everyone of you
who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
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Reflection:
Have you already watched/listened to a life testimony about Jesus? Majority of these testimonies deals with the many blessings that they’ve received from the good Lord. You would also hear testimony about their sufferings and crosses and how Jesus helped them carry it.
In our gospel for today, Jesus speaks to us about the suffering and crosses that is incorporated with our discipleship. Jesus tells us: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” What do these profound words of Jesus convey?
This conveys that if we want to follow Jesus we should also be open to carry our own cross and endure our share of suffering/s. Because it is only through these two that we could have that true feeling of companionship with Jesus. If we say, that life is all bed of roses since we’ve followed Jesus. Then, we have not really felt the true companionship of Jesus in our lives.
True discipleship for Jesus is felt only when we suffer for His sake, when we are willing to carry our cross for His sake. And when we are willing to give even our very lives so that others may live and have that encounter with Jesus. This is the real essence of authentic discipleship for Jesus.
In the silence of our hearts let us examine
our own discipleship with Jesus. Have we already suffered for Him? Have we
already carried our cross for Him? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Nobyembre 3 Miyerkules sa Ika-31 na Linggo ng Taon: Lucas 14:25-33
28 At paano kung may magbalak magtayo ng silungan ng bantay sa bukid? Di ba’t uupo muna siya at tatantyahin ang gastos para malaman kung may sapat siya para maipatapos iyon? 29 Sapagkat kung mailagay niya ang pundasyon at hindi naman niya iyon maipatapos, pagtatawanan lamang siya ng lahat: 30 ‘Hayan ang nagsimulang magtayo at hindi na maipatapos.’
31 At paano kung may haring makikipagharap
sa ibang hari? Di ba’t uupo muna siya para mag-isip kung kaya niya at ng
sampung libong kasama niya na harapin ang dumarating na may dalawampung
libo? 32 At kung hindi naman, malayo pa ang isa ay magpapadala na siya ng mga
sugo para makipag-areglo. 33 Gayon din sa inyo. Hindi puwedeng maging
alagad ko ang di tumatalikod sa lahat ng kanya.
When I'm Gone ( A Poem for all Souls' Day)
By: Lyman Hancock
When I’ve come to the end of my journey and I have traveled my very last mile Forget if you can that I’ve frowned Remember only my smile...
Forgive unkind words I have spoken
Remember some good I have done
Forget I ever had heartache
And remember only our fun...
Forget that I've stumbled and fumbled
And sometimes fell by the way
Remember: I fought some hard battles
But had you at the close of my day...
Do not grieve for my going
I would not have you sad this day
But in time gather some flowers
And remember the place where I lay...
Perhaps in the shade of evening
When the sun paints the sky in the West
Come stand a few moments above me
Remembering only the best...
Monday, November 01, 2021
1Reflection for November 2, Tuesday; Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day): John 14:1-6
4 Where [I] am going you know the way. 5 Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth* and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
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Reflection:
Do you know where would you go after your journey in this world is over?
Perhaps many of us may lose sleep by mere mention of death, we don’t want to die at this point because we are not yet prepared. But who is prepared to die? Nobody, we are not prepared to die. Why? For the simple reason that majority of us still love to be in this world and enjoy whatever it can still offer us.
Nevertheless, Jesus is telling us in our gospel not to be troubled. For as long as we have faith in Him we would be OK even if we die. For our faith and friendship with Jesus is more than enough to conquer our fear of death.
Therefore, we have to do our part to get close to Jesus for as long as we live. If we are close to Jesus we have nothing to fear, even death we will not fear. Jesus Himself assures us with these words: Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places (John 14:1-2).
Let us not only remember our dear departed loved ones today, let us also light a candle and offer prayers for them. If there is no more covid-19 related restriction let us attend Holy Mass and offer Holy Mass for the intention of their souls. - Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Nobyembre 2 Martes Paggunita sa lahat ng mga Pumanaw na Kristiyano: Juan 14:1-6
Mabuting Balita: Juan 14:1-6 Sinabi ni Jesus sa kanyang mga alagad: 1 Huwag mabagabag ang inyong mga puso. Manalig kayo sa Diyos, at manalig din kayo sa akin. 2 Mara¬ming silid sa bahay ng aking Ama. Kung hindi’y hindi ko sana sinabi sa inyong: “Pupunta ako upang ipag-handa kayo ng lugar.” 3 At pag pumunta na ako at naipag¬handa kayo ng lugar, muli akong darating at dadalhin ko kayo sa akin upang kung saan ako naroon, gayon din naman kayo.
Sunday, October 31, 2021
Reflection for November 1, Monday Solemnity of All Saints: Matthew 5:1-12a
Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”
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Reflection:
How does one become a saint in his/her own little way? To be saint is to embody the character of Jesus. To be saint is to embody the words of Jesus in our gospel today.
We can be saints in our own little way for as long as we aspire to follow the life of Jesus and for as long as we live the words of Jesus in the gospel. For example, if you’re a parent and you try your very best to rear your children according to the teachings of Jesus you are already a saint for them. If you’re a son or daughter and you try your very best to take care of your parents, you are already a saint for them.
In our gospel Jesus mentions nine blessed situations. The first is poor in spirit; how does one become poor in spirit? Does this mean that we are blessed because we lack the necessary spiritual vitality? No, the poor in spirit are those who are lacking in material possessions and whose reliance is in God.
To be poor in spirit means that we continuously hunger for Jesus. Nobody could fill this hunger than the words of Jesus in the gospels, we rely on Jesus more than we rely on ourselves and this world.
Do you always hunger and thirst for the Lord? - Marino J. Dasmarinas