Reflection for May 18, Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter: John 15:1-8

Gospel: John 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you.  

Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.  

Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

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Reflection:

There is a story about a rich man who does not believe in Jesus, he is a self-made rich man so to speak. He attributes every success that he has to himself alone never on Jesus. His friends believed him for they saw how he worked very hard to achieve his vast fortune. Until he went through a severe financial misfortune wherein he lost everything that he owned.  

In his lowliness and nothingness he suddenly thought of his relative who was a man of God. He went to him and asked for his wise counsel. He was advised to always connect with Jesus through his frequent presence in the Eucharistic celebration/Holy Mass and by regularly reading the bible.  

This man who once was very averse to the Holy Mass and the Bible became a regular Mass attendee and has formed a habit of regularly reading the bible. True enough, he regained and eventually surpassed everything that he lost.  

Jesus in this Sunday’s gospel exhorts us to remain in Him. Why?  Because apart from Him we are nothing, no matter how rich and learned we are. We are still nothing because we are not connected with Jesus.  

The money that we have it can fly away from our possession anytime. The learning/knowledge that we have, it will escape our mind once we become senile. But if we remain with Jesus we are assured with something that is way beyond possession and learning. Time will come that we will leave this world, our possession neither our knowledge no matter how vast will not be able to give us eternal life.  

There are those who live for today only and for this world only. They work hard to amass wealth; they seriously study to accumulate learning. Only to discover that something very important is still lacking in their lives. They search and endlessly search for it until they end up holding an empty bag because they’ve not found the true vine that is Jesus.   

Let us seriously think about what Jesus wants to convey to us through our gospel: “Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5) – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for May 17, Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter: John 14:27-31a

Gospel: John 14:27-31a

Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’  

If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”

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Reflection:

What is the peace that Jesus speaks about in the gospel and can we also have this peace within us?  

The peaceful feeling that Jesus is talking about in the gospel is already within many of us, we feel it in the deepest recesses of our being. This is the reason why we are very much ready for whatever that may happen to us. We are not even afraid anymore to die because we acknowledge this gift of peace by Jesus.  

But while we are still alive and kicking in this world Jesus is entrusting us with a mission. And this mission is to help Him extend this gift of peace to those who do not have it yet.  Many are still not aware of this gift of peace by Jesus thus we must not sit idly. We must do something so that our fellowmen will know this wonderful gift by Jesus.  

Where would we start? Start within our domestic church that is our very own family circle. Let us strengthen their spirits and give them hope by sharing Jesus with them. We may not know it but there may be members of our family who are losing hope already because of their life struggles.  

We have everything to gain and nothing to lose if we would share and live Jesus with them. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for May 16, Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter: John 14:21-26

Gospel: John 14:21-26

Jesus said to his disciples:“ Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 

Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.  

“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”

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Reflection:

How do we convey our love for Jesus? Do we love Him through our words alone or through our words and deeds? The ideal expression of love for Jesus is love through words and deeds. By loving Jesus we also receive love from Him love that is far more than the love that we give Him.  

For example in marriage, if a man or a woman would express his/her love through words and deeds. He/she would receive more love than what he/she gives. This is the miracle of love that originates from God’s love for His only begotten Son which Jesus channels  to us.  

As we express love to our spouse, relative, friend or to a stranger. Let us not only convey it with words. Let us put deeds into it for this is how Jesus loved us. Jesus did not only express His love for us through His words. He reinforced it by giving His very life for us on the cross. 

Let us be assured that when we give love we would also receive love. Love that is more than the love that we give. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Sunday May 15, Fifth Sunday of Easter: John 13:31-33a, 34-35

Gospel: John 13:31-33a, 34-35

When Judas had left them, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

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Reflection:

A Wife was distraught upon discovering that her husband had fathered a child outside of their marriage. She confronted him, the husband admitted his sin and asked for forgiveness but she never forgave him for what he did.  

There’s an absence of true love in this story otherwise the wife could have forgiven the  betrayal of her husband. And they could have started afresh as if nothing happened. But such is our attitude we oftentimes harbor in our hearts hatred instead of love and forgiveness.  

When Jesus told the apostles to love one another He meant that their love for each other must be like His love for them. And what is the love of Jesus? It’s a love that forgives, a love that is not dependent on the love that it receives. A love that doesn’t count the cost of loving and a love that is very much willing sacrifice.   

Perhaps, what Jesus wants to convey to us is we should try our very best to love as He loves. To love without counting the cost of loving and to love by being ready to suffer for the person that we love. Some of us may say that this kind of love doesn’t fit anymore our social media driven times today where love and sex are not anymore regarded with sacredness by many. But it’s still relevant today as it was relevant during Jesus’ time in this world. In fact, this love commandment of Jesus to His apostles is not hindered by the limitation of time.

When you love as Jesus loves you would also be willing to forgive no matter how deep the wound that it caused you. You would be willing to bury the past and let bygones be bygones. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Linggo Mayo 15, Ikalimang Linggo ng Pasko ng Muling Pagkabuhay: Juan 13:31-33a, 34-35

Mabuting Balita: Juan 13:31-33a, 34-35

Pagkaalis ni Judas mula sa Huling Hapunan, sinabi ni Jesus, "Ngayo'y mahahayag na ang karangalan ng Anak ng Tao; at mahahayag din ang karangalan ng Diyos sa pamamagitan niya. At kung mahayag na ang karangalan ng Diyos, ang Diyos naman ang maghahayag ng karangalan ng Anak, at gagawin niya ito agad. Mga anak, kaunting panahon na lamang ninyo akong makakasama.

Isang bagong utos ang ibinibigay ko sa inyo: mag-ibigan kayo! Kung paanong inibig ko kayo, gayon din naman, mag-ibigan kayo. Kung kayo'y mag-iibigan, makikilala ng lahat na kayo'y mga alagad ko."

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

Gospel: John 15:9-17

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

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

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

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Reflection:

What is an ideal life in this world? It’s a life that is forever attached to the love of God. Without attachment to the love of God life would simply be empty, barren and meaningless. The love of God is the essence of life for we were not born to love this world. We came into this world to live and love God.    

Let us think about loving this world more than God and we only create emptiness in our lives we end up with nothing except emptiness. It’s a fact of life that everything that is in this world is temporary: wealth, power and the like. All of these we will leave behind or will eventually leave us, but the love of God will always be there for us.  

What matters is the love of God nothing else but the love of God. It’s no brainer therefore why Jesus is telling us to remain in His love. For if we always remain in the love of God we would be able to hurdle whatever trials that may come our way. And we would be able to conquer whatever fears that we may have even the fear of death.  

Would you embrace this love that the Lord is offering you? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for May 13, Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter: John 14:1-6

Gospel: John 14:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples: “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. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.  

Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” 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:

There were two senior citizens who were near death one was a believer the other was not. The non-believer was deeply troubled on what would happen to his soul when he dies. The believer was very calm and was not afraid to die. 

There are those who dread the mere mention of death as if it’s a plague that needs to be avoided. But no matter how hard we avoid death using our wealth and power we cannot escape it because it’s a certain fact of life and it’s the rite of passage for the next life.  

In the gospel Jesus said to his disciples: “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).” Therefore, Jesus is assuring us that we already have a place reserved for us there someday.  

But we are still here in this world and the big question is can we be there someday to be with our Lord? Nobody knows about it except the Lord, what we have to do is to simply follow His teachings.  

We do it not to buy our way to His Father’s house; we follow His teachings because that’s what the Lord wants us to do. Then, when our time comes we simply submit our fate to Him.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas

1Reflection for May 12, Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter: John 13:16-20

Gospel: John 13:16-20

When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen.  

But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

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Reflection:

Are you afraid of suffering and betrayal? In His humanity Jesus was also afraid of sufferings and betrayal. But His fears did not prevent Him from achieving His salvific mission. It even strengthened His resolve to continue amidst the difficulty of His mission. Jesus never gave up no matter how hard the odds against Him for He knew that He has a mission to fulfill.  

Marriage starts like a rose garden and it seems that everything is rosy, beautiful and sweet. But after a period of time problems would crop up, there shall be sufferings and sometimes betrayal of vows. So what must we do? Should we simply walk away with our heads bowed in defeat? Or we stay, bear the brunt of the sufferings/betrayal and fight for the sanctity of the marriage covenant.  

We must stay and fight for the sanctity of the marriage covenant. Let us remember that Jesus remained with His mission notwithstanding the sufferings and betrayals. What if Jesus simply gave up and walked away from His mission of salvation? Anyway He’s God and powerful but He remained for His love for God and for all of us.  

Many married couples nowadays choose the easy way out when testing comes to their marriage. They choose to betray and eventually walk away from their marriage covenant. They simply walk away notwithstanding their sacred vows and the welfare of their children.  

Jesus never walked away from His responsibilities towards humanity notwithstanding the sufferings and betrayals. He faced it all and triumphed over it. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for May 11 Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter: John 12:44-50

Gospel: John 12:44-50

Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.  

Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”

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Reflection:

How can we reinforce our belief in the oneness of Jesus and God? It’s to follow to the letter the teachings of Jesus. Profession of belief only is not enough, we have to do concrete actions to seal our belief and faith.  For example, if we believe that Jesus and God the Father are one yet we don’t give to somebody in need. What then is the use of our declaration of belief?     

We who profess belief in the oneness of Jesus and God are their walking advertisements in this world. As such we should always see to it that we should always do something concrete to reinforce our belief by our acts of goodness.  

In so doing we show the whole world that we truly are followers not only in words but also in deeds. Because the truest essence of faith is not exclusively confined to acts of worship alone it should always be coupled with acts of goodness.  

Is your belief in the oneness of Jesus and the Father always reinforced with acts of goodness? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Mayo 11, Miyerkules sa Ika-4 na Linggo ng Pasko ng Muling Pagkabuhay: Juan 12:44-50

Mabuting Balita: Juan 12:44-50

44 Malakas namang sinabi ni Jesus: “Ang nananalig sa aki’y hindi sa akin kundi sa nagpadala sa akin. 45 Ang puma­pan­sin sa aki’y pumapansin sa nagpadala sa akin. 46 Dumating ako na liwanag sa mundo upang hindi mamalagi sa dilim ang bawat nananalig sa akin. 47 Kung may nakaka­ri­nig sa aking mga salita at hindi ito iniinga­tan, hindi ako ang humahatol sa kanya sapagkat duma­dating ako hindi para hatulan ang mundo kundi para iligtas ang mundo.  

48 May humahatol sa bumabale-wala sa akin at di tumatanggap sa mga pana­nalita ko. Ang salitang ipina­ngusap ko ang siyang hahatol sa kanya sa huling araw. 49 Sapagkat hindi ako nangusap sa ganang sarili ko; ang nag­padala sa akin – ang Ama – siya mismo ang nag-utos sa akin kung ano ang sasabihin ko at ipangu­ngusap. 50 Alam kong buhay magpa­kailan­man ang kanyang utos. Kaya ang ipinangu­ngusap ko’y ipina­ngu­ngusap ko gaya ng sinabi sa akin ng Ama.  

Reflection for May 10 Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter: John 10:22-30

Gospel: John 10:22-30

The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter. And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.  

The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

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Reflection:

How can we have an encounter with Jesus? We have to abide with what Jesus tells us in the scripture/bible. If He tells us that He and the Father are one we have to believe it without any doubt. For the simple reason that all of Jesus pronouncements are not empty, it is solidly supported by other passages in the bible.  

What separates those who believe and those who don’t? Those who believe receive the full graces of the power that emanates from Jesus. For example, their lives are changed, their faiths are strengthened. And they themselves become an agent of positive change in their own respective environments.  

Those who do not believe or who take Jesus nonchalantly are left-out in terms of spiritual graces, their individual faith life is not strengthened. They are more vulnerable to the many forces of evil and they don’t have the spiritual strength that faithful believers have.  

What is the secret for us to believe? We have to humble ourselves before Jesus. We have to accept with faith every word that He tells us in the scripture/bible. And the moment we do, this would be the beginning of our renewed life with Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for May 9 Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter: John 10:1-10

Gospel: John 10:1-10

Jesus said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.   

When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.  

So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

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Reflection:

Are you a good shepherd to your children?  

Parents are shepherds to their children as such they are expected not only to provide for the material and spiritual needs of their children. They are also expected to mold their children’s character and values. So that when the time comes for their children to become parents themselves. It’s also expected that they too will become good shepherds to their own children someday.  

Jesus is the best example of a good shepherd for He gave His very own life for us. Being a good shepherd, He led by example, He gave up His own comfort and He embraced His passion and death on the cross for our sake. He could have easily avoided dying on the cross but He chose to give His life because that is what is expected from a good shepherd.  

Regardless of who we are, we too are shepherds in our own way. Thus, it’s expected from us that we must also model our lives after Jesus. We listen to His voice as He listened to the voice of God. We must be ready to sacrifice for our flock even if this sacrifice would require us to give up our own comforts even if it leads us to give up our very own life.  

Come to think of it, it’s not actually easy to become a good shepherd. We just need to look at the path that Jesus went through. Nonetheless, to be a good shepherd is very much worth it, we may not see the reward now but someday we will.  

Are you a good shepherd? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Mayo 9, Lunes sa Ika-4 na Linggo ng Pasko ng Muling Pagkabuhay: Juan 10:1-10

Mabuting Balita: Juan 10:1-10

 Sinabi ni Jesus 1 “Talagang-talagang sinasabi ko sa inyo, magnanakaw at tulisan ang hindi dumaraan sa pintuan pagpasok sa kulungan ng mga tupa kundi lumukso sa ibang dako. 2 Ang pastol ng mga tupa ang pumapasok sa pintuan.  

3 Pinagbu­buksan siya ng bantay-pinto, at naki­kinig ang mga tupa sa kanyang tinig. At tina­tawag niya sa pangalan ang sarili niyang mga tupa at inaakay palabas. 4 Kapag napalabas na niya ang tanang kanya, sa harap nila siya nagla­lakad at sa kanya sumusunod ang mga tupa, pagkat kilala nila ang kanyang tinig.  

5 Hinding-hindi sila susunod sa dayu­han kundi lalayuan nila ito sapag­kat hindi nila kilala ang tinig ng mga dayuhan.” 6 Ito ang talinhagang sinabi ni Jesus sa kanila. Ngunit hindi nila naintindihan ang gusto niyang sabihin sa kanila. 7 Kaya sinabi uli ni Jesus: “Tala­gang-talagang sinasabi ko sa inyo: Ako siyang pintuan ng mga tupa. 8 Magna­nakaw at tulisan ang lahat ng nauna sa akin.  

Ngunit hindi sila pina­kinggan ng mga tupa. 9 Ako siyang pintuan; kung may pumapasok sa pamamagitan ko, maliligtas siya, at papasok at lalabas, at maka­katagpo ng pastulan. 10 Hindi dumarating ang magna­nakaw kundi para lamang magnakaw, pumaslang at magpa­hamak. Dumating naman ako upang magkaroon sila ng buhay at lubos na magkaroon nito.

Reflection for Sunday May 8, Fourth Sunday of Easter/Good Shepherd Sunday: John 10:27-30

Gospel: John 10:27-30

Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

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Reflection:

Do you still remember when you were a child? Your mother and father would always look after you. They were always there for you in everything that you need to do and know. Then as you grow you slowly detached yourself from their guidance because you feel that you are already capable of guiding yourself and charting your own life. 

But as you encounter difficulties in your life you would always return to them to once again seek their guidance. Or even ask for their help and they would always be there for you. This is a testament of your parent’s great love for you. You fall down yet your parents would always be there to help you get up on your feet.  

Jesus our good shepherd is very much like our parents. He is always there for us to guide and mold us for us to become what He wants us to be. But there comes a time that we want independence from Jesus, we want to do things our way even if it’s against the will of God.  

So by our desire to do things our way we also mire ourselves in sin. But let us not forget that Jesus our good shepherd is always there for us. Ever ready to forgive us, ever ready to guide and shepherd us again. Jesus our good shepherd will not condemn us. What He always offers us is His unconditional love and forgiveness.   

Let us not detach ourselves anymore from the shepherding of Jesus for it’s only through Him that we can obtain salvation in this world. It’s only through Him that we can have peace in this world.  Let us continue to hear His voice through our daily reading and reflection of His words in the bible/scripture and through the many well-meaning commentaries of those who write and speak for Him.  

Who is shepherding you right now? If it’s Jesus you are blessed and you’re peaceful no matter the circumstances that you are in right now. – Marino J. Dasmarinas