Reflection for Monday July 25, Feast of Saint James, Apostle: Matthew 20:20-28

Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28

The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.”  

Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers.  

But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, 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:

Do you love to be in front, do you love prominence and do you love to always be in the starring role? 

Prominence or to be with someone influential is something that we all want. For example, we love to post pictures on facebook and other social media portals the places that we’ve visited.  

We love to post pictures of these beautiful places. This is perhaps human nature, who wouldn’t want to post pictures of nice and idyllic places?  We all want it, but the essence of life is not about advertising the famous places that we’ve visited or the famous personalities that we’ve been seen with.  

The true essence of life is to serve anyone who is need of our help. It doesn’t matter anymore if the acts of service and compassion that we do are seen or not what is important is we’re able to help. As we follow Jesus let us always be reminded that HE never walked in this world to gain publicity and prominence.  

Jesus walked on this world to serve and not be served, HE never aspired to become famous. All He wanted was to simply follow the will of God for HIM no matter how difficult it was. This must also be our guiding principle.  

Many are attracted to serve in the church not because they want to help advance the teachings of Jesus. Their attraction comes from what the church can give or what they could derive from the church and Jesus if they would serve.  But we all know that this kind of motive is built upon a person’s self-image and therefore useless.  

True service in the vineyard of the Lord is all about humility. Not thinking of what we can derive from the church, but what we can humbly give to God and His church. True service for the church is not about having power and influence it’s actually based on losing power and influence for the greater glory of God. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Ang Mabuting Balita sa Lunes Hulyo 25, San Santiago, apostol (Kapistahan): Mateo 20:20-28

Mabuting Balita: Mateo 20:20-28

Noong panahong iyon, lumapit kay Jesus ang asawa ni Zebedeo, kasama ang kanyang mga anak. May ibig siyang hingin, kaya't lumuhod siya sa harapan ni Jesus. "ano ang ibig mo?" tanong ni Jesus. Sumagot siya, "Sana'y ipagkaloob ninyo sa dalawa kong anak na ito ang karapatang makaupong katabi ninyo sa inyong kaharian -- isa sa kanan at isa sa kaliwa."  

"Hindi ninyo nalalaman ang inyong hinihingi," sabi ni Jesus sa kanila. "Mababata ba ninyo ang hirap na babatahin ko?" "Opo," tugon nila. Sinabi ni Jesus, "Ang hirap na babatahin ko'y babatahin nga ninyo. Ngunit wala sa akin ang pagpapasiya kung sino ang mauupo sa aking kanan at sa aking kaliwa. Ang mga luklukang sinasabi ninyo'y para sa pinaghandaan ng aking Ama."  

Nang marinig ito ng sampung mga alagad, nagalit sila sa magkapatid. Kaya't pinalapit sila ni Jesus at sinabi sa kanila, "Alam ninyo na ang mga pinuno ng mga Hentil ay naghahari sa kanila, at ang mga dinadakila ang siyang nasusunod. Ngunit hindi dapat ganyan ang umiral sa inyo. Sa halip, ang sinuman sa inyo na ibig maging dakila ay dapat maging lingkod. At sinumang ibig maging pinuno ay dapat maging alipin ninyo, tulad ng Anak ng Tao na naparito, hindi upang paglingkuran kundi upang maglingkod at iaalay ang kanyang buhay upang matubos ang marami. 

Wisdom from the Bible - 1

 

Karunungan mula sa Biblia - 1

 

Reflection for Sunday July 24, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Luke 11:1-13

Gospel: Luke 11:1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test." 

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him, and he says in reply from within 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.' I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. 

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

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Reflection:

How do you pray or what is your recipe for prayer? Do you follow a certain procedure or you spontaneously pray to God what is in your heart?

In the gospel for this Sunday Jesus is asked by a disciple: Lord teach us to pray and Jesus obliged him and taught the disciple the perfect prayer which is the Our Father. If we try to deeply reflect on this prayer we would notice that the Our Father contains our Adoration for God (Hollowed be your name) our Contrition/Repentance for the sins that we have committed (Forgive us our sins) and our Supplication: we request God to give us the food that we need (Give us each day our daily bread).

If we say this prayer with our hearts and minds deeply focused towards God we would feel something that we don’t usually feel. This feeling is very hard to explain but we would certainly notice this healing experience the moment we learn how to pray the Our Father with all our being.

We must always be prayerful and we must not give up on our being prayerful. Because when we pray we connect ourselves with God, we open ourselves to the enormous blessings that are always at God’s disposal when we pray.   

Prayer is not asking God to give us this and that. Prayer is essentially satisfying our longing for God. And the God that we always long for will grant us the desires of our hearts because we always thirst and hunger to be with Him in prayer. 

Do you have a prayer before God?  Don’t give up, continue to believe, have faith and you will soon have it. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Linggo Hulyo 24 Ika - 17 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon : Lucas 11:1-13

Mabuting Balita: Lucas 11:1-13

Minsan nanalangin si Jesus pagkatapos niya sinabi ng isa sa kanyang mga alagad. panginoon turuan niyo po kaming manalangin. Katulad ng ginawa ni juan sa kanyang mga alagad.  Sinabi ni Hesus, kung kayo’y mananalangin ganito ang sabihin ninyo.

Ama  sambahin nawa ang ngalan mo. Magsimula na sana ang iyong paghahari. Bigyan mo kami ng aming makakain sa araw-araw. At patawarin mo kami sa aming mga kasalanan sapagkat pinatatawad na namin ang bawat nagkasala sa amin. At huwag mo kaming iharap sa mahigpit na pagsubok .

Sinabi pa rin nya sa kanila, ipalagay natin ang isa sa inyo ay nagpunta sa isang kaibigan isang hatinggabi at nagsabi. Kaibigan bigyan mo muna ako ng tatlong tinapay. Dumating kasi ang isa kong kaibigang naglalakbay at wala akong maihain sa kanya! At ganito naman ang sagot ng kanyang kaibigan sa loob ng bahay. Huwag mo nga akong gambalain! Naka tranka na ang pinto at nakahiga na kami ng aking mga anak. Hindi na ako makababagon pa upang bigyan kita ng iyong kailagan.

Sinasabi ko sa inyo hindi naman siya bumangon dahil sa kanilang pagkakaibigan. Babangon siya para ibigay ang hinihingi ng kaibigan dahil sa pagpupumilit nito. Kaya sinasabi ko sa inyo, humingi kayo at kayo ay bibigyan, humanap kayo at kayo’y makasusumpong; kumatok kayo at ang pinto’y bubuksan para sa inyo. Sapagkat tumatanggap ang bawat humihingi; nakasusumpong ang bawat humahanap at binubuksan ang pinto sa bawat kumakatok.

Kayong mga ama, bibigyan ba ninyo ng ahas ang inyong mga anak kung humihingi ng isda? Bibigyan ba ninyo siya ng alakdan kung siya ay humihingi ng itlog? Kung kayong masasama ay marunong magbigay ng mabubuting bagay sa inyong mga anak, gaano pa kaya ang inyonng amang nasa langit! Ibibigay niya ang Espiritu Santo sa mga humihingi sa kanya.

Reflection for July 23, Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:24-30

Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.  

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

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

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Reflection:

Do you fear the judgment of God?  

God’s judgment is something that we all fear to come to us the reason perhaps is we are not yet prepared for it. There are times however that God’s judgment day would come to us when we least expect it. And when it comes to us we can’t do anything about it anymore we have to accept it whether we like it or not. For example if God will bar us from entering heaven we have to accept it and we can’t do anything about it no matter how hard we resist it.  

If God will judge us to be in hell it simply means that the time that we spent in this world during our lifetime was not worthy in HIS eyes.  This means that we led sinful lives most of the time. Perhaps there were also instances wherein somebody called our attention to embrace God and leave behind everything that makes us sin. Yet we chose to ignore that call towards repentance.   

Our gospel today offers us hope. It tells us that before God’s judgment comes to us. God will offer us first many chances for renewal or repentance. Let us therefore take advantage of this offering of God. This we can do by walking away from all our sins and by humbly asking forgiveness from HIM.  

The Good Lord will not immediately judge us for what we do now no matter how sinful it is. This is for the reason that HE knows that deep within us lies goodness and our willingness to walk away from all of our sins. Truth be told, God is a patient God, a God of forgiveness, hope and love. A God of second chances HE will wait for us until we heed HIS call of repentance.  

But what if we choose to ignore HIS call of repentance no matter the many chances that HE gave us, what will happen to us sinners if we ignore God’s call of repentance? -  Marino J. Dasmarinas

Ang Mabuting Balita sa Hulyo 23, Sabado sa Ika-16 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon: Mateo 13:24-30

Mabuting Balita: Mateo 13:24-30

Noong panahong iyon, inilahad ni Hesus ang talinghagang ito sa mga tao, “Ang paghahari ng Diyos ay katulad nito: may isang taong naghasik ng mabuting binhi sa kanyang bukid. Isang gabi, samantalang natutulog ang mga tao, dumating ang kanyang kaaway at naghasik ng masasamang damo sa triguhan. 

Nang tumubo ang trigo at magkauhay, lumitaw rin ang masasamang damo. Kaya’t lumapit ang mga alipin sa puno ng sambahayan at sinabi rito, ‘Hindi po ba mabuting binhi ang inihasik ninyo sa inyong bukid? Bakit po may damo ngayon?’ Sumagot siya, ‘Isang kaaway ang may kagagawan nito.’ 

Tinanong siya ng mga utusan, ‘Bubunutin po ba namin ang mga iyon?’ ‘Huwag,’ sagot niya. ‘Baka mabunot pati trigo. Hayaan na ninyong lumago kapwa hanggang sa anihan. Pag-aani’y sasabihin ko sa mga tagapag-ani: Tipunin muna ninyo ang mga damo at inyong pagbigkis-bigkisin upang sunugin, at ang trigo’y inyong tipunin sa aking kamalig.’”

Reflection for Friday July 22, Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene: John 20:1-2, 11-18

Gospel: John 20:1-2, 11-18

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”  

Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus.  

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he told her.

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Reflection:

How would feel if a very close friend or relative dies? Surely it would be very devastating as if your world has momentarily ended. This was the feeling of Mary Magdalene she was so devastated by the death of her beloved friend Jesus.  

Mary Magdalene was so consumed by the death of Jesus that she failed to recognize the resurrected Jesus who asked her why she was weeping (John 20:14-15). Then afterwards Jesus revealed Himself to her and Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus (John 20:16).    

Death is a certainty of life, it visits anyone of us at a time that it chooses. A time that often times we don’t like but death comes to us and nobody can prevent it for it’s the cycle of our life. 

But after death comes life, life that is very much different from the life that we have in this world.  Perhaps this was the reason why Mary Magdalene did not recognize the resurrected Jesus when He appeared to her. Mary Magdalene could not distinguish the image of the resurrected Jesus as opposed to Jesus before His death.  

The resurrected Jesus also manifests Himself to us yet we don’t pay attention to Him. He comes to us through the poor that we often see begging for whatever that we could give them.  Jesus also manifests Himself to us through a sick relative or friend who is longing for our visit. 

And there are many more manifestation of Jesus that comes to us but we often fail to recognize it because our vision of Jesus has already been blurred by our concern for ourselves. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Ang Mabuting Balita sa Biyernes Hulyo 22, Santa Maria Magdalena (Kapistahan): Juan 20:1-2, 11-18

Mabuting Balita: Juan 20:1-2, 11-18

Madilim-dilim pa nang araw ng Linggo, naparoon na si Maria Magdalena sa libingan. Naratnan niyang naalis na ang batong panakip sa pinto ng libingan. Dahil dito, patakbo siyang pumunta kay Simon Pedro at sa alagad na mahal ni Hesus, at sinabi sa kanila, “Kinuha sa libingan ang Panginoon at hindi namin alam kung saan dinala!”  

Si Maria’y nakatayong umiiyak sa labas ng libingan; yumuko siya at tumingin sa loob. May nakita siyang dalawang anghel na nakaupo sa pinaglagyan ng bangkay ni Hesus, ang isa’y sa gawing ulunan at ang isa nama’y sa paanan. Tinanong nila si Maria, “Ale, bakit kayo umiiyak?”  

Sumagot siya, “Kinuha po nila ang aking Panginoon, at hindi ko alam kung saan nila dinala.” Lumingon siya pagkasabi nito, at nakita niya si Hesus na nakatayo roon, ngunit hindi niya nakilalang si Hesus iyon. Tinanong siya ni Hesus, “Bakit ka umiiyak? Sino ang hinahanap mo?”  

Akala ni Maria’y siya ang tagapag-alaga ng halamanan, kaya’t sinabi niya, “Ginoo, kung kayo po ang kumuha sa kanya, ituro ninyo sa akin kung saan ninyo dinala at kukunin ko.” “Maria!” ani Hesus. Humarap siya at kanyang sinabi, “Raboni!” — ibig sabihi’y “Guro.” “Huwag mo akong hawakan, sapagkat hindi pa ako nakapupunta sa Ama,” wika ni Hesus.  

“Sa halip, pumunta ka sa king mga kapatid at sabihin mong aakyat ako sa aking Ama at inyong Ama, sa aking Diyos at inyong Diyos.” Kaya’t si Maria Magdalena’y pumunta sa mga alagad at sinabi, “Nakita ko ang Panginoon!” At tuloy sinabi sa kanila ang bilin ni Hesus.

Reflection for July 21, Thursday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:10-17

Gospel: Matthew 13:10-17

The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?” He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.  

To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:  

You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted and I heal them.  

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

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Reflection:

A young man wanted to serve as a sacristan in their parish church but he also had second thoughts. For the reason that he was told by his father to reconsider his desire because there are intrigues and other issues in the church.  

It’s true that problems such as: rumor-mongers, egocentric and control freak personalities exist in the church. But these personalities are not even a tiny fraction of the whole church. 

To have the feeling of wanting to serve in the church is like to discern a parable it is only given to those who are called. However, not all who are called are chosen by God and not all who are chosen stay forever to serve. Why? For the simple reason that God has given us also the freewill to choose. It is therefore upon us to discern this offer of Jesus.  

The gift of understanding that there’s more to life than money, power and material things are also like discerning a parable by God. Many of us think that if we have money and power we would automatically be happy. But it doesn’t work that way, money  and power will never make us happy and it will never give us contentment.  

Therefore, consider yourself fortunate when you’re able to discern the parables of Jesus and pursue it.  You’re also spiritually privileged if you’re able to discern that a well-lived life is to be with Jesus and not with the temporal things of this world. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Ang Mabuting Balita sa Hulyo 21 Huwebes sa Ika-16 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon: Mateo 13:10-17

Mabuting Balita: Mateo 13:10-17

Noong panahong iyon, lumapit ang mga alagad at tinanong si Jesus: "Bakit po ninyo dinadaan sa talinghaga ang inyong pagsasalita sa kanila?" Sumagot siya, "Ipinagkaloob sa inyo na malaman ang mga lihim tungkol sa paghahari ng Diyos, ngunit hindi ito ipinagkakaloob sa kanila. Sapagkat ang mayroon ay bibigyan pa, at mananagana; ngunit ang wala, kahit ang kakaunting nasa kanya ay kukunin pa. Nagsasalita ako sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng talinghaga, sapagkat tumitingin sila ngunit hindi nakakikita, at nakikinig ngunit hindi nakaririnig ni nakauunawa.  

Natutupad nga sa kanila ang hula ni Isaias na nagsasabi: 'Makinig kayo nang makinig, hindi kayo makauunawa, at tumingin man kayo nang tumingin, hindi kayo makakikita. Sapagkat naging mapurol ang isip ng mga taong ito; mahirap makarinig ang kanilang mga tainga, at ipinikit nila ang kanilang mga mata. Kung di gayon, disin sana'y nakakita ang kanilang mga mata. Nakarinig ang kanilang mga tainga, nakaunawa ang kanilang mga isip, at nagbalik-loob sa akin, at pinagaling ko sila, sabi ng Panginoon.'  

Mapalad kayo, sapagkat nakakikita ang inyong mga mata at nakaririnig ang inyong mga tainga! Sinasabi ko sa inyo: maraming propeta at matutuwid na tao ang nagnanasang makakita sa inyong nakikita, ngunit hindi ito nakita, at makarinig sa inyong narinig, ngunit hindi ito napakinggan."

Reflection for July 20, Wednesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:1-9

Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9

Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.  

Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

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Reflection:

Where do you take refuge when life’s trials hit you?  

You certainly don’t take refuge in this world you instead take refuge in Jesus, in Him you find solace, hope and strength. After doing so you are again ready to face your life’s trials and challenges.  

When we take refuge in Jesus we do one of these or we even do all of these:  we pray we go to Holy Mass, we visit HIM in the Adoration Chapel and we read the bible. We must not be satisfied with simply doing these acts of worship and devotion. We must also allow it to transform us so that others may see not our transformed selves but Jesus in ourselves thus we bring them closer to Jesus.  

How would they see Jesus in us and how could we bring them closer to Jesus? We must allow ourselves to become the seeds that fell on rich soil. And we can only do this if we would allow Jesus to transform us for this is HIS desire for all of us: To become the seeds that fell on the rich soil.  

At the end of the day it’s still in our hands if we would allow Jesus to transform us to become the seeds that fell on rich soil. We have nothing to lose and everything is ours to gain if we become docile to the desire of Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Ang Mabuting Balita sa Hulyo 20 Miyerkules sa Ika-16 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon: Mateo 13:1-9

Mabuting Balita: Mateo 13:1-9

Noon ding araw na iyon, si Hesus ay lumabas ng bahay at naupo sa tabi ng lawa. Pinagkalipumpunan siya ng makapal na tao, kaya sumakay siya sa isang bangka at doon naupo. Nasa dalampasigan naman ang mga tao. At nagturo siya ng maraming bagay sa pamamagitan ng mga talinghaga.  

“May isang magsasakang lumabas upang maghasik. Sa kanyang paghahasik ay may binhing nalaglag sa tabi ng daan. Dumating ang mga ibon at tinuka ang mga iyon. May binhi namang nalaglag sa kabatuhan. Sapagkat manipis lang ang lupa roon, sumibol agad ang binhing iyon, ngunit nang mapabilad sa matinding sikat ng araw ay natuyo, palibhasa’y walang gaanong ugat.  

May binhi namang nalaglag sa dawagan; lumago ang mga dawag at ininis ang mga iyon. Ngunit ang binhing nalaglag sa mabuting lupa ay nag-uhay: may tigsasandaan, may tig-aanimnapu, at may tigtatatlumpung butil ang bawat uhay. Ang may pandinig ay makinig!”