Short, Simple and Personal reflections on the daily Holy Mass Gospel. I provide talks.
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Monday, February 20, 2023
Reflection for February 23, Thursday after Ash Wednesday: Luke 9:22-25
Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to
come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life
for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
yet lose or forfeit himself?”
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Reflection:
Would you be willing to faithfully follow Jesus?
There is always a price to pay if we decide to faithfully follow Jesus. For example, Jesus himself tells us in the gospel that we must deny ourself of something and we must decide also to carry our own cross. These are the preconditions, there’s no free ride in following Jesus. We have to sacrifice our wealth, power, and the like for the cause of Jesus.
But we have nothing to worry about these sacrifices because these are all temporal things that may fly away from our hands anytime. What would Jesus give us in exchange for our earthly detachment? The Lord will give us something that is out of this world.
What would it profit us if we have all the wealth and influence in this world yet we don’t have Jesus in our life? Material possession come and go same as with our very lives. We come into this world wearing nothing and with nothing and we leave this world with nothing as well.
Let us not be afraid of the things that we
will sacrifice in favor of our faithful discipleship for Jesus. For the reason
that our earthly sacrifice is not in anyway comparable with the guidance and
protection that we will have once we decide to faithfully follow Jesus. –
Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita para Pebrero 23, Huwebes kasunod ng Miyerkules ng Abo: Lucas 9:22-25
Ang naghahangad
magligtas ng kanyang buhay ay siyang mawawalan nito; ngunit ang mag-alay ng
kanyang buhay alang-alang sa akin ay siyang magkakamit niyon. Ano nga ang
mapapala ng tao, makamtan man niya ang buong sanlibutan kung ang katumbas naman
nito'y ang kanyang buhay? Ano nga ang mapapala niya kung siya’y mapapahamak?”
Sunday, February 19, 2023
Reflection for February 23, Ash Wednesday (Fasting and Abstinence): Matthew 6:6-1, 16-18
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast, do not look gloomy like
the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to
others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But
when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear
to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees
what is hidden will repay you.”
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Reflection:
The story is told about a man who had the habit of showing off through social media the good and pious acts that he does. For example, when he attends Mass he would take pictures of it and post it in his facebook. He does the same thing when he does acts of compassion, he does this so that his friends would take notice of it.
The three core teachings of the gospel this Ash Wednesday is about Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting. Unlike our many facebook posts (pictures, comments, likes, etc…) wherein we show off so that our friends and many others will know who we are and what we are doing. We are being invited by Jesus to permanently veer away from this selfish and ego tripping mentality.
On the aspect of Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting, Jesus is inviting us to do these noble acts without letting everyone know about it. Let us do these acts piety privately and ensure that nobody will know about it.
For if we do these hidden from the prying eyes of our friends and the public at large. We would then earn approval from Jesus. Because this is what Jesus would always want us to do for as long as we live: Do our noble acts hidden from anyone’s eye.
In the same breath, lent is also an invitation for us to reflect about our life, concerning our relationship with Jesus and the many sins that we have committed. For example concerning our sins; would we just let this sins remain or we will do something about it by humbly submitting ourselves to the Sacrament of Reconcilliation?
Our many sins pull us further away from God and if we are not careful we may live our life permanently away from the love of God. Would we want a life permanently cut-off from the love of God? Of course not! Nobody wants to live his/her own life away from the love of God.
Therefore, let us take a deeper spiritual
reflection about our life this Ash Wednesday in particular and during lent in
general. Let us take a closer look at our sinfulness, the fragility of life and
our personal relationship with Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita para Pebrero 22, Miyerkules ng Abo (Pag-aayuno at Abstinensya): Mateo 6:1-6, 16-18
“Kaya nga, kapag naglilimos ka, huwag mo nang ipagmakaingay ito, katulad ng ginagawa ng mga mapagpaimbabaw doon sa sinagoga at sa mga lansangan. Ginagawa nila ito upang purihin sila ng mga tao. Sinasabi ko sa inyo: tinanggap na nila ang kanilang gantimpala. Ngunit kung naglilimos ka, huwag mo nang ipaalam ito kahit sa iyong pinakamatalik na kaibigan upang malihim ang iyong paglilimos. At gagantihin ka ng iyong Amang nakakikita ng kabutihang ginagawa mo nang lihim.
“At kapag nananalangin kayom huwag kayong tumulad sa mga mapagpaimbabaw. Mahilig silang manalangin nang patayo sa mga sinagoga at sa mga panukalang-daan, upang makita ng mga tao. Sinasabi ko sa inyo: tinanggap na nila ang kanilang gantimpala. Ngunit kapag mananalangin ka, pumasok ka sa iyong silid at isara mo ang pinto. Saka ka manalangin sa iyong Amang hindi mo nakikita, at gagantihin ka ng iyong Amang nakakikita ng kabutihang ginagawa mo nang lihim.
“Kapag
nag-aayuno kayo, huwag kayong magmukhang malungkot, tulad ng mga mapagimbabaw.
Hindi sila nag-aayos upang malaman ng mga tao na sila’y nag-aayuno. Sinasabi ko
sa inyo: tinanggap na nila ang kanilang gantimpala. Kapag ikaw ay nag-aayuno, mag-ayos
ka ng buhok at maghilamos upang huwag mapansin ng mga tao na nag-aayuno ka. Ang
iyong Amang hindi mo nakikita ang siya lamang nakaaalam nito. Siya, na
nakakikita ng kabutihang ginagawa mo ng lihim, ang gaganti sa iyo.”
Reflection for February 21, Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time: Mark 9:30-37
They came to Capernaum and, once inside
the house, he began to ask them, "What were you arguing about on the
way?" But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves
on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said
to them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and
the servant of all." Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst, and
putting his arms around it, he said to them, "Whoever receives one child
such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me
but the One who sent me.
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Reflection:
Why do you follow Jesus?
As Jesus and the disciples were walking He told them: “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” But they did not pay much attention to what Jesus told them because they were also busy conversing as to who amongst them is the greatest.
We assume that Jesus and the disciples were just through doing their mission of preaching the kingdom of God. They performed miracles such as: Healing the sick, expelling demons and a lot more. Because of these miraculous acts that they have done the disciple’s high regard for themselves got the better of them. They were already angling to covet the title as the greatest among the disciples.
Are not many of us like the disciples? Do we not have hidden motives when we do acts of kindness? Do we not desire to be praised for what we do? Do we not feel proud when we do good things? Was it possible that the disciples were feeding their own ego that is why they were already discussing who was the greatest amongst them?
In the midst of their bloated egos, Jesus gave them a valuable lesson about humility and on how it is to become humble servants of the Lord and the people. Thus, He told them: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
In other words if you want to be the leader then be a humble servant leader who is always ready to serve not minding the accolades and honors. Inside the heart of a true leader is the desire to humbly serve, he is always there silently walking his talk, practicing what he preaches. This is what Jesus wanted the disciples to imbibe: For them to become humble servants.
This is also what Jesus wants for us but some of us are the opposite of the servant leader that Jesus wants the disciples to become. Instead of putting the title leader into our hearts we put it instead into our heads. That is why we become fake and arrogant leaders who only want to give orders. Who only want to abuse and take advantage of our innocent followers.
We therefore only want to serve our own personal interest. The servant leadership that Jesus wants us to have is permanently eased out from our system because what takes over is our greed for power, our ego and our arrogance.
What must we do so that we can rightfully claim that we truly follow the greatest servant leader who ever walked this earth? We must be humble at all times; we must continuously decrease while Jesus continuously increase through our acts of humility.
The mistake of many of us who follow Jesus is we often times act without humility. We feel that we are above all because we have this distorted sense that we are close to Jesus when in fact we are not. Our closeness or intimacy with the Lord is not defined by our religious titles, ranks and position neither it is defined by the frequency of our worship for Him.
Our closeness to Jesus is determined by
how we live HIS virtue of humility. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Reflection for February 20, Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time: Mark 9:14-29
Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.”
They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. Then he questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!”
Shouting and throwing the boy into
convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say,
“He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. When
he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, “Why could we not
drive the spirit out?” He said to them, “This kind can only come out through
prayer.”
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Reflection:
Do you have a rock-solid faith in the Lord?
By their lack of faith the disciples were not able to cast out the mute spirit that possessed the boy. Add to that was their lack of prayer also; thus Jesus admonished them for this deficiency. A life of faith and prayer is a must for all of us who are followers of Jesus.
But how do we define faith? Faith is when we believe in something even if others do not, faith is something that we hold on until the very end even if we don’t see what we hold on. And what is the fuel of our faith? It’s our active prayer life. We pray from the depths of our hearts for this is the prayer that connects with God.
Let us not try not to pray because not only that we will lose our faith, we would also lose our moral balance to discern what is wrong from right. Let us therefore at all times give priority to our consistent prayer life for this is the fire of our faith and this is also our hotline to Jesus.
When Jesus cured the possessed boy, the disciples asked Him why were they not able to do what He had just done. All though Jesus did not told them that they lacked faith it was very obvious that it was the cause of their failure to cure the possessed boy. What was the cause of their lack of faith? It was the disciples’ inadequate prayer life as told to them by Jesus (Mark 9:29).
Do you have an active and strong prayer
life? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita para Pebrero 20, Lunes ng Ikapitong Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon: Marcos 9:14-29
Tinanong ni Hesus ang kanyang mga alagad, “Ano ba ang pinagtatalunan ninyo at ng mga taong iyon?” Sumagot ang isa mula sa karamihan, “Guro, dinala ko po rito sa inyo ang aking anak na lalaki, sapagkat siya’y inaalihan ng masamang espiritu, at hindi makapagsalita. Tuwing aalihan siya nito, siya’y inilulugmok; bumubula ang kanyang bibig at nagngangalit ang kanyang ngipin, at siya’y naninigas.
Hiniling ko po sa inyong mga alagad na palayasin ang espiritu, ngunit hindi nila napalayas ito!” Sinabi ni Hesus sa kanila, “Lahing walang pananampalataya! Hanggang kailan ako dapat manatiling kasama ninyo? Hanggang kailan ko kayo pagtitiisan? Dalhin ninyo rito ang bata!” At dinala nga nila ito sa kanya. Nang si Hesus ay makita ng espiritu, biglang pinapangisay nito ang bata, anupa’t napalugmok ito sa kanya, at gumugulong-gulong na bumubula ang bibig.
“Kailan pa siya inalihan ng masamang espiritu?” tanong ni Hesus sa ama. “Mula pa po sa kanyang pagkabata!” tugon niya. “Madalas siyang ihagis nito sa apoy at sa tubig upang patayin. Kaya kung may magagawa kayo, mahabag po kayo sa amin at tulungan ninyo kami.” “Kung may magagawa!” ulit ni Hesus. “Mapangyayari ang lahat sa may pananalig.” Kaagad sumagot nang malakas ang ama ng bata, “Nananalig po ako! Tulungan ninyo ako bagamat ako’y nagkulang.”
Nang makita ni Hesus na dumaragsa ang mga tao, pinagsabihan niya ang masamang espiritu, “Ikaw, espiritung nagpapapipi at nagpapabingi – iniuutos ko sa iyo: lumabas ka sa bata! At huwag ka nang papasok sa kanya!” Nagsisigaw ang masamang espiritu, pinapangisay ang bata, at saka lumabas. Naging mistulang bangkay ang bata, kaya’t ang sabi ng marami. “Patay na!”
Subalit
siya’y hinawakan ni Hesus sa kamay at ibinangon. At tumindig ang bata. Nang
pumasok na si Hesus sa bahay, palihim siyang tinanong ng kanyang mga alagad,
“Bakit po hindi namin napalayas ang espiritu?” Sumagot si Hesus, “Ang ganitong
uri ng espiritu ay hindi mapalalayas kundi sa pamamagitan ng panalangin.”
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Reflection for Sunday February 19, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time: Matthew 5:38-48
Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
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Reflection:
Are we capable of not keeping hatred in our heart? For example, when somebody hurts us, are we capable of not taking revenge? When someone strikes us on the right cheek could we turn the other side as well? Are we capable of not refusing somebody who wants to borrow from us? Can we love our enemy and can we still pray for those who’ve been persecuting and hurting us?
Jesus in the gospel gives us teachings that are very difficult for many of us to follow. We may wonder, why these teachings are very hard for us to follow? This is so for the reason that we are humans and as such we respond because this is the normal human instinct to respond accordingly to what is done to us.
But if we respond to an evil act done to us we only permit the cycle of evil to continue until the same cycle of evil destroys us. However, if we don’t respond to an evil act we immediately kill the evil act and we eventually convert the person who did us evil.
We also normally compartmentalize our fellowmen. For example we label them as those we hate and those we do not hate. Those we love and those we do not love, those who are good to us and those who are not good to us. Therefore, we respond to them according to what they give us.
Jesus invites us today to discard our mindset of compartmentalization and retaliation. He invites us to treat everyone equally regardless if this and that person is good or not good to us. He invites us to throw away our mindset of revenge. And finally the Lord invites us all to be humble, to be loving and forgiving. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita para sa Linggo Pebrero 19, Ikapitong Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon: Mateo 5:38-48
Mabuting Balita: Mateo 5:38-48
Noong panahong iyon, sinabi ni Hesus sa kanyang mga alagad: “Narinig ninyo na sinabi, ‘Mata sa mata at ngipin sa ngipin.’ Ngunit ngayo’y sinasabi ko sa inyo: huwag ninyong labanan ang masamang tao. Kung may sumampal sa iyo sa kanang pisngi, iharap mo pa sa kanya ang kabila.
Kung ipagsakdal ka ninuman upang makuha ang iyong baro, ibigay mo sa kanya pati ang iyong balabal. Kung sapilitang ipapasan sa iyo ng manlulupig ang kanyang dala nang isang kilometro, pasanin mo ito nang dalawang kilometro. Magbigay ka sa naghihingi sa iyo, at huwag mong pahindian ang nanghihiram sa iyo.
“Narinig na ninyong sinabi, ‘Ibigin mo ang iyong kaibigan at kapootan mo ang iyong kaaway.’ Ngunit ito naman sabi ko: ibigin ninyo ang mga umuusig sa inyo, upang kayo’y maging tunay na anak ng inyong Amang nasa langit. Sapagkat pinasisikat niya ang araw sa masasama at sa mabubuti, at pinapapatak niya ang ulan sa mga banal at sa mga makasalanan.
Kung ang mga umiibig sa inyo ang siya lamang ninyo iibigin, ano pang gantimpala ang inyong hihintayin? Hindi ba’t ginagawa rin ito ng mga publikano? At kung ang binabati lamang ninyo’y ang inyong mga kapatid, ano ang nagawa ninyong higit kaysa iba? Ginagawa rin iyon ng mga Hentil! Kaya, dapat kayong maging ganap, gaya ng inyong Amang nasa Langit.”
Reflection for February 18, Saturday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time: Mark 9:2-13
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking around, the disciples no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.
As they were coming down from the
mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except
when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to
themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. Then they asked him,
"Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" He told them,
"Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, yet how is it
written regarding the Son of Man that he must suffer greatly and be treated
with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come and they did to him whatever
they pleased, as it is written of him."
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Reflection:
Do you want to be in heaven with the Lord when your journey in this world is already over?
Jesus showed to the three apostles what heaven was like; He gave them a fleeting taste of heaven. But then, He said not yet; let us go down first and continue my mission of salvation. By doing so He would go through severe hardship, pain and betrayal. But at the end of these all Jesus rose up triumphantly to defeat the wickedness of evil.
Before we achieve success, we must toil in the sun and sacrifice. Before we go to heaven, we have to do something for the Lord and His church. And this will surely entail sacrifice even hardship.
Why? Because that’s how it is, there are no shortcuts to triumph. We must go through the eye of the needle so to speak to fully enjoy the sweetness of our victory and success. Free riders and freeloaders have no place in the mission for Christ.
We have to sacrifice if we want to be with
the Lord in heaven someday. We have to sweat it out if we want to taste success
in this world. There are no shortcuts. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Ang Mabuting Balita para Pebrero 18, Sabado, ng Ikaanim na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon: Marcos 9:2-13
At nakita ng tatlong alagad si Moises at si Elias, na nakikipag-usap kay Hesus. Sinabi ni Pedro kay Hesus, “Guro, mabuti pa’y dumito na tayo. Gagawa po kami ng tatlong kubol: isa sa inyo, isa kay Moises at isa kay Elias.” Hindi nalalaman ni Pedro ang kanyang sinasabi sapagkat masyado ang takot niya at ng kanyang mga kasama.
At nililiman sila ng isang alapaap at mula rito’y may tinig na nagsabi, “Ito ang minamahal kong Anak. Pakinggan ninyo siya!” Pagdaka, tumingin ang mga alagad sa paligid nila at nakitang wala na silang kasama roon kundi si Hesus. Habang bumababa sila sa bundok ay mahigpit na itinagubilin sa kanila ni Hesus: “Huwag ninyong sasabihin kaninuman ang inyong nakita hangga’t hindi muling nabubuhay ang Anak ng Tao.”
Sinunod nila ang tagubiling ito, ngunit sila-sila’y nagtanungan kung ano ang kahulugan ng sinabi niyang muling pagkabuhay. At tinanong nila si Hesus, “Bakit po sinasabi ng mga eskriba na dapat munang pumarito si Elias?” Tumugon siya, “Paririto nga si Elias upang ihanda ang lahat ng bagay.
Kung gayo’y
bakit sinasabi ng Kasulatan na ang Anak ng Tao’y hahamakin at magtitiis ng
maraming hirap? Sinasabi ko sa inyo na pumarito na si Elias, at ginawa sa kanya
ng mga tao ang gusto nila, ayon sa sinasabi ng Kasulatan tungkol sa kanya.”