Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think
that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish
but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the
smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until
all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least
of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the
Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be
called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
What is life without Jesus? It’s barren,
chaotic and without peace. What is life without following the laws of God? It’s
the same as well. Jesus comes into our lives to make it meaningful,
peaceful and productive. Not meaningful, peaceful and productive in the eyes of
our fellowmen but meaningful and productive in His eyes.
When we break the laws of God we also
distance ourselves from the love of Jesus. For example, if a politician shows in
his public image that he is a follower of Jesus. He will not break the law by
stealing money from the coffers of the government, etc.
He will not break the law of God by
siding with those who are espousing anti life/poor laws such as legalization of
abortion, death penalty and the like. Otherwise, he is only using Jesus to serve
his own hidden agenda. Same goes for a priest/man of God who professes to
follow Jesus. He/she should not break the law by engaging in sexual or homosexual
relationships.
There’s always a reward that awaits those
who follow the laws of God. And there’s always a reward that awaits those who
follow Jesus and His commandments. It may not be the reward that we expect it
to be but there would certainly be a reward.
How about those who violate the law/s? Of course, the wrath of God will be due them sooner or later. Why? Because that is
the unwritten law of the universe. - Marino J. Dasmarinas
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as
seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven
times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided
to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting, a debtor was
brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it
back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and
all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did
him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that
servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he
found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized
him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to
his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay
you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back
the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had
happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the
whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you
begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had
pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until
he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless
each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
The story is told about an unforgiving man
who would always harbor resentment towards those who have hurt him. Be
unforgiving was always his attitude towards those who did him wrong until he
had a heart attack. After he recovered from his sickness, he decided not to keep
any resentment anymore and he subsequently felt like a bird freed from a
cage.
Is it normal for us to harbor
resentment/anger? Yes of course for we are humans with emotions. But we must
not let our anger/resentment control us by allowing it safe harbor in our
hearts for so long. Therefore, after that moment wherein we let our feeling of
resentment control us let us quickly allow Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness to
take over our selfish and destructive feelings.
In the gospel Peter asked Jesus,
"Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as
seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times
but seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:21-22).
This is a very simple yet very effective
teaching about forgiveness for us from Jesus. In other words the Lord is saying
to us that we should always be forgiving. It’s normal for us to be hurt but let
us not allow these hurtful feelings to control and to wound us permanently.
Hence, we can only be freed from the vicious control of anger which by the way
comes from the devil, if we forgive those who have hurt us.
What if we don’t forgive? We are only
hurting ourselves if we don’t forgive and we only put ourselves in an invisible
prison cell called unforgiveness. And then this unforgiveness will sooner or
later bring us down until we self-destruct.
What if we follow Jesus’ teaching on
forgiveness, how would we feel? We feel light and free and we have no
burden in our hearts. Don’t we all want to feel light, to feel free and without
any burdens and hurtful feelings in our hearts?
There are two options before us: To follow
Jesus’ teaching on infinite forgiveness or we continue to punish and burden
ourselves by unforgiveness. The wisdom filled choice is to follow Jesus’
teaching. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong
panahong iyon, lumapit si Pedro at nagtanong kay Hesus, “Panginoon, makailan
kong patatawarin ang aking kapatid na paulit-ulit na nagkakasala sa akin?
Makapito po ba?” Sinagot siya ni Hesus, “Hindi ko sinasabing makapito, kundi
pitumpung ulit pa nito.
Sapagkat ang
paghahari ng Diyos ay katulad nito: ipinasiya ng isang hari na pagbayarin ang
kanyang mga lingkod na may utang sa kanya. Unang dinala sa kanya ang isang may
utang na sampung milyung piso. Dahil sa siya’y walang ibayad, iniutos ng hari
na ipagbili siya, ang kanyang asawa, mga anak, at lahat ng ari-arian, upang
makabayad.
Nanikluhod
ang taong ito sa harapan ng hari at nagmakaawa: ‘Bigyan pa ninyo ako ng
panahon, at babayaran ko sa inyo ang lahat.’ Naawa sa kanya ang hari kaya
ipinatawad ang kanyang mga utang at pinayaon siya. “Ngunit pagkaalis niya roon
ay nakatagpo niya ang isa sa kanyang kapwa lingkod na may utang na limandaang
piso sa kanya.
Sinunggaban
niya ito at sinakal, sabay wika: ‘Magbayad ka ng utang mo!’ Naglumuhod iyon at
nagmakaawa sa kanya: ‘Bigyan mo pa ako ng panahon at babayaran kita.’ Ngunit
hindi siya pumayag; sa halip ipinabilanggo niya ang kanyang kapwa lingkod
hanggang sa ito’y makabayad. Nang makita ng kanyang mga kapwa lingkod ang
nangyari, sila’y labis na nagdamdam; pumunta sila sa hari at isinumbong ang
nangyari.
Kaya’t
ipinatawag siya ng hari. ‘Ikaw – napakasama mo!’ Sabi niya. ‘Pinatawad kita sa
utang mo sapagkat nagmakaawa ka sa akin. Nahabag ako sa iyo; hindi ba dapat ka
ring mahabag sa kapwa mo?’ At sa galit ng hari, siya’y ipinabilanggo hanggang
sa mabayaran niya ang kanyang utang. Gayun din ang gagawin sa inyo ng aking
Amang nasa langit kung hindi ninyo patatawarin ang inyong kapatid.
Jesus said to the people in the synagogue
at Nazareth: “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native
place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of
Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine
spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was
sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were
many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of
them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.
When the people in the synagogue heard
this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built to hurl
him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Do we expect Jesus to bless us abundantly
because we always pray and do good? How would we feel if our expectation is not
meet by Jesus? Would we now be indifferent to Jesus?
We cannot fathom the mind of God, there
are times that His decisions will not fit our own comprehension. We
nevertheless should continue to be faithful to Him even if His will is often
times not attuned to our own will. In His own time God would eventually give us
what we want, we simply have to be patient.
In our gospel the people of Nazareth is
angry with Jesus for the simple reason that what Jesus said did not fit their
expectation. Their minds were already conditioned to believe their own
expectations. But we cannot read the mind of Jesus and we cannot put Jesus in a
box because His decisions and His answers to our prayers are often times out of
the box.
We simply have to believe and hold on to
our faith in Jesus no matter what happens. Even if sometimes or even often
times His decisions doesn’t fit our own selfish expectations. Who knows one of
these days when we least expect it Jesus will suddenly give us what we want.
Let us continue to have faith in Jesus
even if He is not meeting our expectations for He knows what is best for us. –
Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon.
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” —For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.
“I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ; when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking with you.”
Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him. When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Do you want to have an encounter with Jesus?
The gospel is so pregnant with the encounter narrative at Jacob’s well between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Jesus went to the well to rest and the woman went to the well to get water. Was it purely coincidence that the woman met Jesus at Jacob’s well?
I don’t think so, Jesus went to the well because he was expecting the woman to go there. So they met and a conversation ensued, during their conversation the woman felt something that she never felt before in her entire life. Why? Because the woman found out that Jesus knew everything about her life and Jesus spoke to her in a personal and enlightening manner.
At the end of the gospel, the woman was converted simply because of that up close and personal encounter at Jacobs well.
Do you know that the Lord is also wishing for an up close and personal encounter with you this lent? The Lord wants to have a conversation with you also, the Lord wants to know more about you: Your life, your problems, your fears and even your darkest secrets.
But you first have to find your own Jacob’s well or your own quite place where you can be alone with the Lord. And when you find that quite place go there and once there already close your eyes and begin a silent conversation with the Lord. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Tax collectors and sinners were all
drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to
complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them
Jesus addressed this parable: “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to
his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son
collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he
squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent
everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire
need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his
farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods
on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he
thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to
eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I
shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no
longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your
hired workers.”
’So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was
filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son
said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer
deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly
bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals
on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has
come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration
began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he
neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked
what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and
your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and
sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father
came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these
years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never
gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns who swallowed up
your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He
said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has
come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Can we measure the love of God?
The infinite love of God is showcased in
our gospel today. The loving and infinitely forgiving father is no other than
God. And the repentant younger son who squandered all of his inheritance
through debauchery and sinful living could be anyone of us.
We may think that because of our many sins
we are already beyond reach by God’s love, mercy and forgiveness. No, the Lord
can still reach us no matter how far we have strayed. Why? For the
reason that God’s love is pervading and infinite. It’s like the sun which is
available to all of us no matter the sins that we have committed and no matter
who we are.
But for us to be reached by this infinite
and pervading love of God. We must first be willing to repent from all of our
sins. And we must be willing to humble ourselves before God. We have to humbly
admit and realize that we are all sinners. Thus, just like the younger
son we too are in need of God’s mercy, love and forgiveness.
It’s about time that we return back to our
forgiving, merciful and loving God. It’s about time that we repent and leave
behind us our sinful lives and those people who influence us to commit sin. –
Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said to the chief priests and the
elders of the people: “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted
a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew
near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the
tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third
they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous
than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent
his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw
the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and
acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and
killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to
those tenants when he comes?” They answered him, “He will put those wretched men
to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him
the produce at the proper times.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the
Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by
the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of
God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its
fruit.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew
that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest
him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
One of the gifts that God gave us is our
Catholic faith, Jesus gave this to us through our baptism. Does this gift of
faith end with our baptism? No, Jesus is also expecting us to share this gift
of our baptism by living and sharing our faith.
We read in our gospel this Friday that
there was a landowner who leased his vineyard to some tenants. After a period
of time the landowner was now demanding his share of their produce. But they
did not give him his share. The tenants were ruled by greed that they kept to
themselves the fruits of the vineyard.
The same is true with the gift of faith
that Jesus gave us, Jesus expects us to share the fruits of our faith. Let us
not be content with the status quo or inaction let us move and do something so
that we could share our faith for this is what Jesus demands from us.
For example, why don’t we share our faith
with the members of our family by inviting them to go to Holy Mass? Why don’t
we share our catholic faith with them by having a regular time for family
reflection about the words of Jesus in the bible? Or perhaps by praying
the Holy Rosary which can certainly strengthen the unity of the family.
What have you done so far with this gift
of faith that Jesus gave you through the Sacrament of Baptism? Have you shared
it already? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a
rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously
each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered
with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell
from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the
poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of
Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried, and
from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw
Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham,
have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my
tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.'
Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that
you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received
what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone
from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest
they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses
and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. ’Then Abraham
said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be
persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
The story is told about a man who did not
believe in God and in the afterlife. He wantonly wasted his life by living a
life of sinful pleasures. It was always a life of immoral
satisfaction for him: drugs, sex, and other sinful things, in other words he
had no time for God. This became his life because he did not believe in the
existence of the afterlife much less God.
Is there really an afterlife or a life
which will immediately replace our present life after our life in this world is
over and done with already? The answer is a resounding yes! The gospel shows us
that there is an afterlife which is very different from the life that we have
today. There in the afterlife exist two kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the
kingdom of satan where he and his minions dwell.
In the gospel, we see the characters of
the unnamed rich and indifferent man and the poor man named Lazarus. The rich
man perhaps did not believe in the afterlife or was not aware that there is an
afterlife that’s why he did not mind the poor man Lazarus who was in dire need
of his help. He nonchalantly ignored Lazarus as if the poor man did not
exist.
When both of them died there was a
reversal of places: The poor man Lazarus who endured a difficult life when he
was still alive was in the kingdom of God and the rich man who savored earthly
life was in the dark kingdom of the devil.
Why was there a reversal of places?
Because the rich man was indifferent to the crying need of the poor man
Lazarus. If he only knew that Lazarus was very close to God. If he only knew
that Lazarus could have been God in disguise. The lesson for us is very simple,
we should not ignore the crying need of the poor and we should always be
sensitive to their plight. Why? Because the poor is the physical representation
of God in disguise. – Marino J.
Dasmarinas
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he
took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over
to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and
hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he
will be raised on the third day.”
Then 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.”
+ + + + + +
Reflection:
Why do we desire to follow the Lord?
If we want to follow we should prepare for
the many sacrifices that we have to go through for the greater glory of God.
Many of us are averse to sufferings and sacrifices we want a life of ease and
comfort. But life of ease and comfort are not the way of life of Jesus for His
way of life is laden with trials, humility and sacrifice.
Using their mother as their emissary the
two disciples were aspiring to be great in the eyes of the world yet they were
followers of Jesus. Were they really followers or just pretending to be
followers? If they were true followers they would have not asked for the best
seats beside Jesus.
Let us not lose sight of the fact that the
essence of following Jesus is to serve with humility. It’s not to serve for us
to be noticed, admired and respected for these are all ego-tripping and self-advertisement.
The true follower is not hungry for power,
prestige and entitlement. He is content to humbly serve even if nobody would
notice him. The more that he is not noticed for what he does for the Lord the
more that the Lord would favor it.
This is the paradox of true discipleship,
it contradicts our way of self-centered thinking. It rather directs us to the
real essence of discipleship which involves humility and sacrifice. – Marino J.
Dasmarinas
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his
disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the
chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move
them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries
and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of
honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You
have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your
father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have
but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be
exalted.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Do you live what you preach?
Walk your talk is a language of
management, what does this mean? It simply signifies to do what you say and
lead by example. For instance, if the leader tells those under him to do this
and that, the leader must ensure that he does it first thus he leads the way
for his people.
Many of the Pharisees and the scribes
during the time of Jesus were leaders of their communities. And as such they
give orders to their people to do this and that, then it ends with giving
orders. There was no leadership by example from them, they gave orders and they
just stay in their ivory towers observing their subjects.
Effective leadership for Jesus is
leadership by example. These are leaders who walk their talk. For instance, in a
family setting if the parents would say to their children, do this and that and
observe this discipline and that. To facilitate thorough accomplishment of
their orders the parents should lead by example. Thus, they earn the respect of
their children.
Isn’t this advice of Jesus also very useful
to our personal lives? If we want our orders to be accomplished and if we want
to gain the respect of our people, we must then be ready to lead by example. And
this is the way how Jesus lived His life and His leadership.
How are you as an individual or perhaps as
a leader? Are you the type who’s just content of giving orders or you lead by
example? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
