Friday, July 21, 2023
Reflection for Saturday 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:
Do we agree that we are all sinners?
All of us are like Mary Magdalene for like her we too are sinners. Nevertheless, we too are always being called by Jesus to conversion and to follow Him for the rest of our life.
But unlike Mary Magdalene who was compliant to Jesus call for her to repent. We oftentimes are not; we follow the many deceiving dictates of this world rather than follow the desire of Jesus for us.
What would we gain if we follow the many sinful dictates of this world? Nothing but emptiness and sin, has our cravings for the things of this world gave us peace? This world will never give us peace and contentment only Jesus will give it to us.
What if like Mary Magdalene we respond to Jesus’ call and faithfully follow the Lord for the rest of our life? We will have a foretaste of heaven while we are still in this world. What if we are like Mary Magdalene who never gave up on searching for the risen Christ until she found Him? We will have peace, serenity and contentment in our life.
Like Saint Mary Magdalene let us also search for the Lord until we find Him for the Lord makes Himself available to anyone who search for Him. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Thursday, July 20, 2023
Reflection for July 21, Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 12:1-8
Gospel: Matthew 12:1-8
Jesus was going through a field of grain
on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain
and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your
disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath.”
He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat?
Or have you not read in the law that on
the Sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the Sabbath and are
innocent? I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew
what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned
these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”
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Reflection:
Are we quick to judge?
When Pope Francis was asked about homosexuals, he said this: "Who am I to judge them if they're seeking the Lord in good faith? They shouldn't be marginalized. This comment by the Pope evoked countless positive comments all over the world. Why? Because it broke barriers, it erased the usual stigma that homosexuals are sinful.
When the disciples eat during the Sabbath the Pharisees told Jesus, “See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath." (Matthew 12:2) But Jesus justly defended HIS disciples by saying: “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? (Matthew 12:3-5)
Like the Pharisees, it’s so easy for us to judge based only on what we see but what we see is often a false representation a person’s identity. Unlike many of us who easily judge, Jesus does not, what is important for Jesus is mercy, what is important for Jesus is the pureness of the intention.
How are we going to spread the goodness of
Jesus if we are overly strict and judgmental? The Pharisees in our gospel were
judgmental they want their laws to be strictly followed. But the irony of it
all is they were also the silent violators of the laws that they have
self-servingly created. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Reflection for July 20, Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 11:28-30
Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who labor
and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for
yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
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Reflection:
The story is told about a father who was suddenly rendered out of job. He was therefore worried where he would earn the money to feed his family. So, he prayed to the Lord for help to find a new job. After only three days a neighbor who knows about his predicament asked him if he would be willing to work as a family driver and he immediately said yes!
Are you going through a difficult stage in our life right now caused by a sickness or joblessness? Do you want to learn how to let go of your worries? Jesus has an offer for you! In the gospel Jesus tells you this: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Why does Jesus wants you to go to Him? Because Jesus wants to help you carry whatever that burdens you right now. He wants to ease your pains and sufferings; Jesus wants to help you in carrying whatever that suffering might be.
Let us respond to this call of Jesus and we will never regret making that decision. What would happen to us if we respond now? The sufferings that we carry will become lighter this is for the reason that Jesus will help us carry our suffering.
We will have hope and there will be many more positive things that will happen to our life if you would respond to this offer of Jesus. Let us respond now and see for ourselves the miracle that will unfold in our life. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose if we would respond to this offer of Jesus.
Would we respond to this offer of the Lord? - Marino J. Dasmarinas
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Reflection for July 19, Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 11:25-27
Gospel: Matthew 11:25-27
At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give
praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden
these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the
childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious
will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son
except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to
whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
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Reflection:
The story is told about a man who was very serious in his desire to know God. So, what he did was he read every book that deals about God. But he was wondering how come that the more that he read books about God the more that God becomes distant to him?
So he seek the advice of a wise man for enlightenment thus he was told by the wise man: Your dilemma is simple. You need to become more humble as you become more learned about God. You should put into your heart and not into your head whatever learning that you obtain from your readings.
Do you want to discover more about the movement of God in our life? The secret word is humility: childlike humility; this is for the reason that the more childlike you become in front of God the more that you open yourself to His many graces.
What is the demeanor of Jesus when He prays to God? Jesus is always humble before God, He doesn’t brag or boast anything about Himself. So, we too should always be humble for this is the secret for us to know more about God. - Marino J. Dasmarinas
Monday, July 17, 2023
Reflection for July 18, Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 11:20-24
Gospel: Matthew 11:20-24
Jesus began to reproach the towns where
most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to
you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your
midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in
sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and
Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be
exalted to heaven? You will go down to the nether world. For if the mighty
deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until
this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on
the day of judgment than for you.”
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Reflection:
The story is told about a man who was being bothered by his many sins, he would think of it every now and then and it would always give him guilt of conscience. He had no peace of mind; a friend noticed his uneasy behavior so he was asked what was bothering him. After telling his friend what was bothering him, he was advised to repent from all of his sins through the Sacrament of Confession. So he did and he finally had peace of mind.
The people of Chorazin and Bethsaida were reprimanded by Jesus for they refused to repent from their evil ways. Why do we refuse to repent and why do we love to sin? The reason perhaps is we love Satan more than Jesus, we love this world more than we love to be eventually in heaven with Jesus. Otherwise if we love Jesus we would repent and this repentance will reach its apex once we submit ourselves to the Sacrament of Confession.
This is who many of us are, we love to sin yet we don’t want to be in hell. But what we don’t know is as we continue to sin we also slowly walk towards hell. Are Satan and hell real? Of course,they are! Observe those who continue to sin or who continue to live sinful lives. They live without peace.
They may be rich and powerful but the reality is they have no peace of mind often times their family also is in turmoil. And the reason for this is their refusal to walk away from sin. Therefore we will be with the evil one and we will feel hell here and now if we will not walk away from sin.
Jesus will surely want us all to repent and to submit ourselves to the Sacrament of Confession. This is for the reason that Jesus wants us to be cleansed from all of our sins that have been enslaving us for so long. Nevertheless, Jesus also gave us the freedom of choice to do what we want to do in this world.
The choice is ours to make, should we
continue to live in the darkness of sin that has been making life so miserable
for us? Or we embrace the guiding light of Jesus through HIS offer of
repentance? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Saturday, July 15, 2023
Reflection for July 17, Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 10:34 -11:1
Gospel: Matthew 10:34—11:1
Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do not think
that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace
but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter
against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s
enemies will be those of his household.
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple–amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
When Jesus finished giving these commands
to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in
their towns.
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Reflection:
There’s a saying that goes, “No pain no gain”. But how could there be gain in pain? Why not gain without pain? When we gain something without pain what we gain can easily fly away and it can easily be forgotten. But when we gain something that is accompanied with pain, sweat and sacrifice we will treasure it and properly take care of it.
Would you be able to know Jesus more deeply without going through life’s many pains? No, you will not gain Jesus and you will not have an up close and personal encounter with Him if you would not go through life’s many pains. For there’s no easy way going to Jesus.
you have to pass through the many painful obstacles of life in order to find Jesus. You may even have to give up every inch of your worldliness in order to find Jesus. Therefore self-sacrifice is an important ingredient in finding and knowing Jesus.
Would you be willing to go through pains and sufferings so that you could experience an encounter with Jesus? If you really desire an encounter with Jesus in your life you have to embrace suffering/s and pains.
But worldly life has already conditioned
us to veer away as much as we could from our crosses and pains. No small wonder
that many if not majority has not yet found Jesus in their lives. – Marino J.
Dasmarinas
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Reflection for Sunday July 16, 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:1-9
Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9
On that day, 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:
Do you give time to listen to Jesus?
Whenever Jesus speaks everyone listens because whatever Jesus talks about is always wisdom filled. Who would not want to listen to someone who imparts wisdom? We all want to listen to a person whose words are full of wisdom.
But how could we listen to Jesus in this smart phone and social media dominated times? First, is we listen to HIM by reading and reflecting on HIS life and teachings in the bible. Many of us have no more time to open the bible even for a brief moment. Yet we have time for other worldly things that often times bring no value to our life.
Second is we listen to Jesus through our solemn presence at Holy Mass. Because of our many self-created distractions there are times that it’s so hard to allocate time to this Holy and Sacred Celebration. Nevertheless, if we really desire to give time for this holy and sacred celebration we would be able to do it and in return receive unfathomable blessings from it.
Third is we go to the Adoration Chapel to stay there to be with Jesus and allow Him to speak to us. If we can spend time daily using our smart phones, why can’t we give time for the Lord? There’s an enormous blessings that awaits us whenever we give time to the Lord.
If only we would care to give time to the Lord we would be like the seed that fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Let us spend more time with Jesus, let us listen more to Him and let us be prepared for the spiritual blessings that will come our way.
Do you give time for the Lord? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Reflection for Saturday July 15, Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (M): Matthew 10:24-33
Gospel: Matthew 10:24-33
Jesus said to his Apostles: “No disciple
is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple
that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of
his household! “Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small
coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth
more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will
acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others I will
deny before my heavenly Father.”
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Reflection:
What is the mark of a true and faithful follower of Jesus? It’s the mark of obedience, a true follower will obey the command of Jesus to share His good news. But we may say that sometimes it’s hard to share Jesus because the environment is not conducive for sharing Jesus. If this is the case when are we going to share Jesus?
If we wait for the right environment to share Jesus that right environment may not come at all. As the apostles were commissioned by Jesus to share the gospel we too are tasked to do the same. Let us not wait for the right environment to share Jesus because Jesus Himself will guide us going to that environment which is safe and ripe for evangelization.
No harm will fall upon us if we share Jesus because we are sharing the good news of humanity’s salvation. If we share Jesus we would be able to change lives and we will be able to give hope which many badly needs today.
The apostles treated with sacredness their commissioning from Jesus and as a result of it they became very successful in their mission. How about us? When are we going to share Jesus? Would we still wait for the right time and environment?
Why not share Jesus now? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Reflection for July 14, Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 10:16-23
Gospel: Matthew 10:16-23
(Jesus said to the twelve Apostles)
“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as
serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to
courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before
governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When
they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to
say.
You will be given at that moment what you
are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father
speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father
his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end
will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I
say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man
comes.”
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Reflection:
How far would we go for our love for Jesus? Would we be willing to give our life so that HIS teachings would continue to live and spread in the hearts of our fellowmen?
Jesus needs us today more than any other time because today we see the world being slowly enveloped by the culture of secularization. What are we going to do about this tilting shift toward secularization? Are we just going to stand idly, do nothing and be indifferent to the mission of Jesus?
If we do nothing because we are afraid to embrace sacrifice and persecution, what will happen to this world? This world will eventually be ruled and populated by people who are not anymore worshippers of God.
Just look and observe, abortion is prevalent even legal in many countries same as with divorce. Why are these incidents happening now? Because many are afraid to give their life in the service of Jesus many of us now have the mindset of apathy (I am only concerned with my family and my own welfare).
Our indifference towards the mission of Jesus contributes to the degeneration of the value formation of the people of this world. We therefore must wake up and do our part (No matter how small) to continue to spread the values and teachings of Jesus in this world. We do this not for our own sake anymore we do this for the sake of the future generation which now belongs to our children.
Just imagine children growing up with a
scant idea of who Jesus is? What would happen to them when they grow up and
have their own family? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Reflection for July 13, Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 10:7-15
Gospel: Matthew 10:7-15
Jesus said to his Apostles: “As you go,
make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick,
raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have
received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy, let your peace
come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive
you or listen to your words go outside that house or town and shake the dust
from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of
Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”
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Reflection:
The story is told about a righteous man who was thinking about the kingdom of God, he was asking himself, when will I feel the kingdom of God? Then, suddenly he had a heart attack and he died after which his soul was ushered by an angel into heaven to be with Jesus.
The kingdom of God comes to us through the many avenues of life and one of these avenues is though our death. Are we already prepared for death? Many if not all of us would say, not yet for we still have our many preoccupations in life.
We are so busy with many earthly things but have we been busy with the heavenly things, with the things for God? The things which will bring us to close friendship with Jesus; such as doing good toward others?
The instruction of Jesus for the apostles is HIS marching order for us as well. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. In other words Jesus is telling us to make a difference in the lives of others most especially the poor. Let us not be selfish, let us rather be sensitive to their needs and we help them for in doing so we bring ourselves closer to the Lord.
Would we gain financial windfall for doing Jesus mission in this world? No we will not but let us not be afraid to follow the instruction of Jesus. Because when we follow we are already preparing our eternal dwelling in heaven someday.
What would we gain lf we have all the
wealth in this world if we would be hellbound someday? And if we don’t have God in our
heart? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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