Noong panahong iyon, tumingala si
Hesus at nanalangin, “Amang banal, hindi lamang ang aking mga alagad
idinadalangin ko, kundi pati ang mga mananalig sa akin dahil sa kanilang
pahayag. Maging isa nawa silang lahat, Ama. Kung paanong ikaw ay nasa akin at
ako'y nasa iyo, gayun din naman, maging isa sila sa atin upang maniwala ang
sanlibutan na ikaw ang nagsugo sa akin.
Ang karangalang ibinigay mo sa akin ay ibinigay ko sa kanila
upang sila'y maging ganap na isa, gaya nating iisa; ako'y nasa kanila at ikaw
ay nasa akin, upang lubusan silang maging isa. At sa gayon, makikilala ng
sanlibutan na sinugo mo ako, at sila'y inibig mo katulad ng pag-ibig mo sa
akin."
"Ama,
nais kong makasama sa aking kinaroroonan ang mga binigay mo sa akin, upang
mamasdan nila ang karangalang bigay mo sa akin, sapagkat inibig mo na ako bago
pa nilikha ang sanlibutan. Makatarungang Ama, hindi ka nakikilala ng
sanlibutan, ngunit nakikilala kita, at nalalaman ng mga ibinigay mo sa akin na
ikaw ang nagsugo sa akin. Ipinakilala kita sa kanila, at ipakikilala pa, upang
ang pag-ibig mo sa akin ay sumapuso nila at ako nama'y sumakanila."
Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus
prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so
that they may be one just as we are one. When I was with them I protected them
in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was
lost except the son of destruction in order that the Scripture might be
fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely. I gave them your word, and the world
hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to
the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep
them from the Evil One.
They do not belong to the world any more than I belong
to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me
into the world so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them
so that they also may be consecrated in truth.
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
The story is
told about a husband and wife who wanted to adhere to the teachings of the
church that marriage is for life. So they thought of ways on how they would go
about it. In their reflection they thought of making prayer as an agent that
would bind them together until they breathe their last. To make a long story
short they made prayer part of their married life. Thus, they remained married
until the end.
As Jesus was about to be arrested, He prayed to God
for His disciples. That they may continually be united as one in their mission,
united for the reason that they would not succeed without unity. Isn’t
this true also inside a family and married life? A family needs unity for it to
succeed, what are the fruits of unity inside the family/marriage? The fruits
are: Humility, Honesty, Forgiveness and many more positive
attributes.
Every family/marriage that succeeds spiritually is a praying
family and a praying family is a united family. Let us therefore not devalue
the powerful miracle of prayer inside the family/marriage. Because the family
that prays as one would remain united forever.
Is prayer already part of the culture of your life,
family and marriage? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyo, si Hesus ay
tumingala sa langit, nanalangin at ang wika: Amang banal, ingatan mo sila sa
pamamagitan ng kapangyarihan ng iyong pangalan, pangalang ibinigay mo sa akin,
upang sila'y maging isa, kung paanong tayo'y iisa. Habang kasama nila ako,
iningatan ko sila sa pamamagitan ng kapangyarihan ng iyong pangalang ibinigay
mo sa akin.
Inalagaan ko sila at ni isa'y walang napahamak, liban sa taong
humanap ng kanyang kapahamakan, upang matupad ang Kasulatan. Ngunit ngayon,
ako'y papunta na sa iyo; at sinasabi ko ito habang ako'y nasa sanlibutan upang
mapuspos sila ng aking kagalakan. Naibigay ko na sa kanila ang iyong salita; at
kinapootan sila ng sanlibutan, sapagkat hindi na sila makasanlibutan, tulad
kong hindi makasanlibutan.
Hindi ko idinadalanging alisin mo sila sa sanlibutan, kundi
iligtas mo sila sa Masama! Hindi sila makasanlibutan, tulad kong hindi
makasanlibutan. Italaga mo sila sa pamamagitan ng katotohanan; ang salita mo'y
katotohanan. Kung paanong sinugo mo ako sa sanlibutan, gayon din naman,
sinusugo ko sila sa sanlibutan. At alang-alang sa kanila'y itinalaga ko ang
aking sarili, upang maitalaga rin sila sa pamamagitan ng katotohanan."
Jesus said to his disciples: “As the
Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my
commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s
commandments and remain in his love.
“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I
love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s
friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you
slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends, because I have told you
everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who
chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that
whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you:
love one another.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
The story is told about a wife whose husband has
strayed so many times. Therefore, the wife’s relatives were asking her to leave
her philandering husband. However, the wife would have none of her relatives’
suggestion. She instead remained in their marriage covenant. Eventually, the
philandering husband was enlightened and they lived happily until the end of
their lives.
How could we remain in God’s love forever? Jesus gives
us the answer, we must keep the commandments. For example in the marriage
covenant, Jesus command for the couple is to be married until the
end. To share their burdens, trials and joys forever. Not to give
burdens, domination and mental torture forever.
The only way for a married couple to remain in God’s
love forever is to express love until the end. But none of us are perfect; many
of us sin and wander away from the marriage covenant. Nonetheless, we are not
hopeless for Jesus also instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation for us to be
within the ambit of His love again whenever we sin and stray.
There is no perfect marriage in this world because we
are not perfect beings; each of us has our own flaws and shortcomings.
Therefore we should be forgiving and must always have the humility to admit our
own mistakes and shortcomings.
The love of God is always there for us each day to
assure us that none of us are beyond its reach. The same with the love of a
spouse for his/her beloved He/she always keeps that sacred love for his/her
beloved inside her/his heart. Always hoping that the spouses who strayed would
soon find the light, forgiveness and love of God.
This is also God’s hope and expectation for you. That
you may soon find the light, love and forgiveness of God which by the way is
always there for you. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong
panahong iyon: Sinabi ni Hesus sa kanyang mga alagad: Kung paanong iniibig ako
ng Ama, gayon din naman, iniibig ko kayo; mananatili kayo sa aking pag-ibig;
tulad ko, tinutupad ko ang mga utos ng aking Ama at ako'y nananatili sa kanyang
pag-ibig.
"Sinasabi ko sa inyo ang mga bagay na ito upang makahati kayo
sa kagalakan ko at malubos ang inyong kagalakan. Ito ang aking utos: mag-ibigan
kayo gaya ng pag-ibig ko sa inyo. Walang pag-ibig na hihigit pa sa pag-ibig ng
isang taong nag-aalay ng kanyang buhay para sa kanyang mga kaibigan. Kayo'y mga
kaibigan ko kung tinutupad ninyo ang mga utos ko.
Hindi
ko na kayo inaaring alipin, sapagkat hindi alam ng alipin ang ginagawa ng
kanyang panginoon. Sa halip, inaari ko kayong mga kaibigan, sapagkat sinabi ko
sa inyo ang lahat ng narinig ko sa aking Ama. Hindi kayo ang pumili sa akin;
ako ang pumili at humirang sa inyo upang kayo'y humayo at mamunga, at manatili
ang inyong bunga. Sa gayon, ang anumang hingin ninyo sa Ama sa aking pangalan
ay ipagkakaloob sa inyo. Ito ang iniuutos ko sa inyo: mag-ibigan kayo."
The disciples said to Jesus, “Now you are
talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know
everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of
this we believe that you came from God.
Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the
hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own
home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is
with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world
you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
The story is told about a man who aimed for worldly
riches and greatness in his chosen field of endeavour. By his hard work he was
able to achieve his aims. He thought that it would be the crowning glory of his
life but he aimed for more riches. In doing so, he had no peace and contentment,
he became a slave of this world.
Jesus tells us in the gospel for this Monday, You will
have peace in me, in this world you will have trouble (John 16:33). Many of us
allow ourselves to be enslaved by this world up to this very moment. Until we
get sick, until we are near death and the reason behind is we keep on chasing
the temporal riches and power of this world. Which in reality will not give us
good health, peace and contentment.
Jesus offers us His peace. Peace that no one can give
us, peace that money can't buy, peace even in the midst of the many worries of
this world and peace that we can have even beyond this world.
Let us wholeheartedly accept this and the moment we do
we would begin to free ourselves from the possession of this world. Hence, we
will not live for this world anymore and we will not be concerned anymore about
others opinion toward us. For the simple reason that we already have the peace
of Jesus in our hearts.
Would you accept the peace that Jesus is offering you?
– Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon sinabi ng
kanyang mga alagad kay Hesus, "Ngayon po'y tuwiran na ang inyong
pangungusap sa amin at hindi na patalinghaga! Alam na naming batid ninyo ang
lahat ng bagay, at hindi na kailangang tanungin ninuman.
Dahil dito, naniwala kaming kayo'y mula sa Diyos." Sumagot
si Jesus, "Naniniwala na ba kayo ngayon? Darating ang oras -- at ngayon na
nga -- na magkakawatak-watak kayo, magkakanya-kanyang lakad kayo, at iiwan
ninyo ako. Gayunma'y hindi ako nag-iisa sapagkat kasama ko ang Ama. Sinasabi ko
ito sa inyo upang kayo'y magkaroon ng kapayapaan sa pakikipag-isa sa akin.
Mayroon kayong kapighatian dito sa sanlibutan; ngunit lakasan ninyo ang inyong
loob! Napagtagumpayan ko na ang sanlibutan!"
Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
A policeman was about to be assigned to a faraway place, so he said to his wife, 'Take care of the children. Teach them about our faith so that they’ll grow up to become responsible and God-loving individuals.
The wife followed the command of her husband. She taught their children the teachings of the faith, introduced Jesus to them, and educated them about discipline, good manners, and values. After five years, he came back. His children were all grown up, and he was so happy because they were all wonderfully brought up by his wife.
Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave His disciples this marching order: 'Proclaim the gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15). All the disciples lived out this command of Jesus to the fullest. In fact, the majority of them were martyred for the sake of advancing the gospel.
The words of Jesus are like a stream of water; they endlessly flow with the passing of time and these words speak to us now so that we can respond. The Lord tells us that we too have a mission, and what is that mission? We are also tasked by Jesus to proclaim and live the good news. Have we shared and lived the gospel?
The majority of us may not have shared and lived it yet. Therefore, we have to live and share it now. Not tomorrow, not next week, but now. Why now and not on a later date? Because many are in need of the life-transforming words of Jesus. Many are being eaten alive by worldliness, hedonism, and sinfulness.
Therefore, we must share the good news as the disciples did, because the Lord commands us to do so. Let us share Jesus’ teachings through how we live, because we become more fruitful and useful followers of Jesus when we live our faith, obey Him, and help advance His teachings.
We allow ourselves to become blessings for others when we share and give Jesus to them. We also allow Jesus to bless us more, not with material wealth, but with spiritual gifts when we follow His marching order.
Have you already followed this marching order of the Lord? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon, nagpakita si Hesus sa
Labing-isa at sinabi sa kanila, "Humayo kayo sa buong sanlibutan at
ipangaral ninyo sa lahat ang Mabuting Balita. Ang sumasampalataya at mabinyagan
ay maliligtas, ngunit ang hindi sumampalataya ay parurusahan.
Ang
mga sumasampalataya ay magtataglay ng ganitong tanda ng kapangyarihan: sa
pangalan ko'y magpapalayas sila ng mga demonyo at magsasalita ng ibang wika;
sila'y hindi maaano dumampot man ng ahas o uminom ng lason; at gagaling ang mga
may sakit na mapatungan ng kanilang kamay."
Pagkatapos magsalita sa kanila, ang Panginoong
Jesus ay iniakyat sa langit, at lumuklok sa kanan ng Diyos. Humayo nga ang mga
alagad at nangaral sa lahat ng dako. Tinulungan sila ng Panginoon sa gawaing
ito. Pinatotohanan niya ang Salitang kanilang ipinangangaral sa pamamagitan ng
kapangyarihang gumawa ng himala, na ipinagkaloob niya sa kanila.
Jesus said to his disciples: Amen, amen, I
say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now
you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your
joy may be complete.
“I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour
is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you
clearly about the Father. On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not
tell you that I will ask the Father for you. For the Father himself loves you,
because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. I came
from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and
going back to the Father.
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
How does it feel to say goodbye? It’s
heartbreaking to say the least, as much as possible we don’t want to hear
goodbyes. But goodbyes are for real and part of life. But why is it that we
don’t want to hear goodbyes and we don’t want to be separated from the person
that we love? Because goodbyes and separations entails loneliness and
sadness.
Perhaps the disciples in the gospel were also feeling
lonely and sad. Just imagine being there in that situation where Jesus was
already saying His goodbye to them. If we were with the apostles we surely
would be lonely and sad also. But unlike human goodbyes which is often times permanent
and leaves us empty. Jesus’ goodbye was not permanent and Jesus goodbye to His
disciples did not left His disciples empty.
Jesus assured His disciples that after He left them
they could still invoke His name when they pray for something to the Father.
And through His name they can have whatever they ask in prayer to the
Father.
Everything is possible with Jesus we can have whatever
we want to have for as long as we ask Jesus’ help. The impossible becomes very
much possible when we pray with faith to God through Jesus. – Marino J.
Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon, sinabi ni
Hesus sa kanyang mga alagad: "Tandaan ninyo: anumang hingin ninyo sa Ama
sa aking pangalan ay ibibigay niya sa inyo. Hanggang ngayo'y wala pa kayong
hinihingi sa kanya sa pangalan ko; humingi kayo at kayo'y tatanggap, upang malubos
ang inyong kagalakan."
"Ang mga ito'y sinabi ko sa inyo ng patalinghaga. Subalit
darating ang panahon na hindi na ako magsasalita sa inyo ng gayon; tuwiran ko
nang sasabihin sa inyo ang tungkol sa Ama. Sa araw na yao'y hihingi kayo sa
kanya sa aking pangalan; at hindi ko sinasabi sa inyo na dadalangin ako sa Ama
para sa inyo, sapagkat iniibig nga kayo ng Ama.
Iniibig
niya kayo sapagkat ako'y iniibig ninyo at naniniwala kayong ako'y nagmula sa
Diyos. Ako'y mula sa Ama at naparito sa sanlibutan; ngayo'y aalis ako sa
sanlibutan at babalik sa Ama."
Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen,
I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices; you will
grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in
anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child,
she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born
into the world.
So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you
again, and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from
you. On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to
you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
A good man was wondering about why he was experiencing
some difficulties in his life. He was in debt and his house was possessed by a
bank due to unpaid loans. He was now questioning the Lord about his very
difficult life. After a few days he won in a lottery and he was able to pay
everything and he had more to spare and save.
Jesus was telling the disciples that they would go
through difficult moments in their lives while others were rejoicing.
Nonetheless, He was also assuring His disciples that as long as they stayed
with Him, they would be able to pull through all of their difficulties.
The life that we have chosen with Jesus will not
always be a walk in the park or a bed of roses. There shall be drought and
loneliness once in a while, we may even feel alone. However, we will be able to
pull through all of these difficulties because we continue to hold and rest our
destiny upon Christ Jesus.
Let us never hold on to this world or even to
ourselves, for they will never help us solve our problems or difficulties in
life. Instead, let us hold on to Jesus, for He has the words of eternal life (John
6:68). – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon, sinabi ni Hesus
sa kanyang mga alagad: “Sinasabi ko sa inyo: tatangis kayo at magdadalamhati,
ngunit magagalak ang sanlibutan. Matitigib kayo ng kalungkutan, subalit ito'y
magiging kagalakan. Kapag nagdaramdam na ang isang babaing manganganak, siya'y
nahahapis, sapagkat dumating na ang oras ng kanyang paghihirap.
Ngunit
pagkapanganak, hindi na niya naaalaala ang hirap; siya'y nagagalak dahil sa
ipinanganak na sa sanlibutan ang isang sanggol. Gayon din naman kayo: nalulumbay
kayo ngayon, ngunit muli akong makikipagkita sa inyo at mag-uumapaw sa puso
ninyo ang kagalakang hindi maaagaw ninuman.
"Hindi
na kayo kailangang magtanong sa akin sa araw na iyon. " Tandaan ninyo:
anumang hingin ninyo sa Ama sa aking pangalan ay ibibigay niya sa inyo.
Jesus said to his disciples: “A little
while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you
will see me.” So some of his disciples said to one another, “What does this
mean that he is saying to us, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and
again a little while and you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the
Father’?”
So they said, “What is this ‘little while’
of which he speaks? We do not know what he means.” Jesus knew that they wanted
to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing with one another what I
said, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you
will see me’? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the
world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Do you believe that after sorrow and pain
comes redemption, joy and triumph?
When Jesus said to his disciples: “You
will weep and mourn while the world rejoices; you will grieve but your grief
will become joy (John 16:20).” Jesus was already alluding about his forthcoming
passion and death that he has to go through and to his subsequent resurrection.
Jesus even compared it with a woman
who is in labor pain. But after she has given birth she would forget that
painful experience altogether because of the great joy that the newly born
child would give her (John 16:21).
Married life is not always blissful, the couple
will go through humps and bumps that would test the strength of their fidelity
before Jesus. But if they persevere and decide to stay in their union amidst
their trials there would be joy in their hearts in the end.
Same with our walk with Jesus, it will not
always be a bed of roses, there would be trials, and sometimes we will be
persecuted and tested because of what we do for God.
In spite of these all let us continue to
follow Jesus, for in the end there will be redemption, joy and triumph for those
who are faithful to Him. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
