Reflection for March 23 Third Sunday of Lent: Luke 13:1-9

Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! 

But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them— do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” 

And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none.

So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

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Reflection:

The story is told of a corrupt government official who was being urged by his wife to leave behind his life of sin. The corrupt official would always tell his wife to be quiet and enjoy the fruits of his greed, for nobody would know about it. After years of enjoying his dirty wealth, he was eventually caught and imprisoned for the rest of his life. 

What does sin do to us? It gives us nothing but misfortune! But sometimes, the dangerous fruit of sin doesn’t immediately manifest, so we are tempted to enjoy it—until the point of reckoning comes, when both divine and civil punishment are served upon us. 

Sinful ways don’t pay. We may enjoy them for a short or long period of time, but the eventual weight of punishment will be upon us. We must realize that we will not gain anything by immersing ourselves in sin. 

Let us, therefore, examine ourselves regarding the many sins we have committed. If possible, let us write these sins on a white bond paper or a clean sheet of paper. And after we are done writing, let us cross out every single sin that has possessed us for so long, while silently promising God that we will not do it again. 

This will now serve as our initial step toward repentance, renewal, and reconciliation with Jesus and with those whom we’ve hurt. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 22 Saturday of the Second Week of Lent: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

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.

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Reflection:

Would you return and ask for forgiveness from someone you’ve hurt?

After wasting his money on his vices and other sinful cravings, the younger son decided to humbly return to his father. He swallowed his pride and braved the insults and ridicule that might come his way just to be home again with his father, who unconditionally loved him.

There is also a stretch in our lives when we drift away from God and personally take command of our lives. We indulge in different worldly vices and sins, thinking that they will make us happy. Then we realize that there is still this void that has not been filled by our worldly and sinful cravings.

So, where should we go? We humbly go back to Jesus and ask for His mercy and forgiveness. Jesus will surely not refuse a repentant sinner like us. All we have to do is return to Him. Never mind the many sins we have committed, for Jesus doesn’t count them against us.

He is always looking at our humble and repentant hearts. Therefore, we must go back to Him, for Jesus is eagerly waiting to embrace us once again. We should not look back at our dark past anymore—what is important for Jesus is our present and our future. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for March 21 Friday of the Second Week of Lent: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

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.

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Reflection:

Do you see greed in the Gospel? Yes, there is greed—the greed of the tenants. They did not give the rightful share to the landowner; instead, they kept for themselves what was supposed to be his. Was Jesus happy with the greed of the tenants? Of course not! Did the tenants’ greed cause their self-destruction? Yes, absolutely!

Our greed will not bring us any good; it will only destroy us. The greedier we become, the more we hasten our self-destruction. The more we are greedy, the more we alienate ourselves—not only from the love of God but also from the love and respect of our fellowmen.

So, what is the cure for our greed? The cure is generosity! If we are always generous, we will never run out of things to give. We also free ourselves from the curse of greed, which has already destroyed so many. What is it about material things that makes us so greedy? Can they bring us closer to Jesus? Can we take them to our graves when we die?

If the tenants in our Gospel had generously given the landowner his rightful share, they could have continued their relationship as tenants and landowner. They could have experienced prosperity and peace, and they could have avoided destruction. —Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 20 Thursday of the Second Week of Lent: Luke 16:19-31

Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

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.’”

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Reflection:

Imagine that you are the rich man in the gospel, and the poor man, Lazarus, is at your door. How would you react? Would you do the same as the rich man did in the gospel, or would you give food to the poor man, Lazarus? 

You would surely answer that you would give food because this is the right thing to do. Your decision to give food would also be influenced by the misfortune of the rich man after he died, for he ended up in hell. 

But is this who we really are? Do we truly help the poor, especially when nobody is watching? Oftentimes, we do good because we are influenced by the circumstances that surround us. For example, in the gospel, we read that the rich man ended up in hell. Of course, this is a circumstance that would influence us to do good, for we do not want to suffer the same fate. 

What if the rich man had known that he would be in hell if he mistreated the poor Lazarus? He surely would have treated Lazarus favorably because he would not want to be in hell after he died. But the rich man did not know that his apathy toward Lazarus would result in his eternal suffering. 

The gospel invites all of us to reflect on our attitude toward the poor, especially when no one is watching. For example, we may have a poor relative or a poor neighbor. How do we treat them when no one is watching? Do we always treat them with respect and love, even if they are poor? —Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Wednesday March 19 Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a

Gospel: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. 

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 

Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. 

She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

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Reflection:

Are you obedient to the will of God?

When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant, he decided to quietly separate from her—quietly, because that was his character. He was a quiet and humble man. As much as possible, Joseph did not want to create a scene that could result in Mary’s being ostracized by her townspeople.

Perhaps the devil was already insidiously trying to provoke Joseph to do something that would humiliate Mary. But Joseph calmly resisted whatever evil machinations the devil had. He overcame them by listening to what the angel told him to do. 

Thus, Joseph faithfully loved and protected his family. By his act of obedience to the will of God, we can safely conclude that Joseph loved Mary deeply.

Many fathers today easily give up when their marriage is tested by fire. They quickly succumb when tempted by the devil, no longer listening to the voice of God, who always calls them to uphold the sanctity of marriage and family life.

Let us be inspired by the life of Saint Joseph—his humility, his obedience to the voice of God, and his unconditional love and protection for his wife, Mary, and his child, Jesus.

Saint Joseph, Patron Saint of Fathers, Patron Saint of Families, and Patron Saint of a Happy Death, we beseech you to always pray for us. —Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 18 Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent: Matthew 23:1-12

Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12

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.” 

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Reflection: 

Do you lead by example? 

The principle of leadership by example means that a leader sets the standards to be followed and personally adheres to them. Similarly, parents should establish benchmarks in their homes and fully embody them so their children can emulate their example. 

On the other hand, bad or ineffective leaders instruct their people to do this and that, yet they fail to follow their own commands. They preach the standards but do not practice what they preach. The same applies to irresponsible parents—they tell their children to observe certain disciplines, but ironically, they do not follow these disciplines themselves. 

During the time of Jesus, the Pharisees and scribes were the religious leaders, and they were supposed to lead by example. However, they failed to do so. They were good at giving orders, but when it came to practicing what they preached, they fell short. 

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the common people of that time began to gravitate toward Jesus. They saw in Him a leader who led by example—someone who empathized with them, was approachable and humble, and ate and mingled with them. In other words, Jesus lived what He preached. 

What lesson does our Gospel teach us? We must always be true to our words and actions. We must not be like the Pharisees and scribes, who were excellent at preaching but severely lacking in practicing what they preached. 

Instead, we must strive to be like Jesus, who lived by His teachings. Jesus was always true to His words and actions. He led by example and truly walked His talk. 

Do you always live what you preach? Are you always true to your words? — Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 17 Monday of the Second Week of Lent: Luke 6:36-38

Gospel: Luke 6:36-38

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. 

For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

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Reflection:

Are you merciful? Are you not quick to judge? Are you generous?  

Jesus gives us, in today’s Gospel, guidelines for living our faith. Be merciful. This merciful attitude should not be exclusive to those we love or to our friends. Let us be merciful to everyone, especially to our enemies and those who have hurt us. 

Stop judging and condemning, and you will not be judged or condemned. Try pointing an accusing finger at someone you are judging or condemning, and you will find that three of your fingers are pointing back at you. Before you judge others for their iniquities, look closely at yourself first. 

On forgiveness, Jesus tells us: Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Some of us are so heartless that we have no room for forgiveness in our hearts. Jesus gives us insight into how we can free ourselves from hateful emotions through forgiveness. 

We must always be forgiving. It is truly a liberating experience when we forgive because we release the pent-up emotions that have enslaved us for so long. Just try offering your wholehearted forgiveness to everyone who has hurt you, and you will feel as if a great burden has been lifted from your shoulders. 

On giving, Jesus tells us: Give, and gifts will be given to you in return. This is very true. The more we give, the more we receive. Oftentimes, we hesitate to give because we are overly concerned with our own needs. In reality, it is always through giving that we receive more blessings from the Lord. 

Whatever possessions we have are not truly ours. We are merely stewards of the material things entrusted to us. — Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 16 Second Sunday of Lent: Luke 9:28b-36

Gospel: Luke 9:28b-36

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. 

Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. 

While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

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Reflection:

A carefree young man had a car accident that nearly cost him his life. During his recovery, he carefully discerned the implications of that accident on his life and said to himself, “I need to change my lifestyle; otherwise, I will die.” That car accident became his moment of transfiguration. Hence, he became responsible, shunned his undesirable friends, and served as a catechist in their parish church. 

Have you already had your own moment of transfiguration? 

In the transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor, the three disciples—Peter, James, and John—saw firsthand how Jesus was transfigured. From a mortal like them, Jesus’ face changed in appearance, and His clothing became dazzling white (Luke 9:29). 

What was happening before the three apostles went up the mountain to witness Jesus’ transfiguration? They had been with the Lord, carrying out their mission. They had witnessed many miracles performed by Jesus. Yet, Jesus also told them that He would soon suffer and be put to death by His persecutors (Luke 9:22). 

Upon hearing this, the three likely felt disheartened. They could not believe that such suffering awaited their Lord and Master. It was in this context that Jesus brought them to Mount Tabor—to reveal His true identity to them and to show them what awaited them if they remained faithful to their mission until the end. 

By witnessing Jesus’ transfiguration, the three apostles were also transformed—though in a different way. Their encounter with Jesus in His glorified state uplifted their spirits, renewed their strength, and motivated them to continue their sacred mission of evangelization. 

At what stage are you in your life right now? Are you facing your own share of challenges? Don’t give up. Remember, this is just temporary. In the end, there is a prize that awaits you—the eternal joy of being with Jesus in heaven. 

Let the transfiguration of Jesus energize you, strengthen you, and give you hope. May His powerful transfiguration inspire you to move forward in faith, no matter what difficulties you may encounter. — Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 15 Saturday of the First Week of Lent: Matthew 5:43-48

Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples: "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,  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 

For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

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Reflection:

The story is told of a wife who was betrayed by her husband for a younger woman. After years of separation, the wife learned that her husband was now sick. Because of her unconditional love for him, she went to him and brought him to the hospital to heal. 

In our Gospel today, Jesus gives us a teaching about unconditional love—a love that extends to everyone, including those who have hurt us or continue to hurt us. This is very hard to do, but this is who Jesus is. He gives us teachings that seem difficult to follow based on human standards. However, if we are truly devoted to Him, we will obey and follow. 

What happens when we follow the teachings of Jesus? Take, for example, His teaching in today’s Gospel about loving and praying for our enemies and persecutors. We free ourselves from undeserved hatred and release ourselves from self-created psychological and emotional imprisonment, which does not bring us any good anyway. 

Let us observe ourselves when we carry hatred in our hearts. We may feel like we are about to explode, which is very bad for our health, especially for our blood pressure. On the other hand, when we do not carry hatred in our hearts, we feel light, and we invite the blessings of Jesus into our lives. 

Will you follow this teaching of Jesus? — Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 14 Friday of the First Week of Lent: Matthew 5:20-26

Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.   

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.   

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” 

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Reflection: 

What is the cure for anger? It’s humility. 

Nobody is perfect. Once in a while, we get angry, but do we have the humility to make amends after we have injured someone with our arrogance? Only a gentle and humble person would have the courage to say, “I’m sorry,” or to apologize. 

But saying “I’m sorry” is not easy. Only a humble person would summon enough courage to say these magic words that have healed so many disputes and arguments. In our Gospel for today, Jesus gives us a teaching about anger. 

Jesus tells us that we must be reconciled with those with whom we have differences and feelings of enmity. But why do we get angry in the first place? We get angry because we lack humility. We get angry because we have a superiority complex against our fellowmen. 

It is only humility that can deescalate and eventually eliminate our anger. Let us, therefore, pray for the grace of humility. Let us ask God the Holy Spirit to give it to us. The best test of humility is our willingness to apologize and admit our mistakes to those whom we have hurt. — Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Thursday March 12 Thursday of the First Week in Lent: Matthew 7:7-12

Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12

Jesus said to his disciples: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 

Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. 

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.”

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Reflection:

What do you do when your child asks for something from you? You try your very best to give what he or she is asking for. Why? Because you love your child and don’t want to disappoint him or her. 

What if your parents ask something from you? For the same reason, you will also try your very best to give what they are asking for. 

The love of Jesus is far greater than the love of a parent for a child or a child’s love for his or her parents. What does this mean? If we are willing to do everything to grant the requests of our loved ones, Jesus will surely grant whatever we sincerely ask of Him. 

Our sincerity matters when we ask something from Jesus. For example, when Jesus said to His disciples, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7), He was emphasizing the importance of sincerity. 

This is also what Jesus expects from us when we pray to Him. The purity of our desire is a major factor in Jesus granting us what we ask of Him. If Jesus sees that there is no purity or sincerity in our prayers, or if our prayers are centered on serving our selfish interests, then we can be assured that nothing will come of them. 

In hindsight, this is also an invitation for us to reflect on our prayers to Jesus. If He has not yet granted some of our prayers, perhaps we need to reassess our objectives. Perhaps we need to be more sincere and selfless in our prayers. 

Are you always sincere and selfless when you pray to the Lord? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 12 Wednesday of the First Week in Lent: Luke 11:29-32

Gospel: Luke 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.  

At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. 

At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

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Reflection:

A sinful man had a conversion. When he was asked what moved him to become good and Godly, he replied: “I have a terminal illness, so I don’t want to be in hell when I depart from this world. Hell is real, as well as heaven, and those who continue to sin and ignore God’s call to conversion will certainly end up in hell someday.” 

Some of us may ask, "Is heaven and hell real?" Yes, they are both real, and they are already here in our midst. If we always do good, our life will be like heaven on earth. Yes, we may face problems from time to time, but we will always overcome them because Jesus is always by our side to help. On the other hand, if we continue to do evil, we can expect our lives to be in a state of suffering—like hell on earth. This is the practical reality of heaven and hell. 

However, God loves us so much that He calls us to repent and permanently walk away from our sinfulness. This is because the good Lord wants us to experience heaven while we are still here in this world. He also wants us to be in heaven after we pass from this world. This is God's great love for us. He constantly calls us to repentance every day, every hour, every minute, and every second of our lives. 

Someday, when we die, some of us will say, "If only I had listened to Jesus’ call to repentance, I would not be in this hellish place right now. But I did not. Instead, I continued to enjoy the many pleasures brought to me by the devil." 

Nonetheless, all is not lost yet, because there is still time for us to repent and walk away from anything that leads us to sin. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 11 Tuesday of the First Week of Lent: Matthew 6:7-15

Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.    

“This is how you are to pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  

“If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” 

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Reflection:

What is the secret to closeness with God? It is prayer that comes from the depths of our being. This is the foundation of our closeness with God. From the fountain of our prayerful life will emanate the God-given desire to know more about Him. Do we always pray with our hearts and minds fully engaged? Or do we only pray when we feel the need or when we have the time? 

The most effective method of prayer is to pray without any excess baggage in our hearts. What does this mean? It means praying without carrying any hatred. For example, if someone has wronged us and is asking for our forgiveness, what would we do? Would we forgive or refuse to forgive? 

Of course, we must forgive. For how can God forgive us when we ourselves are unwilling to forgive? How can we be open to the many blessings of God if our hearts are full of unforgiveness? We must live forgiveness if we want God to hear and forgive us. 

We are mere passersby in this world. Sooner or later, the curtain of our life in this world will close. How can we enter heaven if we carry the weight of unforgiveness in our hearts? And how can we go to heaven if we carry the burden of hatred? 

When Jesus was dying on the cross, He said a short yet deeply meaningful prayer to God. While gasping for breath, Jesus prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) If Jesus can forgive, why can’t we? 

Do you have hatred or any form of unforgiveness in your heart right now? Let go of it. And if you still cannot let go, humbly pray to Jesus and ask Him to heal you. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for March 10 Monday of the First Week of Lent: Matthew 25:31-46

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 

Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' 

Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.' 

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' 

He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." 

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Reflection:

What is the significance of this Gospel in our lives? It encourages us to make Jesus the center and King of our lives; it persuades us to make Jesus the priority of our lives. In other words, before anything else, it must be Jesus first. 

But look at what is happening now—Jesus is the least priority for some of us. We need no factual statistics to validate this; we simply need to look at the attendance at Holy Mass. We observe the spiraling crime rate, corporate greed, and the massive destruction of the environment, which results in calamitous disasters and flooding. There is also political corruption and the arrogance of many politicians, and so forth. 

Obviously, the Kingship of Christ is nowhere in their hearts. The kingship of Jesus is eroded by the kingship of materialism, greed, and arrogance. 

Would we allow this erosion of the Kingship of Jesus in favor of the kingship of the secular world, which Satan represents? We must not allow this to happen! We, who are followers of Christ, must see to it that He is always part and parcel of our daily lives. We may not verbally preach Him, but we must learn to preach Him through our daily lives. 

Saint Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel at all times; use words if necessary.” This means that we must live the Gospel in every moment of our lives. By doing so, we would be perpetuating the Kingship of Christ in this world. But this is seldom done now. What is often preached instead is greed, materialism, arrogance, and other forms of destructive secular teachings. 

We are therefore being challenged by Jesus to help Him become more relevant in this present world. Now more than ever, the world needs Jesus—His values and His teachings. Let us not run away from this responsibility that Jesus gave us. Let us live Him, embrace Him, and share Him. 

Can we measure up to this challenge? — Marino J. Dasmarinas