Sinabi ni Jesus sa kanyang mga alagad, 15 Kung
mahal ninyo ako, isasakatuparan ninyo ang mga kautusan ko. 16 At
hihingin ko sa Ama at ibibigay niya sa inyo ang bagong Tagapagtanggol upang
makasama ninyo magpakailanman: 17 ang Espiritu ng katotohanan na hindi
matatanggap ng mundo dahil hindi siyanito napapansin ni nakikilala. Kilala ninyo siya sapagkat namamalagi
siya sa inyo at sasainyo siya.
18 Hindi ko kayo iiwang ulila;
pabalik ako sa inyo. 19 Kaunti pang panahon at hindi na ako mapapansin ng
mundo; ngunit papansinin ninyo ako sapagkat buhay ako at mabubuhay din kayo.
20 Sa araw na ’yon ninyo malalaman na nasa Ama ako, at nasa akin kayo at
nasa inyo naman ako.
21 Ang tumutupad sa tinanggap
niyang mga kautusan ko, siya ang nagmamahal sa akin. Mamahalin ng aking Ama
ang nagmamahal sa akin, at mamahalin ko rin siya at ipamamalas ko sa kanya ang
aking sarili.”
Jesus said to his disciples: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated
me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but
because you do not belong to the world and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater
than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they
kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to
you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
What does it mean to be hated by this world? We would be hated by this
world if we would have the courage to go against the false teachings of this
world. For example, if we would have the courage to say no to anything that is
not good and sinful. Or if we suddenly have the enlightenment to say no to
anyone who brings us nothing but worldliness and sin.
There comes a point in our life that we have to make a decision. Should
we decide to take the side of God or follow this world and live a life away
from God? The best decision is to follow God and discard anyone who brings us
nothing but worldliness and sinfulness. This is for the reason that worldliness
and sin will bring nothing but emptiness and misery in our lives.
Let us not be afraid to follow God, let us not be afraid to sacrifice
this world for our love for God. For this is always the right decision to do.
We can never go wrong with God and nobody has been misled by following God.
If we choose to follow God over this world, we would experience something
that we have not experienced before. And this is the guiding light and
protection of God in our lives. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said to his disciples: “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:
What would happen if we follow this love commandment of Jesus?
There would be no more betrayal, hatred and separation amongst married
couples only love. But the sad reality is we choose to turn a deaf ear to this
love commandment of the Lord. For the simple reason that we love ourselves more
than we love Jesus and our fellowmen.
There’s a saying that before we give love we have to love ourselves
first. For how would we know how to give love if we have not experienced loving
ourselves first? However this statement does not jibe on how Jesus interprets
love or on how Jesus gives the truest meaning of love.
For Jesus to love is not to love oneself first, to love is to lay down
ones life for the beloved, for Jesus to love is to forgive the many hurts that
has been hurled and inflicted upon us by our beloved. For at the end of the day
if we love the way Jesus loves us what would remain is love no hatred but only
love.
But how do we love? We love selectively and we love with measure, we
calibrate the love that we give by the love that we receive. And we oftentimes
do not love our fellowmen when they do not fulfill our selfish
expectation for them. Let us love without condition and let us love without
expecting love in return for this is how Jesus loved us.
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:
A newlywed couple promised to bring to their graves their marriage
vows: For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and
in health, until death do us part. But the irony was, after having one child
and being together for two years they separated already. What happened to their
promise of undying love for each other? What will happen to their only child?
Nowadays, many of us have a very shallow understanding of love, it’s not
anymore undying love or sacrificial love. But love based on convenience, love
based on what I can have and what I can possess. The word love has been
stripped of its real value. This is the reason why we see married couples
flirting with their officemates and friends just to vent out their lust,
immorality and adulterous desires.
This is the distressing reality right now that’s why we find young
couples even middle-aged couples separating. For the self-serving reason that
they are not anymore happy with their marriage. Are they really not happy in
their marriage or they just want to satisfy their own selfish, lust and
adulterous desires?
Jesus in the gospel commands us to love one another. This love is not
based on selfish needs, neither based on convenience. This love is anchored on
fidelity, sacrifice, self-giving and trust. This is the reason why the love of
Jesus for us is most appropriate to incorporate in our married lives. If we
have the love of Jesus we would stay with our marriage no matter what.
Let us remember that Jesus doesn’t give up on us. He keeps on loving us,
He keeps on knocking in our hearts no matter how wayward and sinful we have
become. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the
vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and
everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already
pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in
you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the
vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the
branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because
without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown
out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a
fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father
glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
How does it feel without connection to the internet? It seems that
something important in our lives is lacking. Most especially right now because we are quarantined in our respective homes caused by our fear of Covid-19. We cannot function properly if our job is reliant on the internet.
Somehow our lives now is associated with the internet be it wifi or cable
based internet connection. When we are outside of our respective houses our
smart phones are ever ready to find wifi connection. We look for it because we
need or we want to be connected.
How about our desire to be connected with Jesus and God? Do we always
seek a connection with Jesus and God? Is our desire for Jesus and God as
intense as our desire for a wifi or internet connection?
In our gospel for this Wednesday Jesus tells us that He is the vine and
we are the branches (John 15:5) and as such we must always be connected with
Him and God. Life without connection with God is meaningless, even if we have
all the material wealth and power it’s still meaningless without God!
If only we would always desire connection with God more than we desire
wifi or internet connection. If only we would invest more time with God as much
as we invest time using our smart phones and laptops. Let us therefore always
seek connection with God through our prayers, presence at Holy Mass. And by
reading and reflecting upon His life transforming worlds in the bible.
The best is yet to come for us even if we are presently being battered by
this Covid-19 pandemic. If we would seek permanent connection with our vine and our
vine grower no other than Jesus and God. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to
you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be
troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you,‘I am going away and I will come back
to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for
the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world
must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded
me.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Can we be vehicles of peace in this world? Yes we can certainly be! This
could happen if we are not quick to pass judgement. If we are forgiving and if
we are ready let bygones be bygones. We are free when we are always
peaceful. We are free from the primary sower of hatred and sin in our lives
none other than satan. And we are free from anything that is not good.
The beauty of being vehicles of peace is we allow Jesus to become an active
part of our life. This is for the reason that Jesus Himself lived a life of
peace. Jesus chose peace instead of hatred and Jesus chose peace instead of
revenge.
In the gospel for this Tuesday, Jesus said to His disciples; peace I
leave with you, my peace I give to you (John 14:27). Let us own and accept this
peace being offered by Jesus because this peace is also for us.
One of the best if not the best gift that Jesus gives us is the gift of
peace and we need this peace that comes from Jesus today more than any other
time. But many of us still don’t have peace right at this very moment and this
is caused by our fear of getting sick of Covid-19. But if we have Jesus we
would have peace notwithstanding Covid-19.
Do we have peace in our lives right now? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
(Jesus said to his disciples) “Whoever has my commandments and observes
them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot,
said to him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will
keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our
dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the
word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name he will teach you everything and remind
you of all that I told you.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Do we always feel the infinite love of God?
A few years ago every Sunday morning I would go to a middle-aged sick
woman to nourish her with the Body of Christ. After I read to her the Sunday
gospel she would give her short reflection on the same gospel after which I
give her Holy Communion.
One reflection that she told was about the love of God and she said: When
she was still in the pink of health she would never fail to go to Sunday Mass
to manifest her deep love for God. And she said further, now that I am sick and
not anymore able to go to church I still feel this same love of God because God
is still sustaining me with His Body, Blood and Divinity.
In our gospel Jesus tells us: Whoever loves me will be loved by my
Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” This words of Jesus
is very true as I have seen it in the sick woman who loved God by way of going
to Holy Mass every Sunday when she was still healthy. And when she got sick the
Lord gave back the love that she gave Him.
One of the many truths of our life is its very short and it could end
anytime. Therefore while we are still healthy let us express our deep love for
God by our presence at Holy Mass every Sunday. But since we can’t go right now
to gather in the Church for Holy Mass caused by Covid-19 pandemic, we instead attend
online Sunday Mass. We do this not because we are expecting something from God
someday. We do this out of our pure love for God.
How do we express our love for God? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are
many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going
to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way."
Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how
can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then
you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen
him." Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will
be enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so
long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the
Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells
in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is
in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to
you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater
ones than these, because I am going to the Father."
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
To whom do we put
our destiny in this world? Do we put it in the hands of the government or we
put it in the hands of God. In this era of covid-19 pandemic the government has
put our destiny in their own hands. So, what we do is we don’t go out and we
keep ourselves quarantined in our respective homes. We are even prevented from
going out to practice our faith obligations such as to attend Holy Mass during
Sundays.
But where would this
culture of my destiny is in my hands or my destiny rest in the government hands
bring us? This will eventually bring us to an existence in this world with a
nominal God. A God that hardly matters anymore and when God becomes a nonessential
for our existence we become creatures of this world rather than creation of
God.
In the gospel Jesus
tells us that we must believe more in Him more than we believe in ourselves.
Believe more in Him more than we believe in the orders of the government to
quarantine ourselves so that we can avoid getting sick of Covid-19.Hence, we
defy government and we go out as if there is no danger of getting sick of
Covid-19?
No we don’t defy the
government neither we go out as if there is no danger of getting sick of
covid-19. We simply put our destiny in the hands of God more than in the hands
of the government and our own hands. We simply let go of our worries and let
our almighty God take care of it. We therefore have to pray very hard to the
Lord to help us banish this Covid-19 from the face of the earth. Because only
in the hands of God lies the solution to this Covid-19 pandemic.
We cannot do
anything without the intervention of the Lord, we are simply helpless without
God. For only in God’s hands we would have life beyond this word.
To whom do we trust our destiny in this world? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Sinabi ni Jesus sa kanyang mga alagad, 1 Huwag
mabagabag ang inyong mga puso. Manalig kayo sa Diyos, at manalig din kayo sa
akin. 2 Maraming silid sa bahay ng aking Ama. Kung hindi’y hindi ko sana
sinabi sa inyong: “Pupunta ako upang ipaghanda kayo ng lugar.” 3 At pag
pumunta na ako at naipaghanda kayo ng lugar, muli akong darating at dadalhin
ko kayo sa akin upang kung saan ako naroon, gayon din naman kayo.
4 At alam n’yo ang daan sa pupuntahan
ko.” 5 Sinabi sa kanya ni Tomas: “Panginoon, hindi namin alam kung saan
ka pupunta. Paano namin malalaman ang daan?” 6 Sinabi sa kanya ni Jesus:
“Ako siyang daan, ang katotohanan, at ang buhay. Walang nakalalapit sa Ama
kundi sa pamamagitan ko. 7 Kung kilala ninyo ako, makikilala rin ninyo ang
aking Ama. Ngunit ngayon, kilala n’yo na siya at nakita ninyo siya.”
8 Sinabi sa kanya ni Felipe:
“Panginoon, ipakita mo na sa amin ang Ama at sapat na sa amin.” 9 Sinabi
sa kanya si Jesus: “Ang tagal na panahon n’yo akong kasama at hindi mo pa ako
kilala, Felipe? Sa pagkakita sa akin ninuman, ang Ama ang nakikita niya.
Paano mong masasabi: ‘Ituro mo sa amin ang Ama’?
10 Hindi ka ba naniniwalang nasa
Ama ako at nasa akin ang Ama? Hindi mula sa sarili ko sinasabi angmga salitang binibigkas ko. Sa akin nanunuluyan
ang Ama, at siya ang gumagawa ng kanyang mga gawa. 11 Maniwala kayo sa
akin na nasa Ama ako at nasa akin ang Ama. Kung hindi dahil sa akin, maniwala
kayo dahil man lamang sa mga gawa.
12 Talagang-talagang sinasabi ko
sa inyo, magagawa rin ng nananalig sa akin ang gawang ginawa ko; at mas dakila
pa kaysa mga ito ang gagawin niya. Sapagkat sa Ama ako papunta.
Jesus said to his disciples: “If you know me, then you will also know my
Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to Jesus,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to
him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me,
Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the
Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells
in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is
in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to
you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater
ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my
name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask
anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
How well do we know God the Father? How well do we know Jesus? No one of
us can say that by our own effort we know God the Father and Jesus very well.
Because the gift of deeply knowing God the Father and Jesus is something that
we cannot achieve by our own effort for it’s a gift by the Holy Spirit.
In this gospel episode Jesus tells the disciples and us too about His
oneness with God. Yet Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father and that would
be enough for them (John 14:8). What was going on in Philip’s mind? Perhaps
Philip was simply following Jesus for the sake of His miracles and mission.
There was no deeper conversion within Philip that’s why He wasn’t able to
decipher the oneness of Jesus and the Father.
When we decide to follow Jesus, let us not only follow Him because of His
miracles and the desire to share in His mission. Let us decide to follow Jesus
also because of our love for Him. Thus, we would yearn for our own spiritual
growth with Him.
If we only follow Jesus for His miracles and mission sooner or later this
desire for discipleship will decrease. Until we decide to lie low and
eventually detach ourselves from following Jesus. Let us therefore pray and be
open for the gift of deeper faith and deeper conversion within ourselves. –
Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are
many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going
to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we
do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to
him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me."
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Are we afraid of this covid-19 pandemic that is creating massive deaths
in the world? In this era of covid-19 life is so fragile, we really don’t know
what tomorrow might bring us.
Where are we going therefore after our life in this world is over? We
don’t know only God knows. But Jesus in our gospel is giving us a hint as to
where would we be eventually. Jesus tells us: “I am the way and the truth and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
The secret therefore to know where we would eventually end up is to
follow Jesus. Why follow Jesus? Because He is the truth and the life and we
cannot reach the Father in heaven except through Him.
We will often hear in stories of conversion testimonies about troubled
lives, lives lived without peace and contentment. Until they’ve known Jesus
after which their lives were never the same again. From troublesome or
worrisome lives it became peaceful and serene courtesy of Jesus.
Jesus is the only way and He is the only one that can give us peace that
transcends this world. Jesus will give us a glimpse of this peaceful feeling
the moment we immediately choose to rest our lives in Him.
We all know that life in this world is uncertain it may end very abruptly
anytime. Let us therefore invest more on Jesus rather than on this world. We
can do this by learning more about Him, by helping the poor and by living Jesus’
life of simplicity.
If we do this we can perhaps have our reserved dwelling place with the
Lord in heaven someday. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen,
I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater
than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do
it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so
that the Scripture might be fulfilled, The one who ate my food has raised his
heel against me. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when
it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever
receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one
who sent me.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Are you afraid of suffering and betrayal? In His humanity Jesus was also
afraid of sufferings and betrayal. But His fears did not prevent Him from
achieving His salvific mission. It even further strengthened His resolve to
continue amidst the difficulty of His mission. Jesus never gave up no matter
how hard the odds were against Him for He knew that He has a mission to achieve.
Marriage starts like a rose garden and it seems that everything is rosy,
beautiful and sweet. But after a period of time problems would crop up, there
shall be sufferings and sometimes betrayal of vows. So what must we do? Should
we simply walk away with our heads bowed in defeat? Or we stay, bear the brunt
of the sufferings/betrayal and fight for the sanctity of the marriage covenant.
We must stay and fight for the sanctity of the marriage covenant. Let us
remember that Jesus remained with His mission notwithstanding the sufferings
and betrayals. What if Jesus simply gave up and walked away from His mission of
salvation? Anyway He’s God and powerful but He remained for His love for God
and for all of us.
Many married couples nowadays choose the easy way out when testing comes
to their marriage. They choose to betray and eventually walk away from their
marriage covenant. They simply walk away notwithstanding their sacred vows and
the welfare of their children.
Jesus never walked away from His responsibilities towards humanity
notwithstanding the sufferings and betrayals. He faced it all and triumphed
over it! – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not
remain in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I
do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the
world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge
him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did
not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and
speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I
say as the Father told me.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Do you know somebody who is sinful? Don’t give up on that sinful person
continue to stretch your patience and pray for his/her conversion.
There are countless stories of conversion in the scripture/bible and
foremost of these is the conversion story of Saul. Saul or Saint Paul was
formerly the number one persecutor of the church. He in fact had a hand in the
killing of many followers of Jesus yet Jesus did not judge Saul. In His
infinite wisdom and mercy Jesus converted Saul/Paul to become the number one
propagator of the Christian faith to the gentiles.
What is the message of these conversion stories for us? The message is,
there is hope for all of us no matter how sinful we are. And no matter how
grave the sins that we have committed there is still hope for us! Jesus even
said: for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world (John
12:47).
Jesus is not interested on the sins that we have committed He is rather
very much interested in our conversion so that we can become His follower. He
is interested to bring us to the light so that we can become His light for
others.
This is our mission in this world to become bearers of Jesus’ light.
Do we open ourselves to this desire of Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
44 Malakas
namang sinabi ni Jesus: “Ang nananalig sa aki’y hindi sa akin kundi sa
nagpadala sa akin. 45 Ang pumapansin sa aki’y pumapansin sa nagpadala sa
akin. 46 Dumating ako na liwanag sa mundo upang hindi mamalagi sa dilim
ang bawat nananalig sa akin. 47 Kung may nakakarinig sa aking mga salita
at hindi ito iniingatan, hindi ako ang humahatol sa kanya sapagkat dumadating
ako hindi para hatulan ang mundo kundi para iligtas ang mundo.
48 May
humahatol sa bumabale-wala sa akin at di tumatanggap sa mga pananalita ko. Ang
salitang ipinangusap ko ang siyang hahatol sa kanya sa huling araw. 49 Sapagkat
hindi ako nangusap sa ganang sarili ko; ang nagpadala sa akin – ang Ama – siya
mismo ang nag-utos sa akin kung ano ang sasabihin ko at ipangungusap. 50 Alam
kong buhay magpakailanman ang kanyang utos. Kaya ang ipinangungusap ko’y
ipinangungusap ko gaya ng sinabi sa akin ng Ama.
