Reflection for November 18, Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 18:1-8

Gospel: Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ 

For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” 

The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?

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Reflection:

Does God always answer our prayers? The gospel would tell us that He always answers our prayers. But the reality of it all is there are times that God doesn’t answer our prayers. There are times that God fails us. We don’t know the reason behind these unanswered prayers only God knows. 

If God seems deaf to our prayers would it be right for us to stop kneeling in prayer before God? We need not stop praying even if we get no answer from God. For the simple reason that our prayers before God gives us hope. Our prayers before God brightens our gloomy day. Our prayers tell us that amidst our life struggles there is a powerful God who is ever ready to listen notwithstanding the nature of His reply. 

It's already immaterial if God answers or not because our prayers are not only limited with God answering or not answering it. Our prayers before God is much bigger that the reply that we expect from Him. This is for the reason that the gift of prayer in itself is already an enormous blessing from God. 

What happens to us when we pray and after we pray?  When we pray we connect with our loving and powerful God and after we pray we become hopeful and we feel relieved, right? Therefore, the gift of prayer that Jesus had gratuitously given us is a balm that immediately soothes our wounded and burdened lives.    

We therefore have to pray as often as we can since a life without prayer is a life without hope and a life bereft of the presence of God. 

Do you have a healthy prayer life? – Marino J. Dasmarinas      

Reflection for Friday November 17, Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious: Luke 17:26-37

Gospel: Luke 17:26-37

Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 

Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, someone who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise one in the field must not return to what was left behind. Remember the wife of Lot. 

Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.” They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.”

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Reflection:

When are we going to walk away from our sins? Should we still delay and wait when the most opportune time comes? It might not come and it might be too late already. We should change our ways right at this very moment for we do not know until when our life will be. 

The people during Noah’s time were merrymaking and sinning until the floods came so they died without repentance. Same as with the people of Sodom and Gomorra who were engaged in grievous sexual sins they died without repentance as well. 

What is sin that many of us are so smitten by it? Sin is the bait or trap of Satan for us to be his slaves and eventually to permanently be in his kingdom. Many of us fall into this bait for the simple reason that we are enticed by the attractiveness of sin. This is basically the reason why we sin. But sin will bring us nothing but troubles and problems and it will surely not bring us any good in the end. 

Let us take time to read and listen to the words of Jesus in the Bible, and let us be faithful to His teachings. The Lord will surely find a way for us so that we can permanently walk away from sin. Sin doesn’t offer us any good at all, and it will bring us nothing but chaos until it destroys us. Therefore, we must confront it and, soon after, leave it, no matter how attractive it may be. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for November 16, Thursday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 17:20-25

Gospel: Luke 17:20-25

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” 

Then he said to his disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”

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Reflection:

When do you say that the kingdom of God is within you already? It is when you are not afraid of anything that may happen to you for you know that somebody very powerful is in charge. If you already have Jesus in your life you would even embrace death because you know that death is the last passage before you meet God. 

How could you have His kingdom within you? It’s when you faithfully follow Him in your words and deeds. It’s when you have your regular moment of interactions with Jesus.  This is when you would feel the presence of God in your life. 

For those who believe that Jesus Christ is their Lord and savior the kingdom of God is within them already. For those who choose to follow the path of sacrifice of Jesus the kingdom of God is within them already. For those who are meek and humble the kingdom of God is within them already. 

For those who surrender their lives in the hands of God amidst the chaos and worries of this world the kingdom of God is within them already. The kingdom of God is also your rock solid faith in Jesus for He is your safe refuge whenever you are being battered by the trials of daily life.    

Do you already have the kingdom of God? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for November 15, Wednesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 17:11-19

Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” 

As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

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Reflection:

A young man who was sent through college by a rich old man went to the old man’s house after he got his degree. He did it to express his gratitude towards his benefactor. When they met the old man said, “I have helped a lot of people but you are the only one who came back to express appreciation. Since, you have a grateful attitude I will give you one of my business take care of it for it’s yours already.” 

Are you grateful to those who have helped you become who you are today? In the gospel we read about the gratefulness of the Samaritan leper who is healed by the Lord. They were actually ten but the nine did not show up to Jesus to express their gratefulness. 

What happens to us when we are grateful? The blessings of God keep coming to us. When we are grateful the more that the giver is motivated to give more to us. Therefore, the stream of blessings continues. 

How can we prove this? For example if we are the giver of the blessing. Would we not unceasingly give to those who express their appreciation? As opposed to those who do not know how to appreciate the things that we do for them? 

Why was Jesus looking for the other nine whom He healed? Perhaps it was not anymore for Him to hear their words of gratitude. But in a deeper sense Jesus was looking for the nine so that He could have an up close and personal encounter with them. And in the process of their encounter He could subsequently bless them again and again and again because an encounter with Jesus is always a blessing. 

Jesus is also always looking for us not anymore to hear words of gratitude from us. He looks for us so that He could continuously bless us. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for November 14, Tuesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 17:7-10

Gospel: Luke 17:7-10

(Jesus said to His disciples) “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. 

You may eat and drink when I am finished? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’

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Reflection:

What is the frequent failing of many who serve in the vineyard of the Lord Jesus Christ? It’s the feeling of being above everyone and the feeling that they are special because they are serving in the church.

Take for example a priest who has a high sense of himself and who gives orders to those who volunteer their time for the church as if they are his slaves. Sad to say but this is true: there are ill-mannered priest. It’s not only the priest who is guilty of this kind of failing we too are often guilty of this kind of ill-mannered behavior.

If we are like this then how could we bring others closer to Jesus and how could they see Jesus in us? Let us not forget that we who are followers of Jesus are His walking advertisement in this world. If we are arrogant and ill-mannered, how can we bring them closer to Jesus?

In the gospel, Jesus reminds us that we are all servants before Him and our fellowmen. It doesn’t matter how high our position is in the church or how educated or rich we are. If we are true followers of Jesus, we should become servants to everyone.

For it’s in serving others with humility that we become real and authentic followers and servants of Jesus. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for November 13, Monday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 17:1-6

Gospel: Luke17:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 

Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.” 

And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

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Reflection:

Jesus has a lot of things to say to us in this gospel reading about Sin, Forgiveness and Faith. 

First: We must always be careful not to be a conduit for our brothers and sisters to sin. And if we see somebody committing sin in whatever manner we must always have the courage to advice them to avoid sin. Sometimes we think twice if we would advice a sinner simply because we are afraid of the consequence of our actions. We should not allow these factors to deter us because it is our moral obligation to correct those who go astray. 

Second: We must always forgive those who have done us wrong no matter how deep the wound that they have caused us. If God can forgive who are we not to forgive? Let us always remember that the more we keep deep-seated resentment and anger in our hearts the more that we allow them to hurt us. When we forgive we would feel that a big burden has been taken off our backs. 

Third: No matter how hard the times are right now, we must continue to have faith for it is in having faith that we manifest how deep our love and hope for God. The apostles said to Jesus: "Increase our faith." 

Isn’t this what we also want to have in our life an increase in our faith on Jesus? If this is so, we should not only ask, we should do something about it by thirsting for Jesus. In other words we have to walk our talk. If we will not work for it, our increase of faith will not drop like manna from heaven.   

God smiles to those who exert effort to know Him and He surely showers His wisdom upon them. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for Sunday November 12, 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Matthew 25:1-13

Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 

Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.  

Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

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Reflection:

Are you always prepared for the arrival of the Lord? 

In the gospel, there are two sets of virgins, each composed of five women who waited for the bridegroom. One set belongs to the five who were foolish, and the other set belongs to the wise ones.

We would always want to be identified with the five wise virgins who brought more than enough oil. The oil that they brought kept their lamps burning until the arrival of the bridegroom. By doing so, they gained entry to the wedding reception, which is the kingdom of heaven.

The other five were not as fortunate, for they were refused entry. They have nothing to blame but themselves; if only they were like the five wise virgins, they could have also been present at the wedding feast.

One of the realities of life is its fragility; it could end at any time. We don’t control our lives; it's God who knows when our call to the great beyond will be. This is the mystery of our existence; it’s temporary and uncertain. 

Hence, while we are still alive, let us always be prepared by doing good, by confronting and avoiding sin, so that we will have no worries when our time comes.– Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Saturday November 11, Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop: Luke 16:9-15

Gospel: Luke 16:9-15

Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. 

If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” 

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him. And he said to them, “You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”

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Reflection:

What is dishonest wealth and true wealth that Jesus speaks about in our gospel? Dishonest wealth is any material wealth that you presently possess true wealth is no other than Jesus Himself. Material wealth is dishonest wealth in the sense that it will not give you peace, serenity and contentment no matter how big. 

Has anyone of us found peace and contentment with the money that we have? No, we have not found the serenity that we have been looking for. In fact, the more money, power and wealth we have the more that we have no peace of mind. This is the paradox of earthly wealth and power: it will not give us the peace of mind that we have been longing for.  This is the reason why this is called dishonest wealth. 

What is true wealth then? When you have Jesus in your life you already have this true wealth no matter if you are materially poor and no matter if you are sick. Because when you have Jesus in your life you lack nothing and you will not anymore desire for anything. 

What is the worth of your life if you have all the wealth and power in this world yet you don’t have Jesus? - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Ang Mabuting Balita Sabado Nobyembre 11, San Martin ng Tours, obispo (Paggunita): Lucas 16:9-15

Mabuting Balita: Lucas 16:9-15

Noong panahong iyon, sinabi ni Hesus sa kanyang mga alagad, "Kaya't sinasabi ko sa inyo: gamitin ninyo sa pakikipagkaibigan ang kayamanan ng sanlibutang ito. Maubos man ito'y may tatanggap naman sa inyo sa tahanang walang hanggan. Ang mapagkakatiwalaan sa maliit na bagay ay mapagkakatiwalaan din sa malaking bagay; ang magdaraya sa maliit na bagay ay magdaraya rin sa maliit na bagay. 

Kung hindi kayo mapagkatiwalaan sa mga kayamanan ng sanlibutang ito, sino ang magtitiwala sa inyo ng tunay na kayamanan? At kung hindi kayo mapagkatiwalaan sa kayamanan ng iba, sino ang magbibigay sa inyo ng talagang para sa inyo? "Walang makapaglilingkod nang sabay sa dalawang panginoon. Sapagkat kapopootan niya ang isa at iibigin ang ikalawa, paglilingkuran nang tapat ang isa at hahamakin ang ikalawa. 

Hindi ninyo mapaglilingkuran nang sabay ang Diyos at ang kayamanan." Narinig ito ng mga Pariseo at nilibak nila si Jesus, sapagkat sakim sila sa salapi. Kaya't sinabi niya sa kanila, "Kayo ang nagpapanggap na mga matuwid sa harapan ng mga tao, ngunit nasasaliksik ng Diyos ang inyong mga puso. Sapagkat ang itinuturing na mahalaga ng mga tao ay kasuklam-suklam sa paningin ng Diyos."

Reflection for Friday November 10, Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church: Luke 16:1-8

Gospel: Luke 16:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward. The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? 

I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master? He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil. He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty. 

Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe? He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat. He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note write one for eighty. And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.”

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Reflection:

Why was the steward removed from his position as the fund manager of his master? Because he became complacent and negligent in his job. Otherwise if he did his job well he would have not been removed but he became complacent.

On the surface it may seem that the only issue here is the incompetence of the steward. But in a deeper sense there is a lesson that we could all learn from the steward. When he learned that he was to be removed fear suddenly set in on him. He was worried about his future for the reason that he would be without a job.

Therefore to ingrain a debt of gratitude from his debtors and to assure his survival he collected their debts with a discount. With the fervent hope that they would take care of him when he is finally dismissed from his job.  On the first debtor he discounted fifthly and on the second he discounted twenty. Suddenly this complacent steward became very creative because what was at stake was his very survival.

We are also being reminded to be creative but not in assuring our survival in this world. For the simple reason that all that we have in this world are all temporary and passing. We are reminded to be creative in sharing our faith in Jesus most specially during this time wherein technology is very advance and available.

 Let us therefore creatively harness the many social media platforms that are available at our disposal to continuously share Jesus. For this will assure us of survival not in this world anymore but our survival after our lives in this world is over. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Thursday November 9, Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome: John 2:13-22

Gospel: John 2:13-22

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace. 

His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” 

But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

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Reflection:

Why is Jesus so angry? Because they have desecrated the holiest place of worship: the temple. They’ve turned it into a marketplace to say the least and they were not simply selling and dealing goods there. 

There were other things that were evolving: greed, deceit and many more that made Jesus really mad. Jesus told them: “Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace (John 2:16).” Don’t we hear Jesus speaking to us too? Telling us the same words born out of His anger from what He saw in the temple area or from what some of us do when we are at church. 

How do we behave when we are at church most specifically when we are inside the church? The church is our sacred place of worship a place where we encounter God. Thus, we must observe proper discipline when we are inside or within its vicinity. 

Do we still deep our finger into the Holy water font, make the sign of the cross and genuflect before entering the church? Do we still sit quietly and pray to Jesus while our eyes are fixed on the tabernacle? 

Our church is our safe refuge when we are troubled by our many worries. This is where we encounter and receive Jesus during Holy Mass. Therefore we must observe proper discipline when we are in this Sacred and Holy place of worship. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for November 8, Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 14:25-33

Gospel: Luke 14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 

Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ 

Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

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Reflection:

A dying man was given two choices by the angel of God. One choice was to be well again and live a worldly life and the other one was to die immediately and enter the pearly gates to be with Jesus. The dying man chose to die and be with Jesus, baffling as it may seem for many of us yet the dying man made the right choice.  

What is the essence of life if it’s only lived for this world? What is the reason for living if it’s empty of Jesus’ presence? To choose to follow Jesus over this world is to discover the real meaning of life in this world. To fill your life with Jesus is to finally discover the real reason why you’re existing and breathing in this world. 

The core of life is a life lived in union with Jesus. Surely, Jesus will forgive us if we contradict Him by immediately jumping into discipleship without careful thinking—Jesus is a God of love and forgiveness anyway.Because if we carefully think first we may be overwhelmed by the daunting task of discipleship. And we immediately back out without even trying and experiencing how it feels to be a follower or a disciple.  

Whereas, if we immediately decide to follow Jesus we will right away have an experience about how to be His follower. If we find it hard or difficult let us never hesitate to call on Jesus. For He is always there for us, by our side walking with us as we wade through the many challenges of being His follower. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for November 7, Tuesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 14:15-24

Gospel: Luke 14:15-24

One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.” He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. 

The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ 

The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’

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Reflection:

What occurs in a dinner? There’s breaking of the bread, there’s sharing, interaction, exchange of ideas and the like. We are not invited to a dinner to simply eat and go. We are invited because the host wants to know more about us. The host wants to bless us with the food that he prepared.  And he wants to exchange even for a brief moment small talk that could further enhance and strengthen the relationship between the invited guest and the host. 

When we honor the Holy Mass with our presence we respond to the invitation of Jesus to be present at this Sacred and Holy celebration. We break bread with Jesus, we interact with Jesus and we open ourselves to the innumerable blessings that Jesus alone could bestow upon us. 

But like in the gospel many of us would refuse to go to Holy Mass because we have our other preoccupations. We miss a lot when we decline to be present at Holy Mass foremost of this is we miss the great privilege to know Jesus deeply. 

It’s sad to think that many Catholics leave the church for other Christian churches. Because as they would say: “They want to develop a personal relationship with Jesus through His written words in the bible.” 

But if only they would take time to religiously be present at Holy Mass. Jesus Himself will give them the grace to know Him deeply. Jesus Himself would prod them to open their bible so that He could reveal more about Himself to them. 

The deepening of our friendship with Jesus emanates from our presence at His dinner banquet which is none other than the Holy Mass. Let us therefore attend this sacred celebration and build a deeper relationship with Jesus.    

Do you always honor this invitation of Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for November 6, Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 14:12-14

Gospel: Luke 14:12-14

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. He said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. 

Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

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Reflection:

Who are those that we normally invite to dine in our home? Of course, our friends and relatives, for this is our normal human nature, and there’s nothing wrong with this. But Jesus points us to something that we often neglect, something that we often times purposely forget. And they’re the poor and unwanted; Jesus is pointing us to them for that is where He dwells.

Jesus’ contradicts us on how we normally invite people to dine in our home. Isn’t that we have not yet invited a poor stranger to dine for lunch or dinner? Yes, we have given food to the poor but we haven’t invited someone who is poor to dine in our house.

Why is it important to invite somebody who is poor to come and dine in our house? Because we are not only inviting the poor, we are also opening our house to God. Hard to believe? Let us try inviting someone who is poor and not known to us to come and dine in our house. And let us feel afterwards the unfathomable joy that it will give us.

In the story of the last judgment the King said: Whenever you did this to one of the least, you did this to me (Matthew 25:40). – Marino J. Dasmarinas