Noong panahong iyon, may isang
eskribang lumapit kay Hesus upang siya’y subukin. “Guro,” aniya, “ano ang dapat
kong gawin upang magkamit ng buhay na walang hanggan?” Sumagot si Hesus, “Ano
ang nakasulat sa Kautusan? Ano ang nababasa mo roon?” Tumugon siya, “‘Ibigin mo
ang Panginoon mong Diyos nang buong puso, nang buong kaluluwa, nang buong
lakas, at nang buong pag-iisip’; at ‘Ibigin mo ang iyong kapwa gaya ng iyong
sarili.’” “Tama ang sagot mo,” wika ni Hesus. “Gawin mo iyan at mabubuhay ka.”
Sa
hangad ng eskriba na huwag siyang lumabas na kahiya-hiya, tinanong niya uli si
Hesus, “Sino naman ang aking kapwa?” Sumagot si Hesus: “May isang taong
naglalakbay buhat sa Jerusalem, patungong Jerico. Hinarang siya ng mga tulisan,
kinuha pati damit sa katawan, binugbog at halos patay na nang iwan.
Nagkataong
dumaan doon ang isang saserdote at pagkakita sa taong nakahandusay, siya’y
lumihis at nagpatuloy ng kanyang lakad. Dumaan din ang isang Levita, ngunit
tiningnan lamang niya ito at nagpatuloy ng kanyang lakad. Ngunit may isang
Samaritanong naglalakbay na naparaan doon. Nakita niya ang hinarang at siya’y
nahabag. Lumapit siya, binusan ng langis at alak ang mga sugat nito at
tinalian.
Saka
isinakay ang tao sa kanyang sinasakyang hayop, dinala sa bahay-panuluyan, at
inalagaan doon. Kinabukasan, dumukot siya ng dalawang denaryo, ibinigay sa
may-ari ng bahay-panuluyan at sinabi, ‘Alagaan mo siya, at kung magkano man ang
kakulangan niyan, babayaran ko sa aking pagbabalik.’ Sino ngayon sa palagay mo
ang nagpakita ng kanyang pakikipagkapwa sa taong hinarang ng mga tulisan?”
tanong ni Hesus. “Ang nagpakita ng habag sa kanya,” tugon ng eskriba. Sinabi sa
kanya ni Hesus, “Humayo ka’t gayun din ang gawin mo.”
The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked, "Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" They were testing him. He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?" They replied, "Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her." But Jesus told them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate."
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them.
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Reflection:
A blind man fell in love with his neighbor. When he was asked by his parents what made him love the woman, he said, "I can sense her inner beauty, her caring and loving ways. She also has a very gentle and good heart.
Eventually, this man was cured of his blindness and now had a clear picture of the physical appearance of the woman he had fallen in love with. He saw that the woman was not physically beautiful; nevertheless, he still decided to marry her. However, after a few months, the lack of physical beauty somehow diminished his love for her. Soon after, he deserted her for a young and physically attractive woman.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus talks about the indissolubility of the marriage covenant between a man and a woman. He emphasizes that no one has the right to dissolve this marriage. Jesus himself said, "What God has joined together, no human being must separate" (Mark 10:9).
However, many of us still violate the sanctity of the marriage covenant with impunity. Like the man in the story, we allow ourselves to be captivated by external appearance, even when we are already married. But what is external beauty when it will eventually fade away?
There is something far more important than a person's external appearance, and that is their inner character. Inner beauty is far more valuable than what can be seen with our eyes. A person’s attitude, goodness, and gentleness count far more than physical appearance.
Let us be faithful to our marriage covenant. Let us not give room for Satan to destroy this covenant. Satan, who often comes to us with a beautiful or handsome face and a charming body. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon, may mga Pariseong lumapit kay Hesus. Ibig nilang masilo siya kaya’t kanilang tinanong, “Naaayon ba sa Kautusan na hiwalayan ng lalaki ang kanyang asawa?” Tugon niya, “Ano ang utos sa inyo ni Moises?” Sumagot naman sila, “Ipinahintulot ni Moises na hiwalayan ng lalaki ang kanyang asawa matapos bigyan ng kasulatan sa paghihiwalay.”
Ngunit sinabi ni Hesus, “Dahil sa katigasan ng inyong ulo kaya niya inilagda ang utos na ito. Subalit sa pasimula pa, nang likhain ng Diyos ang sanlibutan: ‘Nilalang niya silang lalaki at babae. Dahil dito’y iiwan ng lalaki ang kanyang ama at ina, at magsasama sila ng kanyang asawa, at sila’y magiging isa.’ Kaya’t hindi na sila dalawa kundi isa. Ang pinagsama ng Diyos ay huwag paghiwalayin ng tao.”
Pagdating sa bahay, ang mga alagad naman ang nagtanong kay Hesus tungkol sa bagay na ito. Sinabi niya sa kanila, “Ang sinumang lalaking humiwalay sa kanyang asawa at mag-asawa sa iba ay gumagawa ng masama sa kanyang asawa – siya’y nangangalunya. At ang babaing humiwalay sa kanyang asawa at mag-asawa sa iba ay nangangalunya rin.”
May nagdala ng mga bata kay Hesus upang hilinging ipatong niya sa mga ito ang kanyang kamay; ngunit pinagwikaan sila ng mga alagad. Nagalit si Hesus nang makita ito, at sinabi sa kanila, “Pabayaan ninyong lumapit sa akin ang mga bata, huwag ninyo silang sawayin, sapagkat sa mga katulad nila naghahari ang Diyos.
Ito ang tandaan ninyo: ang sinumang hindi tumatanggap sa paghahari ng Diyos tulad ng isang maliit na bata ay hindi mapapabilang sa mga pinaghaharian niya.” At kinalong ni Hesus ang mga bata, ipinatong ang kanyang mga kamay sa kanila at pinagpala sila.
The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
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Reflection:
What does Jesus require from us so that we could know Him deeply? Childlike trust and confidence in Him. We will not know Jesus deeply if we only rely on ourselves no matter how educated and intelligent we are. No matter the volumes of books that we’ve read about Jesus and our faith. No matter how many degrees we have earned. It would still not be enough because we have no childlike trust in the Lord.
If we have childlike trust before Jesus this simply means that we rely on Him and not on ourselves. And we entrust our lives to Him and not entrust it in our hands. The moment we begin to trust Jesus, He also begins to open and equip our minds with knowledge that is not available to those who do not trust Him no matter how intelligent they may be.
The seventy-two disciples came back from their very fruitful mission of spreading the good news because they had childlike trust. And therefore the power of Jesus reigned upon them.
Do you have a childlike trust in the Lord? - Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon, bumalik na tuwang-tuwa ang pitumpu't dalawa. "Panginoon", sabi nila, "kahit po ang mga demonyo ay sumusunod kapag inutusan namin, sa ngalan ninyo." Sumagot si Jesus, "Nakita ko ang pagkahulog ni Satanas mula sa langit -- parang kidlat. Binigyan ko kayo ng kapangyarihang tumapak sa mga ahas at mga alakdan, at yumurak sa kapangyarihan ng kaaway. Walang makapipinsala sa inyo. Gayunman, magalak kayo hindi dahil sa suko sa inyo ang masasamang espiritu, kundi dahil sa nakatala sa langit ang pangalan ninyo."
Nang oras ding iyon, si Jesus ay napuspos ng galak ng Espiritu Santo. At sinabi niya, "Pinasasalamatan kita, Ama, Panginoon ng langit at lupa, sapagkat inilihim mo sa marurunong at pantas ang mga bagay na ito at inihayag mo sa mga taong ito na ang kalooba'y tulad ng sa bata. Oo, Ama, sapagkat gayon ang ikinalulugod mo. "Ibinigay sa akin ng Ama, at walang nakakikilala sa Ama kundi ang Anak at yaong marapating pagpahayagan ng Anak."
Humarap si Jesus sa mga alagad at sinabi, na di naririnig ng iba. "Mapalad kayo, sapagkat nakita ninyo ang inyong nakikita ngayon! Sinasabi ko sa inyo, maraming propeta at mga hari ang nagnasang makakita ng inyong nakikita ngayon ngunit hindi nila nakita. Hinangad din nilang mapakinggan ang inyong naririnig ngunit hindi nila napakinggan."
Jesus said to them, “Woe to you, Chorazin!
Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done
in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and
ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than
for you. And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’ Whoever listens
to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me
rejects the one who sent me.
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Reflection:
Is it possible for us not to sin anymore?
No, as we live here in this world we will continue to
sin for we are mere mortals with frailties. We sin through our thoughts, words
and actions. However, as we keep on sinning God calls us always to repentance
until the time comes that our sins will be diminished.
Amid our humanness and sinfulness God wants us to know
that we need to repent this is why He created the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
For us to humbly submit ourselves and for us to be aware of God’s goodness and
forgiveness. Obviously the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida and
Capernaum were stone hearted. They did not listen to the call of Jesus for them
to repent.
There really are people who are like the people of
Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. No matter how we try to help them and no
matter how hard we gently speak to them. They will not walk away from
their sinfulness they will really not hear us.
This is perhaps the mystery of human psychology; God comes to us yet we refuse
Him. Or we are given advice by those who are concerned for our welfare yet we
refuse to hear them.
So, for those who refuse to hear the wisdom of God and
the wise counsel of the people around them. Be prepared for the consequences
for there are really consequences for those who refuse to hear. But why wait
for the price of our stubbornness to befall us? Why not listen and walk
away from our sinfulness?
Let us repent while we still have time and let us
humbly ask Jesus to forgive us of all our sins. The best vehicle for us to do
this is to humbly submit ourselves to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. – Marino
J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon sinabi ni Hesus,
“Kawawa ka, Corazin! Kawawa ka, Betsaida! Sapagkat kung sa Tiro at Sidon ginawa
ang mga kababalaghang ginawa rito sa inyo, disin sana’y malaon na silang
nagdaramit ng sako at nauupo sa abo upang ipakilalang sila’y nagsisisi.
Sa Araw ng Paghuhukom, higit na
mabigat ang kaparusahan ninyo kaysa kaparusahan ng mga taga-Tiro at taga-Sidon.
At ikaw, Capernaum, Ibig mong mataas hanggang sa langit? Ibabagsak ka sa Hades!
“Ang nakikinig sa inyo’y nakikinig sa akin, ang nagtatakwil sa inyo’y
nagtatakwil sa akin, at ang nagtatakwil sa akin ay nagtatakwil sa nagsugo sa
akin.”
Jesus appointed seventy-two other
disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he
intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers
are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his
harvest.
Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs
among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along
the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’
If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it
will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is
offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from
one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is
set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at
hand for you.’
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say, ‘The dust of your town that clings to our
feet, even that we shake off against you.’ Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is
at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for
that town.”
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Reflection:
Would you be willing to be an ambassador of
Jesus?
It’s hard to respond to this call of Jesus to follow
Him most especially when you see nothing but challenges. For example,
provisions are very scarce, nobody wants to be with you for the simple reason
that they don’t love God as much as you do.
What would you do then? You must carry on! The harder
the challenges in front of you the firmer your resolve to pursue and follow the
Lord. The enemy of God which is no other than the devil will continue to badger
you to give up. It will continue to paint a picture of hopelessness with what
you do for Christ so as to discourage you. But you must not give up. You must
continue to hold on with your desire to partake with the mission of
Jesus.
The statement of Jesus that the harvest is abundant
but the laborers are few is as true as the sunshine today. Each day we see the
decline of the morality and values of many people. Each day we see the
debasement of the sanctity of marriage. Each day we see the disintegration of
families most especially in the so called first world countries. This is the
abundant harvest that Jesus pertains today.
Don’t say that you don’t see any abundant harvest.
Look in your own sphere of environment and you’ll see them. Focus on them;
share Jesus with them thru your words or thru your lifestyle for they are your
abundant harvest. Don’t worry about anything for Jesus is with you, He will
protect you and He will provide for you. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon, ang Panginoon ay
humirang pa ng pitumpu’t dalawa. Pinauna niya sila nang dala-dalawa sa bawat
bayan at pook na patutunguhan niya. Sinabi niya sa kanila, “Sagana ang aanihin,
ngunit kakaunti ang mga manggagawa. Idalangin ninyo sa may-ari na magpadala
siya ng mga manggagawa sa kanyang bukirin.
Humayo
kayo! Sinusugo ko kayong parang mga kordero sa gitna ng mga asong-gubat. Huwag
kayong magdala ng lukbutan, supot, o panyapak. Huwag na kayong titigil sa daan
upang makipagbatian kaninuman. Pagpasok ninyo sa alinmang bahay, sabihin muna
ninyo, ‘Maghari nawa ang kapayapaan sa bahay na ito!’ Kung maibigin sa
kapayapaan ang nakatira roon, sasakanila ang kapayapaan; ngunit kung hindi,
hindi sila magkakamit nito.
Manatili
kayo sa bahay na inyong tinutuluyan; kanin ninyo at inumin ang anumang idulot
sa inyo – sapagkat ang manggagawa ay may karapatang tumanggap ng kanyang upa.
Huwag kayong magpapalipat-lipat ng bahay. Kapag tinanggap kayo sa alinmang
bayan, kanin ninyo ang anumang ihain sa inyo; pagalingin ninyo ang mga maysakit
doon at sabihin sa bayan, ‘Nalalapit na ang paghahari ng Diyos sa inyo.’
Ngunit
sa alinmang bayang hindi tumanggap sa inyo, lumabas kayo sa mga lansangan nito
at sabihin ninyo, ‘Pati ang alikabok dito na dumikit sa aming mga paa ay
ipinapagpag namin bilang babala sa inyo. Ngunit pakatandaaan ninyong nalalapit
na sa inyo ang paghahari ng Diyos!’ Sinasabi ko sa inyo: sa Araw ng Paghuhukom
ay higit na mabigat ang kaparusahan ng mga tao sa bayang yaon kaysa dinanas ng
mga taga-Sodoma!”
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed
it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become
like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles
himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever
receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of
my heavenly Father.”
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Reflection:
Have you tried looking at the face of a child and have
you tried looking at the face of a grown-up person? Which of them give you more
joy? Of course, it’s the face of the child.
Jesus in the gospel gives us the secret on how we can
enter the kingdom of heaven. Which is none other than to become like children
or to be childlike, why? It’s for the reason of the pureness of their thoughts
and their innocence. No wonder being childlike is the key for us to enter
God’s kingdom in heaven.
But are we childlike in terms of the pureness of our
thoughts and absence of sin? Of course we are not! Who among us could say that
our thoughts are as pure as a child? Who among us could say that we are
without sin? Nobody because we are all sinners we sin through our words,
actions and thoughts.
Nevertheless, it’s not yet late for us to go back to
Jesus and be childlike before Him. Jesus through the Sacrament of
Reconciliation is always inviting us to humble ourselves before Him. To be like
a child who humbly runs to his parents with reckless abandon once he sees them
coming home.
Are you humble like a child? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong sandaling iyon, lumapit kay
Hesus ang mga alagad at nagtanong, “Sino po ang pinakadakila sa kaharian ng
langit?” Tinawag ni Hesus ang isang bata, pinatayo sa harapan nila, at sinabi,
“Tandaan ninyo ito: kapag hindi kayo nagbago at tumulad sa mga bata,
hinding-hindi kayo mabibilang sa mga pinaghaharian ng Diyos.
Ang
sinumang nagpapakababa na gaya ng batang ito ay siyang pinakadakila sa mga
pinaghaharian ng Diyos. Ang sinumang tumatanggap sa isang batang ganito dahil
sa akin ay ako ang tinatanggap. “Ingatan ninyo na huwag hamakin ang isa sa
maliliit na ito. Sinasabi ko sa inyo: sa langit, ang kanilang mga anghel ay
laging nasa harapan ng aking Ama.”
When the days for Jesus to be taken up
were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent
messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village to
prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the
destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw
this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume
them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
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Reflection:
Would you open the door of your house to Jesus?
The Samaritans did not welcome Jesus because they did
not know Him well. If only they knew Him they would have welcomed Him even if
He was going to Jerusalem. But they did not know Him that’s why they refused to
be hospitable to Him.
There are some problematic individuals who decide to
end their life by way of committing suicide. Why? Because they do not know
Jesus, if only they know Jesus they would have not committed that grievous
sin.
We miss so many blessings when we do not fully know
the Lord. For example, the blessing of hope, the blessing of love, the blessing
of understanding, humility, peacefulness, companionship and many more. These
are but a few of the many blessings that we miss when we do not know Jesus that
well.
But how do we come to know Jesus? We must read the
Bible, especially the first four books of the New Testament. We should also
make it a point to attend the celebration of the Eucharist or Holy Mass
regularly, particularly on Sundays. By doing these acts of faith, slowly but
surely, the eyes of our faith will be opened to the friendship of Jesus.
But how about those who do not know Jesus? How would
they know Jesus? We have to share Jesus and we have to live His teachings so
that through us they will know Jesus. To know Jesus is still not enough we have
to share Him and we have to live what we know about Him.
Do you want to live a more meaningful life? If your
answer is yes, you therefore have to share and live Jesus. – Marino J.
Dasmarinas
Nang
nalalapit na ang panahong iaakyat si Hesus sa langit, ipinasiya niyang pumunta
sa Jerusalem. Sinugo niya ang ilan upang mauna sa kanya. Humayo sila at pumasok
sa isang nayon sa Samaria upang ipaghanda siya ng matutuluyan. Ngunit ayaw siyang
tanggapin ng mga Samaritano sapagkat siya’y patungo sa Jerusalem.
Nang
makita ito nina Santiago at Juan ay kanilang sinabi, “Panginoon, payag ba
kayong magpababa kami ng apoy mula sa langit upang pugnawin sila?” Ngunit
bumaling siya at pinagsabihan sila. “Hindi ninyo alam kung anong uri ng
espiritu ang sumasainyo,” sabi niya, “sapagkat naparito ang Anak ng Tao hindi
upang ipahamak ang mga tao kundi upang iligtas sila.” At nagtungo sila sa ibang
nayon.
An argument
arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Jesus realized
the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side and
said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever
receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of
you is the one who is the greatest.”
Then John
said in reply, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we
tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.” Jesus said to
him, “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”
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Reflection:
Who is the
greatest? It’s the humble one, the one who is always willing to serve us,
always willing to be with us. We may not know it but Jesus has been serving us
since time immemorial. He is in the person of the priest during the Sacrament
of Reconciliation forgiving us of our sins.
He is always present in the Eucharistic or Holy Mass
celebration humbly giving His Body and Blood to nourish our body and our soul.
He is the greatest treasure that we can ever have! But His greatness is a
paradox to some of us because we measure greatness by our worldly standards.
Such as greatness thru power and influence this is
mostly fueled by political power, position in government and in the private
sector and the size of our bank accounts. But this greatness is passing and
temporary; the time will come that it shall pass us and we shall be forgotten.
Jesus is the personification of true greatness: His
humility, His self-sacrifice and His refusal to wield power for His own self-interest.
This greatness of Jesus is usually not heard by this world; nevertheless we
should emulate the greatness of Jesus and shun the greatness that this world
offers us.– Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon, nagtalu-talo ang
mga alagad kung sino sa kanila ang pinakadakila. Batid ni Hesus ang kanilang
iniisip, kaya’t tinawag niya ang isang maliit na bata at pinatayo sa tabi niya.
At sinabi niya sa kanila, “Ang
sinumang tumatanggap sa batang ito alang-alang sa akin ay tumatanggap sa akin;
at sinumang tumatanggap sa akin at tumatanggap sa nagsugo sa akin. Ang
pinakaaba sa inyong lahat ay siyang pinakadakila.”
Sinabi
ni Juan, “Guro, nakita po namin ang isang taong nagpapalayas ng mga demonyo sa
pamamagitan ng pangalan ninyo. Pinagbawalan namin siya sapagkat siya’y hindi
natin kasamahan.” Ngunit sinabi ni Hesus, “Huwag ninyo siyang pagbawalan;
sapagkat ang hindi laban sa atin ay kapanig natin.”
At that time, John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us." Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
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Reflection:
A parish priest was informed by a catechist that a Christian denomination wanted to use the parish chapel for their worship service. The catechist expected the priest to reject the request, but to his surprise, the humble and good-natured priest allowed the denomination to use the chapel.
Months passed, and this Christian group continued to use the chapel for their worship. Over time, they developed a strong friendship with the parish priest, rooted in his humility and tolerance. After two years of friendship and communication, the Christian group decided to convert to the Catholic faith and were warmly welcomed into the Church by the humble and tolerant priest.
In our Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus speaks about tolerance, humility, and love for others. When John told Jesus that they had tried to prevent someone from driving out demons in His name, John may have expected Jesus to condone his arrogant behavior. However, Jesus rebuked John, saying, 'Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us' (Mark 9:39-40).”
This rebuke of Jesus toward John resonates even today, and it is no longer just addressed to John but to all of us. Jesus reminds us that if the cause being supported by our fellowmen is also about Him, or if it serves a good purpose, we should, by all means, be tolerant.
We must always be tolerant, humble, and loving toward those who are not within the fold of our Catholic faith. Jesus constantly reminds us to live out these virtues, as they are one of the ways He can become a living symbol in our lives.
Sometimes, it is tempting to become proud and arrogant because of our status in life, or because of the primacy of our Catholic faith, which was founded by Jesus Himself. But how can we convince others to join our faith if we are domineering and arrogant? How can we reflect Jesus in our lives if we are always overbearing and superior? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon, sinabi kay Hesus ni Juan, “Guro, nakakita po kami ng isang taong nagpapalayas ng mga demonyo sa pamamagitan ng pangalan mo, at pinagbawalan namin sapagkat hindi natin siya kasamahan.”
Ngunit sinabi ni Hesus, “Huwag ninyo siyang pagbawalan, sapagkat walang taong matapos gumawa ng kababalaghan sa pangalan ko ang agad magsasalita ng masama laban sa akin. Sapagkat ang hindi laban sa atin ay panig sa atin. Sinasabi ko sa inyo: sinumang magbigay sa inyo ng isang basong tubig dahil sa kayo’y kay Kristo ay tiyak na gagantimpalaan.
“Mabuti pa sa isang tao ang siya’y bitinan ng isang malaking gilingang-bato sa leeg at itapon sa dagat kaysa maging sanhi ng pagkakasala ng isa sa maliliit na ito na nananalig sa akin. Kung ang kamay mo ang nagiging sanhi ng iyong pagkakasala, putulin mo! Mabuti pa ang mapunta ka sa langit nang putol ang isang kamay kaysa may dalawang kamay na mahulog ka sa impiyerno, sa apoy na hindi mamamatay.
Kung ang paa mo ang nagiging sanhi ng iyong pagkakasala, putulin mo! Mabuti pa ang mapunta ka sa langit nang putol ang isang paa kaysa may dalawang paa na mahulog ka sa impiyerno. At kung ang mata mo ang nagiging sanhi ng iyong pagkakasala, dukutin mo! Mabuti pa ang pumasok ka sa kaharian ng Diyos nang bulag ang isang mata kaysa may dalawang mata na mahulog ka sa impiyerno. Doo’y hindi mamamatay ang mga uod na kumakain sa kanila, at hindi mamamatay ang apoy.”
While they were all amazed at his every
deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The
Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and
they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
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Reflection:
Why were the disciples afraid to ask Jesus to
elaborate His meaningful statement that He is going to be handed over to men?
Did they sense that something dangerous is going to happen to Jesus soon? Were
they afraid to hear something that would deal with suffering and the cross? Or
the disciples were simply used to the image of Jesus as a powerful miracle
worker and healer?
Is it only for His miracles and healings that we
follow Jesus? Perhaps yes, many of us are only after Jesus the miracle worker
and Jesus the healer. But if we are only after His miracles and healings then
this is not true discipleship.
True discipleship happens to us when we are also ready
to suffer for Jesus and when we are also ready to carry our own cross for
Jesus. We cannot separate Jesus from suffering because He himself brutally
suffered. Thus we cannot also separate ourselves from suffering/s if we truly
follow Jesus.
Nevertheless, let us not be afraid to suffer for our
discipleship for Jesus because our suffering for Jesus will not be in vain.
There is always something glorious after suffering and carrying our own cross
for Jesus. We may not know it immediately but there surely will be glory after
we endure our cross and sufferings. - Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon, samantalang nanggigilalas ang mga tao sa
lahat ng ginawa ni Hesus, sinabi niya sa kanyang mga alagad, “Tandaan ninyo
itong sasabihin ko: ipagkakanulo ang Anak ng Tao.”
Ngunit hindi nila ito
naunawaan, pagkat inilingid ito sa kanila. Nangangamba naman silang magtanong
sa kanya kung ano ang ibig sabihin niyon.
Once when
Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them,
“Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist;
others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then
he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The
Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The
Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief
priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
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Reflection:
If Jesus
would ask us, who am I to you? How would we answer Him? Would we answer based
on what we know about Jesus or we answer Him in a much profound manner like you
are my Lord, Savior and my God and I feel your abiding presence in my life
everyday.
We must not
limit our knowledge about Jesus to what we read or up to what only our minds
would feed us. We must dive deeper than that in such a way that Jesus is
already part and parcel of our daily life. This only means that we read and
live His teachings.
We become
more productive followers of Jesus if we read and live His teachings because
this would open us to a much deeper intimacy with Him. We read Jesus’ life and
teachings in the bible. If we only read or hear and we don’t live His teachings
our discipleship is lacking in substance.
We have to
know Jesus and then we have to live Jesus these two (Know and live) must always
go together. For this would help us endure the many trials/even sufferings that
we would be facing as we exist in this world.
Do you read
the life of Jesus and do you live the teachings of Jesus? - Marino J.
Dasmarinas
