Reflection for Wednesday July 30, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time; Matthew 13:44-46

Gospel: Matthew 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

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Reflection:

Every now and then we hear news of rich and famous people committing suicide. We can’t help but ask, Why did they end their life? They almost have everything, this is what we think from outside looking in, that they almost have everything; but do they really have everything?

If they have everything why would they end their life? They may have everything that this temporal world could offer them but a very important component of their lives is missing and it is the Kingdom of heaven which is God.  

Many of us aspire to be materially rich and famous but when we get rich. And we almost have everything that this world could offer us we find out that something is still missing in our life. Who or what is this missing link in our life? HE is Jesus and to find HIM is to find our greatest treasure and most  precious pearl.

But how could we find Jesus if we are always busy with our many worldly undertakings? How could we find Jesus if we seldom listen to HIM in the silence of our hearts?   

Our lives will never be the same once we truly find the greatest treasure and the most precious pearl which is no other than Jesus.  

Repleksyon para sa July 27, Ika-17 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon; Mateo 13:44-46

Mabuting Balita: Mateo 13:44-46

 "Ang kaharian ng langit ay katulad ng kayamanang nakabaon sa isang bukid. Nahukay ito ng isang tao ngunit agad itong tinabunan. Tuwang-tuwa siyang umalis at ibinenta ang lahat ng kanyang ari-arian upang bilhin ang bukid na iyon."  Ang kaharian ng langit ay katulad din ng isang negosyante na naghahanap ng mga mamahaling perlas. Nang makakita siya ng isang perlas na napakahalaga, umuwi siya't ipinagbili ang lahat ng kanyang ari-arian at binili ang perlas na iyon."

A PRIMER ON THE BELIEFS OF THE IGLESIA NI KRISTO By ORLANDO CARDINAL QUEVEDO, O.M.I. Archbishop of Cotabato Chairman, Commission on the Doctrine of the Faith, CBCP

Please click on this link:

http://knowthetruth.ph/a-primer-on-the-beliefs-of-the-iglesia-ni-kristo/

Let us Pray and Help...

Reflection for Saturday 19, Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time; Matthew 12:14-21

Gospel: Matthew 12:14-21

The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.

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Reflection:

What are we going to do if we know that powerful people are after our life? Of course we will do what Jesus did; we will also withdraw to a place where we will be safe. But unlike Jesus who continued to do HIS acts of mercy even if HIS life was already in danger. We may not do anything except to hide and protect our life, this is what separate Jesus from us.

For Jesus the greater good is not to protect HIS life but to continue to serve the people that HE dearly loved so much. This love for HIS people eventually culminated in HIS death on the cross.

But not all of us are afraid to give our very life for the sake of our fellowmen. There are others who selflessly gave their lives so that others may live and be free. This is best exemplified by our heroes who selflessly gave their lives for our sake.

In hindsight, what is the reason why we want to protect our life to the detriment of our fellowmen? The simple reason perhaps is we love our life more that we love Jesus and our fellowmen. We perhaps are simply unconcerned with the greater need of our fellowmen otherwise we would not think twice to give our treasured time and life for others.

Self-preservation is never an option for those who truly follow Jesus. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

My Reflection for Thursday June 26, Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time, Matthew 7:21-29

Gospel: Matthew 7:21-29

(Jesus said to his disciples) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

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Reflection:

Where is your life anchored today? Is it anchored on this world or anchored on no one else but God? It’s very tempting to anchor our life to this world. For who would not want riches, influence, power and the like? We would be hypocrite if we say that we don’t want these all.

Yes we do want these all, however what will happen to us if we become worldly? If God simply becomes just an option for us where we go when we are in need of HIM and when we are not anymore in need of HIM we don’t go to HIM anymore.

the reality of our life is we were not created to become permanent citizens of this world. We are mere temporal passersby in this world, sooner or later we will leave this world and all the worldly possessions that we have accumulated. Where would we end-up in the afterlife if we only live for this world?

It’s always better if we accumulate our life with God, this means that we worship God and we do what HE wants us to do. But this is not always the case we often times worship HIM only and we don’t do what Jesus wants us to do. 

Therefore we continue to become slaves of this world.

1Reflection for June 15, Sunday; Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity; John 3:16-18

Gospel: John 3:16-18

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

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Reflection:

How do we give our love to our spouse or to our friend perhaps? There are times that this love is with condition, we love when we receive love in return. But when the love that we give is unrequited this love wanes until it finally evaporates from our hearts and this is how we normally love.

In our readings for this Sunday most especially the gospel, God opens our hearts to a much deeper kind of love. A love that cannot be measured by anything,  love that has no limits and a  love that is coupled with humility and sacrifice.

God’s love is not like how we express our love. For we are always conscious about what we could get back in return for the love that we give. This is the complete opposite of God’s love. Love in the eyes of God is when we are willing to sacrifice even at the cost of our very own life.  

Today is the solemnity also of the Holy Trinity, the three persons in one God. How are they able to exist without any conflict? How could they be one yet three? They harmoniously co-exist because they have the love of God.

The Holy Trinity for many of us is a mystery but not anymore for some of us. Why? Because they already have in their hearts the love of God, let us therefore ask the Holy Trinity covert our hearts according to His love.

If God lovingly gave HIS very own son so that we may live and have life, what can we give God in return?