Short, Simple and Personal reflections on the daily Holy Mass Gospel. I provide talks.
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Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Reflection for Tuesday August 5, Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time; Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14
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Gospel: Matthew
15:1-2, 10-14
Some
Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your
disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when
they eat a meal.” He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand.
It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man; but what comes out of
the mouth is what defiles one.” Then his disciples approached and said to him, “Do
you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” He
said in reply, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be
uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind man
leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.
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Reflection:
Whom
would you prefer a person who observes the tradition of washing of hands before
eating a meal or a person who doesn’t observe this tradition? We would
obviously prefer the one who observes the tradition.
But what
if those who observe the tradition do it only for people to see them doing it and
there’s no interior cleansing that happens to them? And those who don’t observe
the tradition are the ones who are interiorly clean. We would now prefer those
who do not observe the tradition but they are clean from within their hearts.
Jesus is
not against the washing of hands per se but what He is against is the
external display of holiness. For example, what is the use of our religious
devotions if there is no internal transformation that occurs in our hearts?
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.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
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."
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Friday, July 18, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
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
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