Reflection for Wednesday August 20, Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church; Matthew 20:1-16

Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us,  who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

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Reflection:

God thinks differently from how we think and God decides not based on how we decide.

 It seems that the landowner is unfair this is for the reason that He payed the workers the same amount regardless of how much time they’ve labored in his vineyard. Was he really unfair to the other workers who worked for longer hours?

The landowner was simply generous and fair for he paid everyone based on what they’ve agreed upon.   It did not matter to him who worked early in the day and who worked late in the day. What was important for him was he paid justly and generously to everyone who worked in his vineyard.

We can’t help but compare God’s generosity compared to ours if at all we are generous. If God doesn’t count the cost we count the cost and if God is generous we are often times not generous. If we discriminate God doesn’t discriminate whomever we are, what is important for God is we respond to His invitation.  

God doesn’t look at how sinful we are, God doesn’t look at how early and late we respond to His call of repentance. What is important for God is we respond to His call of renewal no matter how late. All of us whomever we are are being invited by God to walk away from our sins and follow Him.

How would we respond to this call of God? - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Tuesday August 19, Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time; Matthew 19:23-30

Gospel: Matthew 19:23-30

Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

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Reflection:

The recent suicide of Robin Williams tells us that fame and fortune is not a guaranty to have inner peace and serenity. We may have all the material wealth of this world but it amounts to nothing if we are without inner peace.

In our gospel Jesus said to the disciples, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. This was in reference to the rich man in our gospel yesterday (Matthew 19:16-22) who couldn’t give-up his treasures in favor of the poor and his discipleship with Jesus. That rich man was actually invited by Jesus to become his follower but he declined the glorious offer because he held-on to his wealth.

It’s not actually bad to be rich it becomes a hazard to our well-being when we make our riches our God. That we are not willing to let it go for anything even for the sake of the kingdom of God. Therefore, when we are so in-love with our fleeting wealth we become capable of doing anything that Jesus abhors.  

That’s why Jesus said in our gospel that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God. Because the more that we get richer the more that we distance ourselves from the love of Jesus yet the more that we give away our riches  the more that we become fit for the kingdom of God.

God created us to freely aspire for His kingdom in heaven and not to be permanently imprisoned by our riches in  this world. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Monday August 18, Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time; Matthew 19:16-22

Gospel: Matthew 19:16-22

A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

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Reflection:

So near and yet so far, perhaps this was the predicament of the man who asked Jesus on what must he do to have eternal life. He already did everything that was asked of him until Jesus told him to sell everything in his pessession and give the proceeds to the poor then follow Him. The man quietly walked away for the reason that he couldn’t let go of his many earthly possession.

Somehow this man represents all of us we who find it very hard to let go of our earthly possession in favor of helping others and the kingdom of God. What is with wealth that we cannot let go? We cannot bring it to our graves we cannot even possess it anymore when we are already old for someone will possess it for us or even hide it from us.

Saint Francis of Asisi was from a noble and rich family he gave-up everything to the poor so that he could follow God’s will for him.  God’s will for us also is to give-up our riches so that others may live from it. This is very hard to do that requires radical change of mindset for us to fully embrace it.

Perhaps if we are not willing to give-up everything because we also have our own family to feed and take care of. We can give something for the poor  because it’s only through giving-up of something that we treasure in this world that we could follow Jesus.    

Are we like the young man in our gospel who walked away from Jesus because he had many possessions? Or we are like Saint Francis of Asisi who gave-up everything to the poor so that he could follow God’s will for him. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Sunday August 17, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Matthew 15:21-28

Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus’ disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.

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Reflection:

How do we define our faith in Jesus? It’s when we don’t give-up on what we want from Jesus. We continuously badger Him until He gives in to our prayer request for Him.

The Canaanite woman had this kind of faith, she never gave-up on her prayer request for Jesus to heal her daughter tormented by a demon. There were many obstacles against her foremost of this was her being not a Jew but it did not matter to her. She persisted and she even argued with Jesus until she passed Jesus’ examination of her faith on Him. After which her daughter was healed by Jesus.

This gospel relates with our own journey of faith in Jesus also. We could be that Canaanite woman who badgered Jesus no end until she got the healing that she wants for her daughter.

 However, unlike the woman from Canaan who persisted until the very end we may not have the will to badger Jesus. We may have quit already and said to ourselves, I give-up on my prayer for Jesus because He seems to be deaf. What we do not know is it's just a part of the testing of our faith.

Every trial that we go through is our own test of faith we may be going through some trials right now. We may be asking ourselves, why am I going through this difficulties? Let us not  give-up and let us continue to have faith in Jesus. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Repleksyon para sa Agosto 17, Ika-20 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon; Mateo 15:21-28

Mabuting Balita: Mateo 15:21-28

Umalis doon si Jesus at nagpunta sa lupaing malapit sa Tiro at Sidon. Isang Cananea na nakatira doon ang lumapit sa kanya na sumisigaw, "Panginoon, Anak ni David, maawa po kayo sa akin! Ang anak kong babae ay sinasapian ng demonyo at labis na pinapahirapan nito."

Ngunit hindi sumagot si Jesus. Lumapit ang kanyang mga alagad at sinabi kay Jesus, "Paalisin na nga po ninyo siya. Napakaingay niya at sunod nang sunod sa atin." Sumagot si Jesus, "Sa mga naliligaw na tupa ng sambahayan ng Israel lamang ako isinugo."    Ngunit lumapit sa kanya ang babae, lumuhod ito at nagmakaawa, "Tulungan po ninyo ako, Panginoon."

Sumagot si Jesus, "Hindi dapat kunin ang pagkain ng mga bata at ibigay sa mga aso."

Totoo nga, Panginoon. Ngunit ang mga aso man po ay kumakain ng mumong nalalaglag sa hapag ng kanilang panginoon," tugon ng babae. At sinabi sa kanya ni Jesus, "Napakalaki ng iyong pananampalataya! Mangyayari ang hinihiling mo." At noon di'y gumaling ang kanyang anak.

Reflection for Saturday August 16, Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time; Matthew 19:13-15

Gospel: Matthew 19:13-15

Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

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Reflection:

Do you bring your children to church for Holy Mass? Do you teach your children about Jesus? Do you read the bible to your children? All of these questions are means for all of us to bring our children closer to Jesus but do we bring our children to Jesus?

What is the importance of bringing our children to Jesus? First and foremost is it assures their good future in this world and beyond this world. This is basically what Jesus does to our children: He assures them of a bright and Godly future not based on the criteria of this world but based on His own criteria.

Just imagine if we bring our children closer to Jesus, we will have less headache as they grow-up. This is for the reason that the frequent you bring them to Jesus the more that they are being guided by Jesus in everyday of their lives.

Some parents of today are afraid to bring their children closer to Jesus. Because they are afraid that they children may aspire to become a priest or a nun and their alibi is there’s no money in aspiring for the priesthood or in becoming a nun. Indeed there’s no money in these vocations but we don’t live for money in this world, we don't live for this world only we live to live the teachings of Jesus, we live to aspire for heaven eventually.

What would it benefit your children if they have all the money in this world yet they don’t have Jesus? When you bring your children to Jesus you are not only investing in their future you are also investing in your own future in heaven. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

In solidarity with the persecuted Christians in Iraq and in the Middle East...