Reflection for Sunday September 14, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: John 3:13-17

Gospel: John 3:13-17

(Jesus said to Nicodemus) 13 No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up 15  so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

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Reflection:

Why do we suffer or what is the purpose of our suffering in this world? We suffer because we refuse to embrace the love of God. Human suffering is not a suffering that God created for us because it’s us who create our own suffering/s. And when we suffer we point not to ourselves as the culprit but to God as the creator of our suffering/s.

Think about the many wars that the powerful leaders of this world have created. Think about the many personal and family problems that we have created for ourselves. Nevertheless in the midst of our self-created sufferings there’s hope and this hope is being offered to us by Jesus on the cross.

Perhaps, many of us are averse to look at this cross of Jesus because we are reminded of Jesus’ own sufferings. We are reminded that to suffer entails hardship and sacrifice. But how could we know that there’s hope, healing and salvation in the cross of Jesus if we will not look-up to it, if we will not embrace it and if we will not hold-on to it?   

In our first reading the people that were saved by Moses from the slavery of Pharaoh created their own sufferings by complaining to Moses about their hardships. And by complaining they were severely punished by God yet they would also be saved by the same merciful God. If they’ll look up the bronze serpent mounted on a pole. We all know that the bronze serpent that was mounted on the pole that healed the suffering people in our first reading is now represented by Jesus on the cross in our gospel.   

We have so many sufferings in this world and majority if not all of these sufferings are created by us that we ironically often times blame on God. Nevertheless our merciful God so loved us that He let His only begotten son to die on the cross for our salvation.

Do you have a cross with Jesus nailed upon it in your house or in your room? Look at it hold it if you could and prayerfully ask Jesus to heal all your pains and sufferings. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Repleksyon para sa September 14, Pagtatampok sa Krus na Banal; Juan 3:13-17

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Mabuting Balita: Juan 3:13-17

(Sinabi ni Jesus kay Nicodemo) 13 Wala pang sinumang umakyat sa langit kundi ang bumaba mula sa langit, ang Anak ng Tao. 14 At kung paanong itinaas ni Moises ang tansong ahas doon sa ilang, gayundin naman, kailangang itaas ang Anak ng Tao, 15 upang ang sinumang sumampalataya sa kanya ay magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan. 16   Sapagkat gayon na lamang ang pag-ibig ng Diyos sa sangkatauhan, kaya't ibinigay niya ang kanyang kaisa-isang Anak, upang ang sinumang sumampalataya sa kanya ay hindi mapahamak, kundi magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan. 17 sinugo ng Diyos ang kanyang Anak, hindi upang hatulang maparusahan ang mga tao, kundi upang iligtas ang mga ito sa pamamagitan niya.

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Repleksyon:

Bakit ba tayo may mga paghihirap dito sa mundo? Tayo ay may mga paghihirap dahil ayaw nating yakapin ang pag-ibig ng Diyos. Ang ating mga paghihirap ay hindi mga paghihirap na ginawa ng Diyos para sa atin. Sa dahilan na tayo mismo kadalasan ang gumagawa nito at pag tayo ay nag hihirapan na ay karamihan sa atin ay ang sinisisi ay ang Diyos.

Isipin nalang po natin ang napakaraming giyera na ginagawa ng mga lider nga mga makapangyarihan mga bansa. Isipin nalang natin ang ating mga personal at mga problema sa pamilya na walang ibang may gawa kundi tayo rin naman. Pero sa gitna ng ating mga ginagawang mga problema o sa gitna ng ating mga paghihirap ay may pag hilom at pag-asa at ito ay gustong ibigay sa atin ni Jesus na naka pako sa krus.  

Marahil ay karamihan po sa atin ay ayaw tingnan si Jesus na nasa krus dahil ito ay nag papaalala sa atin ng pagpapakasakit ng ating panginoong Jesu Kristo. Nagpapaalala ito sa atin na ang paghihirap ay may kaakibat na mga sakripisyo at mga problema. Pero paano po natin ma didiskubre na may pag-asa, may pagpapagaling at kaligtasan sa krus ni Jesus kung hindi tayo titingin dito kung hindi natin yayakapin ito at kung hindi natin hahawakan ito?  

Sa ating unang pagbasa ang mga taong na iniligtas ni Moises sa pagka alipin ng Paraon ay gumawa ng kanilang sariling problema. Nang sila ay mag reklamo kay Moses tungkol sa kanilang paghihirap sa ilang. At ng dahil sa kanilang pag rereklamo sila ay pinarusahan ng Diyos. Pero sila rin naman ay ililigtas ng mahabaging Diyos na ito kung sila ay titingin sa ahas na tanso na nasa dulo ng tikin. Alam po natin na ang tansong ahas na nasa dulo ng tikin na gumamot sa kanila ay kulmakatawan kay Jesus na nakapako sa krus sa ating mabuting balita.

Marami po tayong mga problema at paghihirap dito sa mundong ito at karamihan po nito ay tayo rin ang may gawa na sa kasamaang palad ay isinisisi natin sa Diyos. Pero ganon na lamang tayo kamahal ng Diyos na ibinigay niya sa atin ang kanyang bugtong na anak na mamatay sa krus para sa ating kaligtasan.

Mayroon kabang krus na nakapako si Jesus sa bahay mo o sa kuwarto mo? Tingnan mo ito, hawakan mo ito at boung pananampalatayang hilingin mo kay Jesus. Na gamutin niya ang lahat ng iyong mga pinagdadaanang pasakit, problema at pagdurusa. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Saturday September 13, Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church; Luke 6:43-49

Gospel: Luke 6:43-49

(Jesus said to his disciples) “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

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Reflection:

Who is the foundation of your life? If Jesus is the foundation of your life you’re in the hands of the most powerful rock of this world. Nothing can defeat you and nothing can destroy you because your life is strongly founded in Jesus.

Should you rest already and feel secure because you trusted your life in Jesus? No, because you have a mission and your mission is to share the gentleness of Jesus to your fellowmen. Remember that you are the good tree that Jesus mentions in the gospel and out of your goodness you must share your fruit which is no other than Jesus.

Let us not keep our love for Jesus to ourselves let us share this burning love with others so that they too will feel the love of Jesus. They too will feel the healing and forgiveness of Jesus because Jesus is very much needed today more than any other time in our history.

Just imagine those who live their lives without the guidance of Jesus there are hundreds even millions of them. If you share Jesus even to only one of them you have already fulfilled your mission as His fruitful follower. And who knows by your courage of sharing Jesus you may change lives because you cared to share Jesus.  

Will you care to share Jesus? - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Friday September 12, Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time; Luke 6:39-42

Gospel: Luke 6:39-42

Jesus told his disciples a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”

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Reflection:

In courtroom litigation before a judge gives his verdict or judgment he sees to it that every witness from the different sides is heard. This assures that whatever decision that the judge would give, is appropriate and based on the facts of the case.

We often times act as judge in our own sphere of environment. For example a father or a mother acts as a judge when he/she gives orders to their children not to do this and that.  They also act as judge when they admonish and give disciplinary actions to their children.

But in giving judgment or orders, do we see to it that we are worthy to give judgment?   If we are worthy of the judgment that we give then that is very good for our orders  will be followed. But what if we are not good role models? Here the problem lies, if we are not worthy to give judgment.

 

The gospel tells us that before we give judgment to anyone we must see to it first that we have the moral authority and ascendancy to give that judgment. And how would we do this? We always have to have a self-reflection about ourselves, such as, am I a good role model? Do I follow what I tell others to do? Well and good if we are good role models and if we lead by example.

But what if we are not?  Then the judgment or orders that we give will simply not be heard and it might even boomerang back to us. - Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Thursday September 11, Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time; Luke 6:27-38

Gospel: Luke 6:27-38

(Jesus said to his disciples 27 “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.29 To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit [is] that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. 35 But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful. 37 “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.

38 Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

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Reflection:

All of us will agree that we can easily love those who give us love in return. But are we willing to love those who’ve hurt us or those who continue on hurting us? Mother Teresa once said: “If you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” A wife or a husband who truly love will continue to love his/her spouse notwithstanding the betrayal/s.

Many marriages fail because we put limits on how we give love. For example if a wife discovers that her husband is playing around with fire. The reaction of the wife is perhaps to take revenge and play with fire also and not to anymore love her philandering husband. But what will happen if we are like this? There would be many broken marriages, there would be many suffering children simply because we put limits on how we give our love.

Jesus in our gospel is advising us to change this mindset of reactive love. To bring our understanding of love to a much higher level; perhaps (If we can) to the level of God’s love for us.  But are we capable of raising to a higher level our understanding of love and on how we give love?

If we truly love Jesus we would be able to forgive and once again love a spouse who betrayed us. We would be able to love our siblings/relatives who’ve hurt us and who don’t want to listen to our well meaning advice/s. We would be able to love a friend who betrayed our trust.

Jesus tells us in the gospel:  For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same (Luke 6:32-33).

How do you love? - Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Wednesday September 10, Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time; Luke 6:20-26

Gospel: Luke 6:20-26

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.

But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

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Reflection:

Are we willing to be poor to be hungry, to weep and to be insulted for our steadfast faith in Jesus? This question will drive us to think hard because it’s not easy to be poor to be insulted, to weep and be hungry for the sake of our steadfast discipleship with Jesus.

But if this is the means for us to gain intimacy with Jesus we have no other way but to embrace these hard choices. But how many of us are willing to embrace this kind of life for Jesus? Come to think of it, are these choices really hard? Is it really hard to be poor, hungry, to weep and to be insulted?

It is hard if Jesus is not with us but if Jesus is with us and if He walks with us. To be poor, hungry, to weep and be persecuted for Christ now becomes a blessing for us. For the simple reason that this assures us of a life with Jesus in heaven after our life in this world is over and done with already.

What will it benefit us if we are rich, powerful and if everyone is praising us to high heavens if Jesus is not in our lives or if Jesus is just a particle in our lives? The best choice is to have a life with Jesus even if it would entail sacrifices and hardship.  

What is your choice? - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Tuesday September 9, Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time; Luke 6:12-19

Gospel: Luke 6:12-19

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people  from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

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Reflection:

Is prayer part of your life that it seems that your day is not complete without prayer? Before making the very important decision of choosing His apostles Jesus went first to a mountain to pray. There, He spent the night in prayer to God.   

Prayer is our hotline to God this is our means to connect with Him. Through our prayer we invite God to come into our lives. With our regular habit of prayer the God that is distant now becomes the God that is with us and the God that walks with us.

What does prayer brings us? Through our prayer we connect with God, thru prayer God calms us, God comforts us, God guides us and He gives us wisdom to make the right decisions in life, to name a few.

Who amongst us wouldn’t want God to be with us and walk with us? Of course we all want the presence of God in our lives this is the reason why we must always have time for God through our prayer. Our prayer life must not take a backseat over our worldly undertakings; it must be prayer first before our many worldly activities.

 What would our worldly riches mean to us if we don’t pray?  What is the use of wealth and power if God is just a superficial entity in our lives or if we are without God? Someday we will die and everything that we have accumulated in this world will not anymore matter to us. What will only matter during that time is our relationship with God built through our active and fervent prayer life.   

Do you always give first priority to your prayer life? - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Sunday September 7, Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time; Matthew 18:15-20

Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20

(Jesus said to his disciples) “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. 

Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

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Reflection:

What would happen if Jesus is at the center of marriage? There’s love, humility and forgiveness inside the hearts of husbands and wives. There would be peace and harmony in the family. Their children will grow up to become Christ centered and not centered upon the material things of this world.

But reality check first, is Jesus at the center of all marriages? No, often times what is at the center of marriage are ego, sinfulness and greed for money, to name a few. This is the reason why there are betrayals in marriage and if left unresolved may eventually result to broken marriages.   

Jesus in our gospel is teaching us not only how to administer fraternal correction. He is also teaching us how to administer spousal correction. If a husband/wife sins against his/her spouse; they should talk about it among themselves first.

No shouting, no air of dominance whatsoever rather bring into that meeting the love, forgiveness and humility of Jesus. The moment this is done the spouse who committed the transgression would have the humility to ask for forgiveness and to walk away from the environment that made her/him sin.

Nothing is impossible when we commit to follow the teachings of the Lord and when we decide to walk away from anything that make us sin. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Thursday September 4, Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time; Luke 5:1-11

Gospel: Luke 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.

They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

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Reflection:

From ordinary fishermen to extra-ordinary fishers of men, this we can best describe the lives of Simon Peter, James and John. Who transformed them to become fisher’s of men? Jesus! Why were they transformed by Jesus? Because they obeyed, they simply followed the command of Jesus.

When we obey Jesus, extra-ordinary things also happen to us; but how could we hear the voice of Jesus? How would we know that Jesus is talking to us when we don’t see and feel His physical presence? Jesus speaks to us through the readings at Holy Mass, Jesus speaks to us through a priest who properly prepared for his homily. Jesus speaks to us also when we read His words in the bible and through the words and commentaries of well meaning people.

Through these we hear Jesus calling us to conversion and to truthfully follow Him. Nothing is impossible for as long as we follow and for as long as we put our faith and trust in Jesus.

Simon Peter, James, John and the other fishermen who were with them during that early morning obeyed the impossible command of Jesus. To once again put their nets (A short distance from them) into the sea because they would be catching the greatest number of fish. and true enough they caught the biggest number of fish that their nets were tearing already. - Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Tuesday September 2, Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time; Luke 4:31-37

Gospel: Luke 4:31-37

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

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Reflection:

During 1982, I was in high school then; late afternoon after school while walking to our house. I saw a group of people and I also heard a very loud but unrecognizable voice. Out of curiosity I walked going to them to simply see what they were looking at and to find out where that big voice was coming from.

There I saw a man with devilish eyes being held-on by a number of men, when the man was asked who was he answered with a frightening voice that he was the devil. Afterwards somebody came (I don’t know if it was priest of a pastor) who said prayers and sprinkled holy water on him while invoking the name of Jesus. While this was being administered to him the man was violently resisting and shouting until he calmed down and he passed-out soon after.

In our gospel we read about Jesus exorcising a demon from a possessed man. After Jesus exorcised the possessed man the crowd said, What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out (Luke 4:36).”

The crowd did not know Jesus that’s why they marvelled about the power and authority of His word. Unlike the crowd in the gospel who did not know, we know Jesus; we know where His power and authority is coming from. Let us therefore take advantage of our knowledge of Jesus. Let us dive deeper into it by regularly reflecting upon His powerful words in the bible and by our regular presence at Holy Mass.

By doing these acts of faith we permanently immunize ourselves from the possession of the devil. Which is still very active and pervading (in many disguises) up to this very moment.  

The devil is very real! When you sense that he (devil) is near you (Through the many kinds of temptations and so forth) never fail to invoke the mighty and powerful name of Jesus! - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Monday September 1, Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time; Luke 4:16-30

Gospel: Luke 4:16-30

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?” He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’” And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land.

It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

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Reflection:

Homecoming is always an event that we look forward to because of the warmth of the reception that we receive from our relatives and friends. Take for example if you’ve not been to your childhood place for a number of years. Just imagine the warm welcome that you’ll receive from your relatives and childhood friends. But not all homecoming are filled with warmth and welcoming people there are sad homecomings also.

Jesus was initially admired and was warmly received by His town mates for He spoke with brilliance. But when He spoke of something that His town mates did not like to hear the admiration turned to derision and the warm reception became cold as ice.  This led His town mates to drive Him away with dangerous intentions going to a hill. What a sad ending of His coming home, Jesus certainly did not expect this kind of sad homecoming.

But this is the reality of life, people will like us for as long as they like what we say even if what we say is already false for as long as its music to their ears. But when we talk about the truth they will not like us anymore. They will also drive us away as if we are carrying a contagious disease.  And the worst part is they may attempt to harm us.  

Nevertheless we must not be cowed from speaking the truth even if it will hurt those who will hear it. This is for the reason that by speaking the truth we correct what is wrong. And by speaking the truth we create awareness that good will always triumph over evil. - Marino J. Dasmarinas