Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Reflection for April 9, Thursday within the Octave of Easter; Luke 24:35-48

Gospel: Luke 24:35-48
The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way, and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread. While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat? They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”
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Reflection:
What is the requirement for us to grow in our faith life? We have to walk with our faith and not with our sight. 

There are truths in the teachings of the church that we only have to accept and believe by faith. We believe it because we have faith and we believe it because the church that we are in was founded by Jesus Himself through Peter.

In the gospel the disciples were initially unbelieving when Jesus appeared in their midst. Until Jesus conversed with them, ate baked fish in front of them and mentioned words from the scriptures to them. After which they finally believed that He had risen.

We can only guess the reason why they did not immediately believe. Perhaps it was lack of faith, perhaps the disciples were still in a state of shock due to the violent death of Jesus on the cross. Perhaps they interpreted the death of Jesus on the cross as the total defeat of Jesus because they saw no miracles while Jesus was on the cross.  

But they were with Jesus, they walked, ate and conversed with Him for three years. Thus they were supposed to already have faith in Him. Or perhaps their faith was only contingent on the miracles that Jesus did in-front of them for three years. They were used to seeing Jesus the miracle worker.

There are times that we will see no miracles when we hunger for miracles from Jesus. Nevertheless we must continue to hold-on to our faith in Him. No matter how dark the sky for after darkness comes light, after darkness comes the healing light of the morning sun. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Monday, April 6, 2015

Reflection for April 7, Tuesday within the Octave of Easter; John 20:11-18

Gospel: John 20:11-18
Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him. When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for? She thought it was the gardener and said to him,“ Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him. Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni, which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them,‘I am going to my Father and your Father to my God and your God.’Mary went and announced to the disciples,“I have seen the Lord, and then reported what he had told her.
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Reflection:
How does it feel to lose someone you dearly love? It feels like an important part of you has been taken permanently away from you. This was how Mary Magdalene felt when she was near the tomb of Jesus. She was forlorn, who would not be? Anyone who loses somebody he/she loves would feel the same way.

In the midst of her melancholy Jesus appeared to Mary and told her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them,‘I am going to my Father and your Father to my God and your God (John 20:17).

When Jesus told Mary stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Perhaps, Jesus wanted to tell Mary this: Let go of the memory of my violent death for I have resurrected already. Instead announce the good news of my resurrection which Mary did after Jesus appeared to her.

How does this gospel speak to you? Do you feel Jesus speaking to you and telling to move-on with your life. To not be sad anymore for I have already risen and therefore I am with you as you journey in this world.

Humans as we are we yield every once in a while to loneliness and sadness. Yet we must not forget that Jesus has risen, that Jesus is with us and He walks with us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for April 6, Monday within the Octave of Easter; Matthew 28:8-15

Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep. And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.
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Reflection:
Up to where are we willing to be manipulated by the many evils of money? Are we willing to lie for money? Are we willing to sacrifice our souls to the devil so that we can have dirty money? The problem with allowing money to manipulate and control us, is it will destroy us eventually.

Let us look at Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, what happened to him? He was eventually destroyed by his insatiable greed for money. Judas killed himself because he cannot anymore bear the guilt of his betrayal of Jesus.    

There are many more real life stories of men and women who allowed themselves to be controlled by the evils of money. They took pleasure and served the many evils of corrupted money yet eventually they were left with nothing at all.

Here in our gospel there are soldiers who allowed themselves to be blinded by the evil glitters of money. The soldiers could have stood-up to the chief priest and the elders. They could have told them, we will not lie, we will tell the true story of Jesus’ resurrection. But they failed to seize the moment to witness for the resurrected Christ.

How many times have we betrayed our faith and fidelity to Jesus for money?  How many times have we sacrificed our honor and the welfare of our family for money? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Reflection for April 5 Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord; John 20:1-9

Gospel: John 20:1-9
On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.
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Reflection:
What does the empty tomb of Jesus signify to you? Does it signify a resurrection of life? You will answer yes of course for you know that Jesus has resurrected. But how did Mary of Magdala, the other women and the disciples of Jesus feel? Many thoughts were surely playing in their mind in fact Mary of Magdala cried for she was worried about the whereabouts of the body of Jesus.   

Unlike Mary who does not know yet about the body of Jesus. We know that Jesus has resurrected, thus we now close the curtains of His resurrection? Does it end with the resurrection story?

We do not close the story of Jesus’ resurrection we continue to relive it whenever we do the acts of Jesus. Such as His acts of: kindness, humility, self-sacrifice and the like. Through these acts we continuously perpetuate the resurrection of Jesus.

Surely many are still not aware of the resurrection of Jesus or even the name of Jesus. But whenever we do good we impart Jesus and we tell them that Jesus is alive. That Jesus is ready to help them and lift them from their sickness, lowliness and weariness.        

What have we done so far to tell others that Jesus has risen? Have we given food to the poor?  Have we helped the hopeless? Have we done something for the sick? Have we brought others closer to Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Friday, April 3, 2015

1Reflection for April 4, Holy Saturday Easter Vigil; Mark 16:1-7

Gospel: Mark 16:1-7
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large. On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed. He said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.’”
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Reflection:
To see is to believe, what does this phrase mean? This means that we will only believe once we see. Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices for they were supposed to see the body of Jesus to honor it. But they did not find there the lifeless body Jesus. Instead they found an empty  tomb, where is the lifeless body of Jesus?  It’s nowhere to be found for Jesus has already resurrected.

After going through so much suffering for our sake and after dying on the cross for our sake. Jesus has finally risen, let us therefore rejoice and be glad for He has risen! What can we do now to honor the risen Christ? The best honor that we could ever do to the risen Christ is to follow His way of lfe.

The resurrected Jesus doesn’t want any pomp and extravagance to honor His resurrection. He simply wants us to follow His way of life for this is the best honor that we could ever do Him. We honor His resurrection by following His life of humility. We honor Him by following His life of total surrender to the will of God.

Jesus has risen and Jesus is alive let us therefore rejoice and honor Him by following His life changing examples. In so doing we continue to spread the good news of His resurrection. Let us therefore embrace His resurrection by becoming another Jesus to our fellowmen. What does this mean? This means that we try our very best to follow the life of Jesus. And we try our best to share Jesus with the hope that in doing so we bring others closer to Him.

Would you have the courage to do it? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for April 3, Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion; John 18:1-19:42

Gospel John 18:1-19:42 
Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered. Judas his betrayer also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards  from the chief priests and the Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him, went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?” They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.” He said to them, “I AM.” Judas his betrayer was also with them. When he said to them, “I AM,  they turned away and fell to the ground. So he again asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” They said, “Jesus the Nazorean.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I AM. So if you are looking for me, let these men go. This was to fulfill what he had said, “I have not lost any of those you gave me.” Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its scabbard. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?”

So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus, bound him, and brought him to Annas first. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Now the other disciple was known to the high priest, and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus. But Peter stood at the gate outside. So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest,  went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in. Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter, “You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?”He said, “I am not.” Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire that they had made, because it was cold, and were warming themselves. Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his doctrine. Jesus answered him, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I have always taught in a synagogue or in the temple area where all the Jews gather, and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me? Ask those who heard me what I said to them. They know what I said. When he had said this, one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm. And they said to him, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately the cock crowed.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium. It was morning. And they themselves did not enter the praetorium, in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and said, “What charge do you bring against this man?” They answered and said to him, “If he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” At this, Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.” The Jews answered him, “We do not have the right to execute anyone, “ in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled that he said indicating the kind of death he would die. So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?”Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting  to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

When he had said this, he again went out to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover. Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this one but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, and they came to him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck him repeatedly. Once more Pilate went out and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he said to them, “Behold, the man!” When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him.” The Jews answered, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” Now when Pilate heard this statement, he became even more afraid, and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” Jesus did not answer him. So Pilate said to him, “Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out, “If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out and seated him on the judge’s bench in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha. It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your king!” They cried out, “Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself, he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. here they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.” Now many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’.” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier.They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be, “ in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says: They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots. This is what the soldiers did. Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and that they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;  he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe. For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled: Not a bone of it will be broken. And again another passage says: They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body. Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.
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Reflection:
A few years ago I tried not eating during good Friday, I would only take water. I did this for me to feel how it is to be deprived of food and I did this to somehow feel a little bit how Jesus felt hunger during that faithful day. It was not easy doing it (being without food for twenty four hours) yet I made it through. I made it because I focused not on my self-serving human need, I instead centered my will to Jesus.

Why do many of us wear a cross with Jesus on it on the cross for our necklace? Some of us wear this for protection against any harm. But is this the only reason why we have this necklace? We also have this cross to remind us of the supreme sacrifice of Jesus for us; His death on the cross no less!

But many of us are afraid to fully embrace this cross of Jesus, anyone of us who wants suffering in our lives? Nobody of us would want suffering because as much as possible we want a life free of suffering/s. But if we will not pass though suffering how would we have a deep intimacy with Jesus? How would we feel His abiding presence in our lives? If Jesus went through severe sufferings, who are we not to suffer?

When Peter was recognized as one of the men in the company of Jesus, He denied Jesus three times. Why? Because during that moment Peter was afraid to suffer for his Lord and Master. Let us not be afraid to go through suffering for by passing through this we will know more Jesus deeply.

On this Good Friday let us think about our own suffering/s and think of how Jesus suffered for us on the cross. Let us thank Jesus for our suffering/s for it has brought us closer to Him. And at the same time let us ask Jesus to help us carry and eventually overcome our own suffering/s. - Marino J. Dasmarinas   

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Reflection for April 2, Holy Thursday - Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper; John 13:1-15

Gospel: John 13:1-15
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later. Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”

Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well. Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all. For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”
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Reflection:
What is the unwritten requirement for somebody to become a true follower of Jesus? It’s the virtue of humility. For this is one the few virtues that will sustain a person to continue to follow Jesus. Jesus Himself lived this virtue of humility when He followed to the letter the mission that was given to Him by God.

When Jesus washed the His disciples feet He did not do this for Him to be admired by anyone. He washed His disciples’ feet to send a strong message to them that if He who is their Lord and Master did this supreme act of humility.

They too must do the same to one another, for what reason? So that the faith the He founded through Peter would survive. Jesus knew that without humility there’s was no chance for the faith to grow and blossom as it is today.

However to live the virtue of humility is not easy to do, take for example the act of washing His disciples’ feet. Could we do this also to each and every member of our family? Could we do this also to each and every member of our church’s community?

It’s not easy to live the virtue of Humility yet if we truly desire to follow Jesus we would be able to imbibe and live humility. For it is in our humility that we will grow more in knowledge and intimacy with Jesus. It’s through our humility that we could convince others to follow Jesus.  

Do you desire to have a personal relationship with Jesus? Do you desire to convince others to follow Jesus? Live and breathe Humility for this is the only way.  - Marino J. Dasmarinas