Reflection for June 23, Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time; Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Gospel: Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.”

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Reflection:

What is the difference between a narrow gate and a wide gate? It’s hard to enter the narrow gate, you may have to twist your body so that you could pass through it. How about the wide gate? You simply can walk through it no twisting and no discomfort whatsoever.

You may ask, what is the relationship of the narrow gate with Jesus? The narrow gate is the gateway to knowing Jesus. The narrow gate is the gateway toward having a personal encounter with Jesus. In what way would this narrow gate lead you to Jesus? This narrow gate will entail for you to make some sacrifices. It will entail you to do things that you are not normally used of doing.

For example, in fulfilling your Sunday Holy Mass obligation, in praying the Holy Rosary or in reading the Holy Bible. You may not be comfortable  of doing this because this requires effort and time. Yet if you dare do this it will lead you to Jesus and it will lead you to know more about the many truths concerning the church.

If you want to find the true meaning and purpose of your life and if you want to know Jesus more deeply. You have to pass thru this narrow gate for this is the way that will lead you to a life of purpose with Jesus. Forget the wide gate which consist of the many worldly enjoyment, it will lead you nowhere it will even lead you to destruction.

Will you dare enter this narrow gate? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for June 22, Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time; Matthew 7:1-5

Gospel: Matthew 7:1-5

Jesus said to his disciples: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye, while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.

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Reflection:

What do you get by judging others? Nothing except the accumulation of hatred in your heart which if not corrected could even cause you sickness even death. What if you will not judge or you are not quick to judge? There would be no hatred within you! As such you will feel free, you will look younger and sickness will not be your best friend.

We may not know this but we are quick to judge others for the simple reason that we have a very high regard of ourselves. And this is brought about by our feeling of superiority towards others. But why do we feel superior towards others? When we are all created by God as equals.  Where does this superiority feeling emanates?

We have this feeling of superiority because God is not truly present within us. And God is not a permanent dweller in our hearts. There’s a story of a woman who was a regular fixture in church organization. But she was not well liked because she was so judgmental and self-righteous. Are we not often times also judgmental and self-righteous?

In our gospel for this Monday we hear Jesus telling us to stop judging. Why? This is for the reason that when we judge we already distance ourselves from that person. We already create a wall that may permanently divide us from that person. If this is so, how could we covert them? How could we let them feel the love of Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Sunday June 21, Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Mark 4:35-41

Gospel: Mark 4:35-41

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?

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Reflection:   

There is a story of a man who was so afraid of darkness. He feared darkness because he imagines evil things coming out from it. For the same reason, when sleeping time comes in the evening he tells his wife not to turn-off the light. 

For many of us evening or darkness depicts uncertainty, it registers fears in our hearts. Notice when there’s a brownout in your community. Everyone would look for their flashlights, candles or anything that could defeat darkness.    

It was evening when Jesus and His disciples were crossing to the other side of the lake. They were in a boat and darkness pervades their environment, when out of the blue they suddenly encountered a violent storm. All of them were running scared (who wouldn’t be?) the fear of the violent storm coupled with darkness made them momentarily forgot that Jesus was with them.

And then they remembered that Jesus (the light of their lives and our lives too!) was with them. He was soundly asleep, notwithstanding the violent storm, in the stern on a cushion. So they woke Him up and they asked Jesus for help. And right in front of them Jesus rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm (Mark 4:39). 

All of us pass thru certain stretches of darkness and storms in our lives and we naturally fear it. Many of us would want to avoid these stretches of darkness and storms. Yet we cannot avoid it for these are part and parcel of our lives.

So what are we going to do when we pass thru these episodes of storms and darkness? We always have to remember that Jesus the light of our lives is always with us. We always have to remember that no storms or darkness can break us down. For we have Jesus walking with us and lighting our paths.

Are you passing through a storm or darkness right now? – Marino J. Dasmarinas      

Reflection for June 20, Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time; Matthew 6:24-34

Gospel: Matthew  6:24-34

Jesus said to his disciples: “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin.

But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat? or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

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Reflection:

What does Jesus mean when He said that we need not worry for God will provide? Is He telling us to simply lie down and we don’t do anything? Of course not! Yes Jesus is telling us in the gospel that we should learn to trust in God. But Jesus did not tell us to be lazy and just open our mouths because food will simply fall down from heaven.

What we need to do is we have to have faith and trust in Jesus. Yet we also have to move and do something and in the process expect the good Lord to bless our efforts. So its trusting Jesus and we reinforce our trust by our action and then we leave it up all to the graciousness of the good Lord.

What makes a meaningful life in this world? It’s a life focused first on God not a life focused first on this world. When we fix first our attention on God we are properly guided as we go on and live our lives in this world. We are not easily tempted to do wrong for the very reason that God is our priority.

If God is at the front seat we have nothing to worry for we will be able to handle whatever trials that may come our way. We will certainly survive it splendidly for the very reason that Jesus occupies the front seat of our lives.

Whom do you seek first in your life right now? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for June 19, Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time; Matthew 6:19-23

Gospel: Matthew 6:19-23

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

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Reflection:

There’s a story of a young bright man who declined every opportunity to get wealthy in favour of serving God. After twenty years his batch had an alumni homecoming. Many of his batch mates were already executives of private and government corporations.

And him? He was still  serving God. Compared to them who were complaining of many sickness brought about by the pressure of this world. His batch mates noticed his refreshing and healthy physical appearance.

When you focus on God rather than this world and when you store up treasures for heaven rather than this world. You will not only have good physical appearance you will also have a healthy spiritual life. You will also have a close relationship with Jesus.

Spiritual health is the greatest wealth yet many of us are blinded by material riches that we consider it our greatest wealth. What good would it do us if we have accumulated all the wealth in this world if our spirits are in poor health? What good will it do us if we gain all the wealth in this world if we cannot go to heaven after our journey is over?

Whatever we have in this world we will leave behind sooner or later or it may leave us behind. Yet, whatever we have invested for God in this world will be our passport to heaven to be with Jesus.        

What are you investing on right now? Are you still investing on the things of this world? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for June 18, Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time; Matthew 6:7-15

Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

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Reflection:

What is the prayer that reaches the heart of God? It’s prayer that comes from the heart.  It a prayer made in the silence of your heart. It could be a long or short prayer that comes straight from your heart.

Jesus gives us the perfect prayer called the Our Father. This is called the perfect prayer because Jesus gave it to us. Jesus Himself taught us to pray it.  Do we pray this with our hearts or we simply pray it with our minds wandering elsewhere?

Recall when you’re at Holy Mass, how do you pray the Our Father or the Lord’s Prayer? Do you Pray it with closed eyes or with open eyes? The best way to pray this perfect prayer is with closed eyes.  Because when you close your eyes you shut yourself from any form of distraction.    

Deep in your heart you seek to connect with God, you hunger and thirst for this God. Most especially when you pass through moments of loneliness and disillusionment.  Why? Because God alone gives meaning to your life.  

Close your eyes now and seek to connect with Jesus by silently praying the Our Father. - Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for June 17, Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

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Reflection:

What motivates you to do good? For example in giving to the poor, what motivates you to help them? In giving to the poor Jesus has a major requirement that you should follow. Do it in secret without anyone knowing about it.

Why in secret? Because secrecy is the language of Jesus secrecy is also a close relative of humility which Jesus embodies to the hilt. This teaching of Jesus on alms giving is totally opposed to the teachings of this world which unfortunately many of us follow.

This world teaches us to publicise and to broadcast whatever good that we do. It teaches us to post to the internet our acts of kindness. So that those who know us may see it and consequently they will have a good impression about us.   

Why publicise? Perhaps this is brought about by our natural need for recognition. And there’s no wrong about it for we simply want to be recognised.  But Jesus is challenging us not to go  after recognition.

Jesus is challenging us to silently fade away after we have done good to anyone. Could we measure-up to this challenge of Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas