Reflection for Tuesday September 27, Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest; Luke 9:51-56

Gospel: Luke 9:51-56

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them,

and they journeyed to another village.

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Reflection:
Would you open the door of your house for Jesus? 

The Samaritans did not welcome Jesus because they did not know Him well. If only they knew Him they would have welcomed Him even if He was going to Jerusalem. But they did not know Him that’s why they refused to be hospitable to Him.

There are some problematic individuals who decide to end their life by way of committing suicide. Why? Because they do not know Jesus, if only they know Jesus they would have not ended their lives.

We miss so many blessings when we do not fully know Jesus. For example, the blessing of hope, the blessing of love, the blessing of understanding and a lot more. These are but a few of the many blessings that we miss once we do not know Jesus that well.

But how would we know Jesus? We must read our bible most especially the first four books of the New Testament. We must often be present in the celebration of the Eucharist or Holy Mass  most especially during Sundays. If we do it, slowly but surely our eyes will be opened to the friendship of Jesus.

But how about those who do not Jesus? How would they know Jesus? We have to share Jesus and we have to live His teachings so that through us they will know Jesus. To know Jesus is still not enough we have to share Him and we have to live what we know about Him.    

Do you want to live a more meaningful life? If your answer is yes, you therefore have to share and live Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for Monday September 26, Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time; Luke 9:46-50

Gospel: Luke 9:46-50

An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”

Then John said in reply, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.” Jesus said to him, “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”

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Reflection:

Who is the greatest? It’s the humble one, the one who is always willing to serve us, always willing to be with us. We may not know it but Jesus has been serving us since time immemorial. He is in the person of the priest during the Sacrament of Reconciliation forgiving us of our sins.

He is always present in the Eucharistic or Holy Mass celebration humbly giving His Body and Blood to nourish our body and our soul. He is the greatest treasure that we can ever have! But His greatness is a paradox to some of us because we measure greatness by our earthly standards.

Such as greatness thru power and influence this is mostly fueled by political power, position in government and in the private sector and the size of our bank account. But this greatness is passing and temporary; the time will come that this shall pass us and we shall be forgotten.

Jesus is the personification of true greatness: His humility, His self-sacrifice and His refusal to wield power for His own self interest. This greatness of Jesus is usually unheard in this world nevertheless we should emulate the greatness of Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas    

Reflection for Sunday September 25, Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Luke 16:19-31

Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. ’Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’

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Reflection:

A man who did not believe in God and in the afterlife wantonly wasted his life by living a life of sinful pleasures.   It was always a life of immoral satisfaction for him: drugs, sex, and other sinful things, in other words he had no time for God. This became his life because he did not believe in the existence of the afterlife much less God.

Is there really an afterlife or a life which will immediately replace our present life after our life in this world is over and done with already? The answer is a resounding yes! The gospel shows us that there is an afterlife which is very different from the life that we have today. There in the afterlife exist two kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of hell where the devil and his minions dwell.

In the gospel, we see the characters of the unnamed rich and indifferent man and the poor man named Lazarus. The rich man perhaps did not believe in the afterlife or was not aware that there is an afterlife that’s why he did not mind the poor man Lazarus who was in dire need of his help. He nonchalantly ignored Lazarus as if the poor man did not exist.

When both of them died there was a reversal of places: The poor man Lazarus who endured a difficult life when he was still alive was in the kingdom of God and the rich man who savored earthly life was in the dark kingdom of the devil.

Why was there a reversal of places? Because the rich man was indifferent to the crying need of the poor man Lazarus. If he only knew that Lazarus was very close to God. If he only knew that Lazarus could have been God in disguise. The lesson for us is very simple, we should not ignore the crying need of the poor and we should always be sensitive to their plight.      

What do you do when you encounter the poor? – Marino J. Dasmarinas     

Reflection for Saturday September 24, Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time; Luke 9:43b-45

Gospel: Luke 9:43b-45

While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

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Reflection:

When Jesus told His disciples that he was to be handed over to men they were not able to comprehend it. Why? Because at that time Jesus was doing miracles left and right. And perhaps they were asking themselves, how could this be possible that this miracle man will be handed over to authorities and afterwards suffer?

The disciples were oblivious because they did not fully know His mission. Otherwise, if they kn0w, they would have understood this pronouncements of Jesus.  The moment we decide to follow Jesus we must prepare ourselves for the sufferings that we have to go through.

Because we cannot separate Jesus with sufferings, to follow Jesus is to suffer also. However, there are people who will say, simply follow Jesus and you will have a problem free life. This is farthest from the truth because everyone of us who truly follow Jesus will have our own share of sufferings and tribulations.

But let us not bedevil ourselves with the thought of these sufferings because Jesus will not give us trials that we can’t handle. We simply have to have faith in Jesus and that is more than enough to conquer our sufferings.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Friday September 23, Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest; Luke 9:18-22

Gospel: Luke 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

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Reflection:

Do you live the teachings of Jesus?

When Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” they were unsure, some said that He was John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen. Then He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”

If Jesus will ask us, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” I don’t know if we will be able to answer at all. Because unlike the disciples who walked and lived with Jesus and who shared and preached the word of God. We may not have preached and shared Him it yet.

What if He will also say to us, “But who do you say that I am?” Would we be able to reply like Peter who said with conviction, “The Christ of God.”

These are two simple questions from Jesus that invites us to examine if we have a personal relationship with Him. If we don’t have it yet let us implore the guidance of the Holy Spirit who is ever ready to bring us closer to Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas