Reflection for Wednesday May 17, Fifth Week of Easter: John 15:1-8

Gospel: John 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."

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Reflection:

There’s a story of a pious man; he was active in their church, he was a responsible father and husband. His friends and relatives look-up to him for he lived his life worthy in the eyes of God and men. However, there was one instance wherein he met a woman and that meeting created an attraction between them.

He threw away his Godly values and he coveted the woman. In the process of his covetous desires his family and personal life started to suffer. Before he knew it he was already living a miserable life.

This story sometimes happen to some of us, we sometimes choose to lead our lives our own selfish way not God’s way. Often times many of us are very stubborn to follow our worldly caprices and wants even if we know that what we want is wrong. We follow our selfish desires and not the desire of God.

In the gospel Jesus tells us that He is our vine and God is our vine grower. He urges us to remain in Him no matter what happens in our lives. For through Him emanates all graces; sometimes there are instances wherein we also encounter trials/temptations. We must therefore not let these trials/temptations be an instrument of our separation from Jesus.

What are these temptations that often steers us away from God? It’s the temptation of the flesh, the temptation to engage in corrupt acts to add more numbers to our bank accounts. And there’s a lot more temptation out there waiting to capture us.

We must not cut ourselves from the true Vine and the Vine grower for it is only through them that we would experience happiness that will outlast our lifetime.

Eventually we will die, perhaps one of the questions that God would ask us before we are allowed entry into heaven is this: Did you remain with me in your lifetime? Did you not allow the temptations of the world cut you off from me; your True Vine?

How would we answer God then? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Tuesday May 16, Fifth Week of Easter: John 14:27-31a

Gospel: John 14:27-31a

Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”

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Reflection:

What is the peace that Jesus speaks about in the gospel and can we also have this peace within us?

The peaceful feeling that Jesus is talking about in the gospel is already with many of us, we feel it in the deepest recesses of our being. This is the reason why we are very much ready for whatever that may happen to us. We are not even afraid anymore to die because we acknowledge this gift of peace by Jesus.

But while we are still alive and kicking in this world Jesus is entrusting us with a mission. And this mission is to help Him extend this gift of peace to those who do not have it yet.  Many are still not aware of this gift of peace by Jesus thus we must not sit idly. We must do something so that our fellowmen will know this wonderful gift by Jesus.

Where would we start? Start within our domestic church that is our very own family circle. Let us strengthen their spirits and give them hope by sharing Jesus with them. We may not know it but there may be members of our family who are losing hope already because of their life struggles.

It will not cost us anything except a little of our time if we would share Jesus with them. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for Monday May 15, Fifth Week of Easter: John 14:21-26

Gospel: John 14:21-26

Jesus said to his disciples: "Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him." Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, "Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.

"I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name— he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you."

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Reflection:

There’s a story about a couple who always go to Sunday Mass to fulfill their Sunday obligation. While in church they look pious and devoted to the faith. However when they go home their other side which is their real personality is suddenly revealed. They shout at their maid, they yell at their kids and they act like dictators in their house.

Do they really love God? I don’t think so, their love for God is superficial and is limited inside the four walls of their church.

In the gospel Jesus says: “Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Certainly Jesus and God the Father the first two persons of the trinity have not revealed themselves to this couple.

Jesus further states: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”

Sometimes it’s very hard for many of us to understand the mystery of the oneness of God and Jesus simply because we are not true to our faith. What we hear and learn in the church during the Priest sermon/homily just comes in and out in our ears. Many of us don’t live and give substance to our faith. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for May 14, Fifth Sunday of Easter; John 14:1-12

Gospel: John 14:1-12

Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father."

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Reflection:

A man would always be troubled whenever he would see on TV news about massive wars and killings. He would always ask himself, is the end of the world coming? Like this man we all have our own secret worries and fears, for example we worry about how we could sustain the future for our children. Worry about money, about our family relationships and it seems that we are never running out of worries in this world.

But have we thought of God in the midst of our worries? Have we thought of just telling Jesus take care of our secret worries and fears whatever it may be?

We are very much bothered by our troubles in this world because we never trust Jesus that much and our faith in Jesus is wanting. What we do instead is to trust on ourselves and have faith on ourselves. This is the reason why we are bothered by our worldly troubles.

Why don’t we try to let go and let God? We let go of our worries and let God take control of everything! For example if you’re being bothered by a sickness, family problem or a personal problem. Start to slowly let go of those worries and pains, then raise everything up to God, learn to trust and have faith in the powerful name of Jesus. 

In our gospel for this Sunday Jesus gives us an antidote for our worries and fears HE tells us: Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me (John 14:1).

Thomas said: “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Sometimes we seek to discover things that we think will make us happy only to realize that it won’t and we keep on looking for it until we feel empty and broken. To avoid this from happening we must rediscover Jesus in our lives. For he is our way, our truth and our life.

 Without Jesus there’s only emptiness and brokenness. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for Saturday May 13, Fourth Week of Easter: John 14:7-14

Gospel: John 14:7-14

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

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Reflection:

How well do we know God the Father? How well do we know Jesus? No one of us can say that by our own effort we know God the Father and Jesus very well. Because the gift of deeply knowing God the Father and Jesus is something that we cannot achieve by our own effort for it’s a gift by the Holy Spirit.

In this gospel episode Jesus tells the disciples and us too about His oneness with God the Father. Yet Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father and that would be enough for them (John 14:8). What was going on in Philip’s mind? Perhaps Philip was simply following Jesus for the sake of His miracles and mission. There was no deeper conversion within Philip that’s why He wasn’t able to decipher the oneness of Jesus and the Father. 

When we decide to follow Jesus, let us not only follow Him because of His miracles and the desire to share in His mission. Let us decide to follow Jesus also because of our love for Him thus we yearn for our own spiritual growth with Him. We yearn for a deeper faith and a deeper conversion within ourselves. 

If we only follow Jesus for His miracles and mission sooner or later this desire for discipleship will decrease. Until we decide to lie low and eventually detach ourselves from following Jesus. Let us therefore pray and be open for the gift of deeper faith and deeper conversion within ourselves. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Friday May 12, Fourth Week of Easter: John 14:1-6

Gospel: John 14:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

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Reflection:

Where are we going after our life in this world is over? We don’t know only God knows. But Jesus in our gospel is giving us a hint as to where would we be eventually. Jesus tells us: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The secret therefore to know where we would eventually end-up is to follow Jesus. Why follow Jesus? Because He is the truth and the life and we cannot reach the Father in heaven except through Him.

We will often hear in stories of conversion testimonies about troubled lives, lives lived without peace and contentment. Until they’ve known Jesus after which their lives were never the same again. From troublesome or worrisome lives it became peaceful and serene courtesy of Jesus.

Jesus is the only way and He is the only one that can give us peace that transcends this world. Jesus will give us a glimpse of this peaceful feeling once we immediately choose to rest our lives in Him.

We all know that life in this world is uncertain it may end very abruptly anytime. Let us therefore invest more on Jesus rather than on this world. Let us help the poor, let us become the living symbol of Jesus for them.

This is not easy to do because it would entail much self-sacrifice on our part but it’s actually nothing. Compared to His promise that we will eventually have our reserved dwelling place in heaven someday. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Thursday May 11, Fourth Week of Easter: John 13:16-20

Gospel: John 13:16-20

When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

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Reflection:

What is the weakness of many followers of Jesus? It’s to act and behave as if they are bigger than Jesus. This is the failing of many who are followers of Jesus. But a true follower doesn’t aspire to become somebody, doesn’t aspire to raise himself in the pedestal of prominence.

He/she is simply content to become a nobody in the vast ocean of humanity who follow Jesus. He/she works tirelessly and silently with the end in mind that they have to advance the  teachings and goodness of Jesus in this world.

In the gospel, Jesus washed His disciple’s feet. Was this a simple ritual done by Jesus? Or there was a silent message for His disciples and for us as well. What lies beneath the act of washing His disciple’s feet is the message of humility. For they would not be productive in their mission without humility. And they would not be able to attract others to the faith without humility.

If we say that we are followers of Jesus it is also expected that we would be humble at all times. Never arrogant, never overbearing but always humble even if others are not. For the virtue of humility is what separates true followers from fake and fair weather followers of Jesus. - Marino J. Dasmarinas