Reflection for June 11, Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity; John 3:16-18

Gospel: John 3:16-18

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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

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Reflection:
There is a legend that while Saint Augustine was walking along the beach. Trying to understand how could there be three Persons in one God, he met a small child who was using a seashell to scoop water from the sea. 

The child would run back to the beach and pour the water into a small hole he dug in the sand. Augustine watched then asked the child what he was doing the child replied, I’m putting the sea into this hole.

 Augustine subsequently said: That is impossible for the simple reason that the hole will not contain the vast ocean. The child said to Augustine: “What you’re trying to understand is also impossible, you will not be able to uncover the mystery of the Holy Trinity.  

 Today is the Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity the three persons in one God. God the Father (the creator) God the Son (Jesus our Savior) and God the Holy Spirit (our Sanctifier). They are three distinct personalities and yet they are one. This is the mystery of the Holy Trinity; they are three yet one.

It’s hard to understand why the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. But if we would be faithful to the teaching of our faith we would discover that we will not anymore be curious why they are three yet one. God himself thru Jesus and the Holy Spirit will give us the wisdom to simply believe this mystery.

The secret therefore to unraveling the mystery of the Blessed Trinity is to humbly believe and have faith. There are those who believe but at the same time they also try to discover this mystery.

They think that they could understand it through their intellect only to find out they cannot. When we walk with God and seek to discover more about him we should walk with our faith and not with our sight.

This is also the secret to understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity: To simply trust on our faith and not on our sight. To simply hold on to God's infinite wisdom and not on our finite understanding. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for Saturday June 10, Ninth Week in Ordinary Time: Mark 12:38-44

Gospel: Mark 12:38-44

In the course of his teaching Jesus said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation." He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."

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Reflection:

The story is told about a poor woman who saw Jesus. Having nothing she went to Jesus to beg for alms. But to her surprise Jesus asked him this question: What can you give me instead? The poor woman said to Jesus: “I’m poor I have nothing to give you.” But the poor woman lied because she had some penny in her pocket that he could have given to Jesus.

The poor widow in the gospel is the opposite of the poor woman in our story. For the reason that she gave everything she has she did not lie and she gave from the wellspring of her heart. Assuming that God would respond to both of them: What would God give to the poor woman in our story and to the poor widow in our gospel? 

When we give to God let us give from the wellspring of our hearts no matter how small so long as it is from our hearts. Let us do the same also when we give to our fellowmen especially the poor.

Let us not hold back when we give to the poor because when we give to them we give to Jesus. And whatever we give to the poor comes back to us a hundredfold.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Reflection for Wednesday June 7, Ninth Week in Ordinary Time: Mark 12:18-27

Gospel: Mark 12:18-27

Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and put this question to him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us, If someone’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died, leaving no descendants. So the second brother married her and died, leaving no descendants, and the third likewise. And the seven left no descendants. Last of all the woman also died. At the resurrection when they arise whose wife will she be? For all seven had been married to her.” Jesus said to them, “Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven. As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled.”

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Reflection:

Are you afraid to die?

A sick man was given by his doctor two more months to live. After hearing the judgment of his doctor the man kneeled before God and beg Him to indefinitely extend his life. Why are we afraid to die? Because we have strong attachment to this world and we don’t know also what awaits us after we die. 

When Jesus was asked by the Sadducees whose wife would the woman be in the after life. Jesus told them that she will not belong to anyone of them because life in heaven is totally different from our present life.

There is an afterlife and there is heaven as Jesus tells us in the gospel.  So while we are actively journeying with our present life. We must always see to it that we live our lives according to the will of God. Not according to our own sinful will but according to the will of God.

Why? This is for the reason that we want to go to heaven when our time in this world is over and done with already. Let us not be blinded by the glitters of this world for all that we have here no matter how expensive we will leave behind at some point in our lives.

Let us look forward to heaven for this is where all of us are intended to be someday. – Marino J. Dasmarinas    

Reflection for Tuesday June 6, Ninth Week in Ordinary Time: Mark 12:13-17

Gospel: Mark 12:13-17

Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech. They came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. You do not regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?” Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at. They brought one to him and he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this? They replied to him, “Caesar’s. So Jesus said to them “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. They were utterly amazed at him.

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Reflection:

Do you always do what is right and just? The Pharisees and the Herodians were testing Jesus about the just payment of tax to Caesar. Jesus knew about their evil scheming so He simply told them, “Whose image is in the coin”? And they told Jesus that it was Caesar’s image that is imprinted on the coin.

Thus, Jesus told them that they should pay to Caesar for the simple reason that he is the governing authority. And then Jesus told them to give to God what belongs to God (Mark 12:17).

The million dollar question now is, what belongs to God or what is for God? What belongs to God that we must give Him is the time that we have to freely give Him. Such as our daily time for prayer: upon waking up in the morning and before retiring at night.

The weekly time that we have to freely give Him during Sundays at Holy Mass. And other forms of worship and service to our community by way of serving in our parish church community, these we have to give to God as well.

Then you may ask, what then would I receive in giving God what is due to God? You will receive peace of mind and you will have heaven when your journey in this world comes to end. -  Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Monday June 5, Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr: Mark 12:1-12

Gospel: Mark 12:1-12

Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey. At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant. And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully. He sent yet another whom they killed. So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed. He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture passage:

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?"

They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd, for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them. So they left him and went away.

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Reflection:

A wealthy woman suddenly died without leaving a last will and testament. Instead of talking thing out and amicably settling the issue about her wealth the relatives were now wrangling as to who would get the biggest chunk of wealth.  Why were they squabbling about her wealth?  Because all of them were greedy nobody wants to give an inch on the wealth that they would have.

Many families are like this, they were once living in peace and unity until the issue of wealth divided them. What can we gain with material wealth? It’s temporal riches that may fly from our hands anytime! Why is it that some of us are willing to sacrifice blood relationship for wealth? The simple answer is our greed!

In our gospel for this Monday Jesus gives us a story that mirrors our greed for wealth. Wealth that is temporary, wealth that we will not be able to bring to the next life. And wealth that has been the cause of many conflicts in the family. – Marino J. Dasmarinas   

Reflection for June 4, Solemnity of Pentecost; John 20:19-23

Gospel: John 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

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Reflection:

There’s this story of two brothers who lived in a remote rural area; these two have very extreme behaviors. Brother A, is a good natured fellow he’s very helpful towards his neighbors he is also very humble, prayerful and active in their church.

Brother B, is the opposite of Brother A, he has a rude behavior, has vices he seldom smile and acts as if he has no relatives and neighbors in their area.  He doesn’t even go to church he prefers to be with his drinking buddies rather than go to church for worship.

Due to his good natured characteristics the people around the community gravitates towards the side of Brother A. Whenever there’s conflict in the area they would run to him for help to be the peacemaker. They would also go to his house every week to ask him to be their guide and facilitator in their prayer meetings.

How does the Holy Spirit work in our lives or how does the Holy Spirit manifest its presence in our lives? This is the million dollar question that is very hard to answer mainly because many of us have no experience of feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit.

God the Holy Spirit makes his presence obvious on those people who lead their lives worthy in the eyes of God. The Holy Spirit is like those people who gravitated towards the side of the good natured, humble and prayerful brother A.

The secret therefore to unleash the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to live our lives according to the teachings of God.

In our gospel this Sunday, the disciples of Jesus were in a room hiding from their persecutors. Aside from hiding from the Jews who were persecuting them what else were they doing there? They were obviously praying for Jesus’ protection and care and they were not failed by Jesus.

In the midst of locked doors He appeared to them and gave them His peace, He twice told them: “Peace be with you.” To pledge them that there’s nothing to worry about for the reason that He is there in their midst. Peace be with you to reassure them of His abiding presence and protection. Then finally he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

God’s peace and the presence of the Holy Spirit will come to us the moment we become His faithful and prayerful followers. This peace that God gives us doesn’t mean the absence of problems and challenges in our lives. It means that amidst these problems and challenges we would still be calm and peaceful because we know that God the Holy Spirit is with us.

Do you feel the guiding presence of God the Holy Spirit in your life? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Saturday June 3, Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs: John 21:20-25

Gospel: John 21:20-25

Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, "Master, who is the one who will betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus said to him, "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me." So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?"

It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.

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Reflection:

Does Jesus have a favorite disciple? It seems so as the gospel states: “Peter turned and saw that the disciple Jesus loved, was following as well the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” (John 21:20)

In his humanity Jesus is also like us, he has a sense of feeling on who among his disciples were most humble and always there for him. This disciple is John whom Jesus loved so dearly. He was also the same John who remained with Jesus until his last gasp of breath on the cross. (John 19:26-27)

Like Jesus, we may also have our own beloved friends, and relatives. Why are they our chosen ones? We prefer them because they’ve shown their loyalty and love for us. John loved Jesus thru his words and deeds and he never betrayed Jesus until the very end.

We also must strive to be like John. – Marino J. Dasmarinas