Reflection for Tuesday June 13, Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church: Matthew 5:13-16

Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

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Reflection:

A poor and sickly man went to a doctor to ask if he could help him be confined in a hospital without paying anything. Seeing the plight of the poor man the doctor said yes without any hesitation. The doctor did not stop there he saw to it that he would extend the best possible help to the poor man by shouldering all the medicines that he would be needing.

As the doctor made his many visits to him the poor man noticed a gleaming pin that was always attached to his collar . So he asked, what is that little pin on your collar? The doctor told him that it’s Jesus, the poor man simply smiled and told the doctor, Now I know why you’re so helpful and caring.

In the gospel Jesus tells us that we must become the salt of the earth that gives meaning to the lives of our fellowmen. We must not become tasteless salt that does not give meaning anymore. Is it possible for us to become useless/tasteless salt of this world? Of course it is, this becomes a reality if we are uncaring, indifferent and numb to their needs.

Why is there unfair distribution of wealth in this world? The rich and influential keeps getting richer and the poor is getting poorer. This is for the reason that many rich are unconcerned for the welfare of the poor. They are only concerned for their own wellbeing. There are even powerful politicians who without conscience steal money allocated for the benefit of the poor. 

Jesus tells us that we are to become the light of this world. What does this mean to you and me? What does this indicate to you as a father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister? This means that we must always become a positive influence, a good role model and a character formator.

We must be somebody who brings the light of Jesus to our fellowmen. And we do these virtuous actions not for us to carve our personal glory. But we do these moral acts for the greater glory of God and not for our own glory. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for Monday June 12, Tenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 5:1-12

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

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Reflection:

There is this story of a poor family; they were poor based on the standard of this world they live in a shanty, they wore tattered clothes yet they were happy. When they were asked on how come that they were happy in spite that they were materially poor the father said: “We follow Jesus, we subscribe to His teachings and He’s part of our family. 

After descending from the mountain Jesus sat down and taught those around Him about the Eight (8) blessings of the Beatitudes. What were these Beatitudes all about? It is the secret of true disciples for Christ. When Jesus told those around Him about these Beatitudes He was actually saying to them that this is how my life is in this world but don’t you all worry for I am happy in following all these.

Jesus closed Himself to the comforts of this world He never embraced it. Let us all remember that the happiness of this world is extremely different from the heavenly happiness that Jesus offers us. He knew that what the world gives and dictates are nothing compared to what God the Father would give Him.

In effect, Jesus is telling us through these Beatitudes to be like Him, to follow Him to always be with Him for these are all His characteristics.

But isn’t it hard to follow all these qualities of the Beatitudes? Isn’t it hard to follow Jesus?  Yes it’s hard for the simple reason that the life of Jesus in this world was full of hardship and persecution. However the hardship that Jesus went through was nothing compared to what was waiting for Him in heaven.

Thus, our focus should always be heavenward never mind the present hardship that we may encounter. For it has a purpose and that is to prepare us for our ascent to heaven someday. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

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