Reflection for Wednesday August 2, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:44-46

Gospel: Matthew 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

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Reflection:

A lady who finds the greatest love of her life is very much willing to give up everything that stands on her way: be it the love of her parents, siblings and even her inheritance. She will be willing to give it all up for the sake of her great love.

There are two important characters in the gospel. The first one is the person who sold everything that he owns so that he could buy the field with treasure. The second one is the merchant who found the pearl. The field with treasure and the pearl of great price represents the kingdom of heaven.

After finding it they were never the same again because they found something that would satisfy them for life. And without them knowing it what they’ve found would serve as their passage to heaven in the afterlife.

Finding Jesus is more than finding the greatest love of your life. It’s like finding the greatest treasure and pearl. It’s an unexplainable feeling that tells you that you’ve already found the greatest possession that you can ever have in this world. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Tuesday August 1, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church: Matthew 13:36-43

Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43 

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

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Reflection:

Do you know that the good Lord is patiently waiting for you to embrace Him?

In the beginning of our lives God sowed to us all that is good. For example, through the Sacrament of Baptism He sowed in us our faith. Yet as we mature in this world the Devil also does his own thing, sowing nothing but evil often times disguised as pleasures.

Many of us unfortunately succumb to the pleasurable seeds sown by the Devil.  As a result of this we led lives that are chaotic and problematic and we have nobody to blame but ourselves.  Our lives are in turmoil and without peace for the simple reason that we embraced the Devil.

We refuse to heed the many advices of well-meaning friends and family we instead follow our fleeting and sinful worldly desires. As such we already taste hell in this world. However, for as long as we breath in this world there is hope. Hope to feel the unconditional love of Jesus.

The good Lord is so patient with us that He is very much willing to wait for us to have a change of heart. until when would the good Lord wait for us? Until our last breath in this world. The good Lord will never give up on us no matter how sinful we are and no matter who we are.

For as long as we breath there is hope: Hope of redemption, hope of forgiveness and hope of unconditional love from the good Lord.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Reflection for Monday July 31, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest: Matthew 13:31-35

Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.  "The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'" He spoke to them another parable. "The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.

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Reflection:

Do you want to increase your faith?

The tiny mustard seed became the largest of plants, the yeast was little until it was mixed with three measures of wheat flour after which it grew bigger. There’s that transition in the gospel for both parables from being small both grew big.

By virtue of the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of Confirmation Jesus planted that small seed of faith in us. He has no other desire but for us to nurture it and let it grow and bloom where other could benefit from us. But somehow as we mature many of us put aside our faith and we prioritize the temporal things of this world.

God’s desire is for us to nurture our faith, it’s His perpetual yearning for us: to grow our faith. Let us therefore ask Jesus to grant us the grace to increase our faith. And of course let us also do our part by faithfully adhering to the teachings of the church, by our pious presence at Holy Mass and by reading the bible.

Thus our faith will grow, just like the tiny mustard seed which grew big and the yeast which livened the three measures of wheat flour. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

1Reflection for Sunday, July 30; Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Matthew 13:44-52

Gospel: Matthew 13:44-52

(Jesus told his disciples) “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

“Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” And he replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”

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Reflection:

A woman who had four children from four different men was on the verge of giving up on her life. She had nowhere to go because she was disowned already by her family for the reason of her wayward lifestyle. "She said to herself, “I feel alone and nobody trust and love me anymore, yet I don’t blame anyone but myself."

While aimlessly walking she saw a sign with these words, If you feel nobody wants you anymore, come to us: We will take care of you. So she went and she found out that it was a shelter for unwanted mothers run by nuns. To make a long story short, the nuns cared for her unconditionally and through them she discovered the unconditional love of Jesus.

Through Jesus and the nuns she found restoration, hope and healing. With gratitude she said to the nuns; you took care of me when nobody else cared. You gave me the unconditional love of Jesus when no one else bothered to give it to me. Through you I found the greatest treasure in this world which is the unconditional love of Jesus.

Everyone of us has a purpose and mission in this world and this is none other than to introduce the greatest treasure and the most precious pearl in this world which is rarely found by others. This greatest treasure and rarest pearl is Jesus. We must take time therefore to know Him and share Him so that others may discover Him through us.

How could others discover Jesus through you? You must give hope instead of condemnation, you must be forgiving rather than be unforgiving and you must always sow love rather than hatred. – Marino J. Dasmarinas   

Reflection for Saturday July 29, Saint Martha: John 11:19-27

Gospel: John 11:19-27

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died]. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world."

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Reflection:

A young man was living his life without any clear direction It was all boozing for him. His mother told the young man, “If you will not change you will depart this world early.” The young man said to his mother, “help me live a new life mama.” His mother told him:  Be with me as I go to Holy Mass daily.” The man did so and slowly but surely he lived a renewed life.   

When Lazarus died both Martha and Mary were forlorn as if their world had ended with the death of their brother Lazarus. Until Jesus came to pay them a visit and from there on the sister’s hopeless life suddenly had hope and life once again.

This is for the reason that Jesus went to visit them, that visit culminated with the raising of their brother Lazarus. Do you feel that you are without hope for the reason of the many problems that you’ve been going through?

There is hope and you can find it in Jesus, in the midst of this problem filled world. Jesus is offering you not only hope but a new lease on life.  Believe, have hope and faith in Him and you’ll have a new life. -  Marino J. Dasmarinas

Reflection for Friday July 28, Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:18-23

Gospel: Matthew 13:18-23   

Jesus said to his disciples: "Hear the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, and the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

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Reflection:

Would you allow Jesus to bear fruit in your life so that you would become the seed sown on rich soil?

Four seeds were sown on four different surfaces: On the path, rocky ground, sown among thorns and rich soil. The seeds are the word of God and the disciples represent the four environments.

Jesus’ wanted the disciples to be the rich soil at all times (to hear the word, understand it and live it). But God has also given them the freedom of choice to choose what surface they would be.

The parable of the sower is a parable that depicts our individual response to Jesus’ call for us to follow Him.  Many of us don’t give this call serious thought. Quite a few embrace this call; they let it grow in their hearts by means of sharing their faith through their words and actions. Jesus obviously wants us all to become the rich soil so that we could be fruitful and useful followers.

We all have the freedom of choice to choose where we would be among the four environments. However, as far as Jesus is concerned He always wants us to be the rich soil. You may ask for what reason? The answer here is very simple: God wants us to be at His bosom in heaven when our earthly journey is over someday.

Start to become fruitful by sharing and living your faith and the words of Jesus. Take courage and don’t be afraid of the obstacles. Simply follow Jesus desire for your life for He will take care of everything. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

1Reflection for Thursday July 27, Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:10-17

Gospel: Matthew 13:10-17

The disciples approached Jesus and said, "Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?" He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven    has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.

Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You shall indeed hear but not understand,

you shall indeed look but never see.

Gross is the heart of this people,

they will hardly hear with their ears,

they have closed their eyes,

lest they see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their hearts and be converted

and I heal them.

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

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Reflection:

Do you discern the intervention of Jesus in your life through real life stories that you go through?

The disciples were discerning of these stories coursed through parables.  However, the fickle crowd were not discerning. Why? This is for the reason that they only follow because of their need of Jesus. After they’ve gotten what they want they once again detach themselves from Jesus in other words the fickle crowd were followers in need only.

There are still many nowadays who are like the fickle crowd they go to Jesus because they are in need. For instance, those who are carrying many burdens. After they’ve been relieved of their burdens they distance themselves once again until their next need comes around.

We must follow Jesus the way the disciples followed Him they were not followers in need only, they were always there for Him; in good times and in bad. – Marino J. Dasmarinas