Monday, September 3, 2018

Reflection for Sunday September 9, Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mark 7:31-37


Gospel: Mark 7:31-37
Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.
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Reflection:
A young man was complaining to his father who was a Eucharistic minister that he doesn’t feel the presence of Jesus in his life. His father told him, examine your lifestyle, you are always out with your friends. If your home you’re always in front of the computer if not you are tinkering with your smart phone or and watching tv. The father further said, if you continue with that lifestyle you will really not feel the presence of Jesus in your life.

How can we have an up close and personal encounter with Jesus? It’s when the environment around us is silent there’s no presence of anyone except us and Jesus. This is always the most conducive environment for us to have an encounter with Jesus.  It’s very difficult to encounter and feel the presence of Jesus when there are many people around and when there is noise.

In the quietness of your life you will be able to encounter and feel the healing presence of Jesus. And in the quietness of your life you would be able to hear the voice of Jesus. Telling you what you need to hear so that you can have the motivation and energy to move on amidst the noisy grind of your life.

Do you feel the presence of Jesus in your life? If no, then try to live a quite life and try to give time for Jesus more than you give time in satisfying your pleasure seeking and loud lifestyle. This doesn’t mean that you will be isolating yourself from your friends and usual environment.

This simply means that you’ll lessen the noise in your life and you lessen your engagement with worldly pleasures. Yet you still connect yourself to this world not anymore to seek earthly pleasures. But to seek people who are engaged with earthly pleasures so that you could bring them closer to Jesus.

The deaf mute man in our gospel was healed by Jesus not in the midst of the noisy crowd. Jesus instead brought the deaf mute man away from the crowd. To be with Him alone in a quiet place and in the stillness of the environment Jesus healed him (Mark 7:33-35).

Do you regularly have your own quiet time with Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

4 comments:

Unknown said...

September 5,2018

Hello Brother Marino,

First of all, I would like to say thank you for your Gospel reflections you made everyday and ahead of days. I read a lot of your reflections and I found it excellent, full of insights, and full of love. Your reflections can move someone in doing good every day. In fact, when I give reflections, sharing to a group of people I would go first to your blog and read yours so that I could gather some good reflections. Thus,I write you now so to allow me use your reflection whenever I need it.

Hope to receive a positive response from you. Keep up the good reflections Thank you very much.

Sincerely yours,

Robert Rein Marquez

yours in

Unknown said...

Good day po Sir Marino Dasmarinas,

Salamat po for the daily Gospel and reflections. Hope you will allow me to post and share this sa aking mga kaibigan at pamilya. Asking for your permission Sir. God bless po������

Marino J. Dasmarinas said...

You are welcome at, I allow you to share my reflections. God bless you!

Marino J. Dasmarinas said...

Hi Robert! I am allowing and giving you permission to use my reflections whenever you feel that you need it.Thank you very much and God bless you!