Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through
the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the
sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them
out.
When he has
driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they
will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was
trying to tell them.
So Jesus said
again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came
before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am
the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out
and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came
so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
There’s a
story of a mother who worked day and night to provide for her three children.
Life wasn’t easy, but she gave her all—not only in supporting them, but in
teaching them about God. She helped them understand that life has deeper
meaning when it’s rooted in faith. In time, all three children became
successful, not just in worldly terms, but as grounded, faithful individuals.
And it all began with a mother who shepherded them well.
Jesus wants nothing
but the best for us as well. This is why He patiently shepherds us. His
ultimate goal is for us to live our lives according to His will. However, many
of us still veer away from the shepherding of Jesus.
So, what
happens when we stray from the Lord’s shepherding? We labor endlessly for the
things of this world—temporal things that amount to nothing in the end, for the
simple reason that they cannot truly satisfy us.
In our
Gospel, Jesus tells us: “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be
saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture” (John 10:9). If only we
would deeply reflect on this statement of the Lord, we would realize that it is
only through Him—and through His shepherding—that we can find the real meaning
of life.
Would you
allow Jesus to shepherd your life from here on? — Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I
know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never
perish.
No one can take them out of my hand. My
Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them
out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Once upon a time, there was a shepherd who
promised to take care of his sheep. He did what he was supposed to do as their
shepherd—until a grave danger confronted his flock. Instead of defending them
with his life, the shepherd was the first to flee. He did not care about the
safety of his sheep. Hence, he was selfish and a false shepherd, concerned only
with saving himself.
But Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is not like
that. He stays with us, even in our most difficult and painful moments. When
life confronts us with burdens too heavy to bear, He does not run away. He
draws closer to help us carry our burdens. When we grow weary from the trials
of this world, Jesus is there—strengthening us, encouraging us, and telling us
not to give up.
This is what a true shepherd must be. He
must lead and guide his people. And the perfect image of the Good Shepherd is
Jesus. During His three years of public ministry, He showed the way for His
disciples. He taught them life-changing lessons; He taught them how to be
humble, selfless, and patient. He showed them what it means to be a true
leader.
Jesus is always with us. In whatever
season of life we find ourselves, the Lord remains our guiding light. We need
only to listen to His voice calling us to follow Him. For only in Him can we
find true peace and lasting contentment. Only in Him can we begin to live a
life of purpose and meaning.
When the world weighs us down with
failure, fear, and despair, let us remember: Jesus, our Good Shepherd, never
leaves our side. He urges us to press on, to be strong, and to continue the
journey with Him.
Who is shepherding your life today? –
Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon: Sinabi ni Hesus:
“Nakikinig sa akin ang aking mga tupa; nakikilala ko sila, at sumusunod sila sa
akin. Binibigyan ko sila ng buhay na walang hanggan, at kailanma’y di sila
mapapahamak; hindi sila maaagaw sa akin ninuman.
Ang aking Ama, na nagbigay sa kanila
sa akin, ay lalong dakila sa lahat, at hindi sila maaagaw ninuman sa aking Ama.
Ako at ang Ama ay iisa.”
+ + + + + + +
Repleksyon:
Noong unang panahon, may isang pastol na
nangakong aalagaan niya ang kanyang mga tupa. Ginampanan niya ang kanyang
tungkulin bilang kanilang tagapag-alaga—hanggang sa dumating ang matinding
panganib sa kanyang kawan. Pero sa halip na ipagtanggol sila ay siya pa ang
unang tumakas. Hindi niya inintindi ang kaligtasan ng kanyang mga tupa. Kaya’t
siya ay makasarili at huwad na pastol—iniisip lamang ang sarili niyang
kaligtasan.
Ngunit si Jesus, ang ating Mabuting Pastol, ay
hindi ganoon. Siya ay nananatili sa atin, lalo na sa mga panahon ng matinding
pagsubok at pagdurusa. Kapag tayo'y maymga pasanin na hindi na natin kayang dalhin, hindi Siya tumatalikod. Sa
halip, lalo Siyang lumalapit upang tulungan tayong pasanin ang mga ito. Kapag
tayo’y napapagod sa bigat ng buhay, nariyan si Jesus—pinalalakas tayo,
pinalalakas ang ating loob, at hinihimok tayong huwag sumuko.
Ganito dapat ang tunay na pastol—nangunguna,
gumagabay, at nagsisilbing huwaran para sa kanyang kawan. At ang ganap na
larawan ng Mabuting Pastol ay si Jesus. Sa loob ng tatlong taon ng Kanyang
pampublikong ministeryo, itinuro Niya ang tamang daan sa Kanyang mga alagad.
Ibinahagi Niya ang mga aral na bumago ng kanilang buhay; itinuro Niya kung
paano maging mapagpakumbaba, di-makasarili, at matiisin. Ipinakita Niya kung
ano ang tunay na pamumuno.
Si Jesus ay palaging nariyan para sa atin. Sa
anumang panahon ng ating buhay, ang Panginoon ay nananatiling ating ilaw at gabay.
Kailangan lamang nating pakinggan ang Kanyang tinig na tumatawag sa atin upang
sumunod sa Kanya. Sapagkat tanging sa Kanya natin matatagpuan ang tunay na
kapayapaan at ganap na kapanatagan.
Kapag tayo’y pinanghihinaan ng loob dahil sa
kabiguan, takot, o kawalan ng pag-asa, si Jesus, ang ating Mabuting Pastol, ay palaging
nandiyan para gumabay sa atin. Hinihimok Niya tayong magpatuloy, magpakatatag,
at ipagpatuloy ang ating paglalakbay kasama Siya.
Sino ang nag papastol sa buhay mo ngayon? —
Marino J. Dasmarinas
Many of the disciples of Jesus who were
listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that
his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is
the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning
the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said,
“For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is
granted him by my Father.”
As a result
of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no
longer walked with him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to
leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the
words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are
the Holy One of God.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
When many of
the followers of Jesus went back to their former way of life because they
couldn’t believe His Bread of Life discourse, Jesus—perhaps quite sad—turned
His attention to His twelve apostles and said to them: “Do you also want to
leave?” (John 6:67) This is the million-dollar question that confronted the
twelve apostles:“Do you also want to leave?” (John 6:67)
For many of
us, the teachings of Jesus are actually hard to follow. For example, His
teachings about humility—how many of us are still willing to offer the other
cheek if we are struck on one side? (Luke 6:29) Or His teachings about fidelity
to the Sacrament of Matrimony (Matthew 19:4–6). Are we still faithful, or have
we ever been faithful, to our respective spouses?
And there are
many more teachings that Jesus wants us to follow, but we don’t—for the simple
reason that we want to satisfy our earthly desires.
It’s hard to
follow Jesus because He will stir our lives according to what He wants them to
become, not according to what we want them to be. Jesus will turn our lives
upside-down. He will shake and disturb them until we are purified. And this is
hard for many of us because we want to follow our own self-serving wants and
desires.
But if we do
not follow Jesus, where else shall we go? Shall we follow the fleeting
pleasures of this world, only to find ourselves lost and broken? When we choose
the path of sin, we begin to experience a kind of hell even while still alive.
It’s only
through Jesus that we can have peace—a peace this world cannot give. And it’s
only through Jesus that we can have eternal life. The things we have right now
are all temporary. We will leave them—or they will leave us—at any time.
Therefore, we
must always be faithful to the Lord, no matter the trials. — Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon, marami sa mga alagad ni Jesus ang nagsabi, "Mabigat na pananalita ito; sino ang makatatanggap nito?" Alam ni Jesus na nagbubulung-bulungan ang kanyang mga alagad tungkol dito, kaya't sinabi niya, "Dahil ba rito'y tatalikuran na ninyo ako? Gaano pa kaya kung makita ninyong umaakyat ang Anak ng Tao sa dati niyang kinaroroonan?
Ang espiritu ang nagbibigay-buhay; hindi ito magagawa ng laman. Ang mga salitang sinabi ko sa inyo ay Espiritu at buhay. Ngunit may ilan sa inyong hindi nananalig sa akin. " Sapagkat talastas ni Jesus buhat pa noong una kung sinu-sino ang hindi nananalig sa kanya. Idinugtong pa niya, "Iyan ang dahilan kaya ko sinabi sa inyo na walang makalalapit sa akin malibang loobin ito ng Ama."
Mula noo'y marami sa kanyang mga alagad ang tumalikod at hindi na sumama sa kanya. Kaya't tinanong ni Jesus ang Labindalawa, "Ibig din ba ninyong umalis?" Sumagot si Simon Pedro, "Panginoon, kanino po kami pupunta? Nasa inyo po ang mga salitang nagbibigay ng buhay na walang hanggan. Naniniwala kami at ngayo'y natitiyak naming kayo ang Banal ng Diyos."
The Jews quarreled among themselves,
saying, “How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen,
amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his
Blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my
Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
For my Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him. Just as
the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the
one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came
down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats
this bread will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the
synagogue in Capernaum.
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
The story is told about a man who was on the verge of
death and was already gasping for breath. His doctors told his relatives that
it was just a matter of minutes before he would expire. In such a situation,
relatives and close friends would understandably feel helpless and forlorn.
But no—we will not feel helpless if we know that the
person on his deathbed is a frequent Holy Mass-goer, and if we know that he is
regularly nourished by the Body of Christ during Holy Communion.
This is because we believe, to the core of our being,
in the proclamation of Jesus: that whoever eats His Flesh and drinks His Blood
has eternal life.
We hold on to this assurance from Jesus, and we feel
and believe it as we receive His Body and Blood during Holy Communion. But not
everyone is aware of this Bread of Life—none other than Jesus Himself.
It is therefore our responsibility to echo this gift
of life from Jesus so that many may be enlightened and saved. Let us not become
hearers only; let us also become sharers of this Good News.
Will you share what you know about Jesus, our Bread of
Life? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said to the crowds: “No one can come
to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last
day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by
God.
Everyone who
listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen
the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen,
I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.
Your
ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that
comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the
living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live
forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
How can you
have eternal life?
You have to
regularly receive the Body of Christ at Holy Mass. Always receive it with
reverence and piety—never doubt, and don’t think of it as simple bread, because
what you receive is Jesus Himself.
Imagine the light that will shine in
your soul, the unfathomable blessings that will flow into your life, if you
make it a habit to partake in this sacred mystery with faith. Think of the
countless graces waiting to be poured into your heart if you firmly believe
that Jesus is the Consecrated Host you receive during Holy Communion.
Your faith in the Bread of Life will
open your heart and mind to the many truths about Jesus and the Church He founded
through Peter. These are truths that the mind may struggle to explain but the
heart deeply understands—truths revealed through prayer, belief and faith.
For without prayer,
belief and faith, you will not fully comprehend how this small and ordinary
bread becomes the Body of Jesus after it is consecrated by the priest—how this
ordinary bread becomes your life and your reason for existing in this world. –
Marino J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the bread
of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will
never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not
believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not
reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own
will but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it
on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the
Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the
last day.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Is Jesus the
center of your life?
Well and good if yes, for this is how it should be.
Jesus must be the center of your life—not money, not power, nor anything
worldly. It should be Jesus!
Why Jesus and not anything that belongs to this world?
Because when you have Jesus in your life, you already possess the greatest
treasure: the gift of eternal life.
Life in this world is temporary. Any moment, we may be
called to leave it behind. If Jesus is not at the center of our lives, what
becomes of us then? We become slaves of this world. Suppose our motivation in
life is built only on material things, power, and worldly enjoyment—what
happens after we've achieved those? Nothing. It’s a dead end without God. That
is the danger of a life lived apart from Jesus.
In our Gospel, Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the bread
of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will
never thirst” (John 6:35). If we deeply believe in this statement of Jesus, we
will indeed not experience hunger and thirst anymore—hunger and thirst for
what? Hunger and thirst for whatever this world offers us.
Is Jesus the center of your life right now? – Marino
J. Dasmarinas
The crowd said to Jesus: "What sign
can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors
ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven
to eat."
So Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true
bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world."
So they said to Jesus, "Sir, give us this bread
always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever
comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
The story is
told about a woman who had brain cancer. Her doctors had already given her only
two months to live. Because of this, her relatives requested their parish
priest to administer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
The woman’s
family also asked the priest if he could assign an Extraordinary Minister of
Holy Communion to visit her every Sunday so she could receive Jesus regularly.
To make a long story short, the priest assigned an Extraordinary Minister to
give her Holy Communion every Sunday.
By the grace
of the Lord, the two months given to her by the doctors became five years. Her
mother would always tell the Extraordinary Minister that the additional four
years and ten months of her life were a miracle from the Good Lord, whom she
received every Sunday.
In our Gospel
today, after Jesus spoke about the bread from heaven that gives life to the
world, the crowd told Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." Jesus
said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not
hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." (John 6:34-35)
The sick woman
and her mother believed—without a single doubt—in this declaration of Jesus,
that He is the Bread of Life.
How about
you? Do you also believe? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
The next day, the crowd that remained
across the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had
not gone along with his disciples in the boat, but only his disciples had left.
Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread
when the Lord gave thanks.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his
disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum
looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I
say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you
ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes but for the food
that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him
the Father, God, has set his seal.” So they said to him, “What can we do to
accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the
work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
A man was
once asked why he attends the celebration of the Holy Mass every day. He said
that he does so because he wants to be nourished by Jesus every day. Then he
said these very profound words: “I don’t have the heart to refuse Jesus, who
always offers Himself to me during Holy Communion.”
Almost every
day of our lives, Jesus offers Himself to us through Holy Communion during the
celebration of the Holy Mass. He is the food that does not perish, and He is
the food that gives eternal life. Yet we oftentimes take Him for granted,
choosing not to go to Holy Mass even when we have the luxury of time.
But when are
we going to Jesus? When we are already in dire need of Him? Let us not wait for
the time when we are forced to go to Jesus—because we are already sick or only
a few breaths away from death.
Let us take
advantage of the present moment we have each day. Let us go to Jesus now. For
everything is ours to gain; we will lose nothing—except our sinfulness—the
moment we decide to go to Jesus.
Do you always
go to Jesus, who always offers Himself to you in the celebration of the Holy
Mass? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” Jesus said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
The story is told of a mother who would always pray to the Lord to help her make her children responsible, loving and successful. When her children grew older and had their own respective families, they became very responsible, loving and successful. The mother would always thank the Lord for granting her prayer for her children.
Do you always seek the guidance of the Lord Jesus Christ whenever you want to achieve something in your life? Do you always ask the Lord to help you realize it?
In the Gospel, still grieving and feeling lost because of Jesus’ death, the disciples reverted to their livelihood as fishermen. They went fishing by their own effort, and perhaps they forgot about the Lord—thinking that He had not risen.
Then, out of nowhere, as they approached the shore, the risen Christ was already there waiting. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered Him, “No” (John 21:5). Jesus said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the large number of fish (John 21:6).
We see the miraculous influence that Jesus has in the lives of the disciples. When they went fishing without Jesus, they caught nothing—but when Jesus came into the picture, they caught plenty of fish.
This Gospel scenario is also applicable in our daily lives. If we do things by ourselves without seeking the guidance of the Lord, we will end up with nothing. Every activity or endeavor that we pursue without the Lord’s guidance is ultimately meaningless and empty.
But the moment we ask Jesus to be our guiding light in the pursuit of our goals and life’s endeavors, we will surely be able to achieve them—for the simple reason that we have invoked the guidance and help of the Lord.
Jesus is alive and risen! He makes the impossible possible, no matter how difficult it may seem. He gives hope to the hopeless. He makes a meaningless life meaningful and filled with purpose. We only need to do one thing—and that is to ask for His help and guidance.
Do you always pray for the Lord’s help and guidance as you pass through the many challenges of your life? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Noong panahong iyon, muling napakita
si Hesus sa mga alagad sa tabi ng Lawa ng Tiberias. Ganito ang pangyayari.
Magkakasama sina Simon Pedro, Tomas na tinaguriang Kambal, Natanael na
taga-Cana, Galilea, ang mga anak ni Zebedeo, at dalawang pang alagad.
Sinabi sa kanila ni Simon Pedro,
“Mangingisda ako.” “Sasama kami,” wika nila. Umalis sila at lumulan sa bangka,
subalit walang nahuli nang gabing iyon. Nang magbubukang-liwayway na, tumayo si
Hesus sa pampang, subalit hindi siya nakilala ng mga alagad. Sinabi niya, “Mga
anak, mayroon ba kayong huli?” “Wala po,” tugon nila. “Ihulog ninyo ang lambat
sa gawing kanan ng bangka at makahuhuli kayo,” sabi ni Hesus.
Inihulog nga nila ang lambat at hindi
nila ito mahila sa dami ng huli. Sinabi kay Pedro ng alagad na minamahal ni
Hesus, “Ang Panginoon iyon!” Nang marinig ito ni Simon Pedro, siya’y nagsuot ng
damit sapagkat hubad siya at tumalon sa tubig. Ang kasama niyang mga alagad ay
sumapit sa pampang, sakay ng munting bangka, hila-hila ang lambat na puno ng
isda.
Hindi sila gaanong kalayuan sa
pampang – mga siyamnapung metro lamang. Pag-ahon nila sa pampang ay nakakita
sila roon ng mga baga na may isdang nakaihaw, at ilang tinapay. “Magdala kayo
rito ng ilang isdang nahuli ninyo,” sabi ni Hesus. Kaya’t sumampa sa bangka si
Simon Pedro at hinila sa pampang ang lambat na puno ng malalaking isda –
sandaan at limampu’t tatlong lahat.
Hindi napunit ang lambat, kahit gaano
karami ang isda. “Halikayo at mag-almusal tayo,” sabi ni Hesus. Isa man sa mga
alagad ay walang nangahas magtanong sa kanya kung sino siya, sapagkat alam nila
na siya ang Panginoon. Lumapit si Hesus, kinuha ang tinapay at ibinigay sa
kanila, gayon din ang isda.
Ito ang ikatlong pagpapakita ni Hesus
sa mga alagad pagkatapos na siya’y muling mabuhay.
Pagkakain nila, tinanong ni Hesus si
Simon Pedro, “Simon, anak ni Juan, iniibig mo ba ako nang higit kaysa mga ito?”
“Opo, Panginoon, nalalaman ninyong iniibig ko kayo,” tugon niya. Sinabi sa
kanya ni Hesus, “Pakanin mo ang aking mga batang tupa.” Muli siyang tinanong ni
Hesus, “Simon, anak ni Juan, iniibig mo ba ako?”
Sumagot si Pedro, “Opo, Panginoon, nalalaman
niyong iniibig ko kayo.” Ani Hesus, “Pangalagaan mo ang aking mga tupa,”
Pangatlong ulit na tinanong siya ni Hesus, “Simon, anak ni Juan, iniibig mo ba
ako?” Nalungkot si Pedro, sapagkat makaitlo siya tinanong: “Iniibig mo ba ako?”
At sumagot siya, “Panginoon, nalalaman po ninyo ang lahat ng bagay; nalalaman
ninyong iniibig ko kayo.”
Sinabi sa kanya ni Hesus, “Pakanin mo
ang aking mga tupa. Tandaan mo: noong kabataan mo pa, ikaw ang nagbibihis sa
iyong sarili at lumalakad ka kung saan mo ibig. Ngunit pagtanda mo, iuunat mo
ang iyong mga kamay at iba ang magbibihis sa iyo at dadalhin ka kung saan hindi
mo ibig.” Sinabi niya ito upang ipakilala kung paano mamamatay si Pedro at sa
gayo’y mapararangalan niya ang Diyos. Pagkatapos, sinabi sa kanya ni Hesus,
“Sumunod ka sa akin!”
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Repleksyon:
May isang kuwento tungkol sa isang ina na palaging
nananalangin sa Panginoon upang tulungan siyang palakihing responsable at
mapagmahal ang kanyang mga anak. Nang ang kanyang mga anak ay lumaki at
nagkaroon ng kani-kaniyang pamilya, sila ay naging responsible, mapagmahal at nagkaroon ng maayos na buhay.
Palagi mo rin bang hinahanap ang pag gabay ng Panginoong Hesukristo
tuwing may nais kang makamit sa iyong buhay? Humihingi ka ba palagi sa Kanya ng
tulong upang ito ay magkatotoo?
Sa ating pong Mabuting balita, habang nagluluksa pa rin at litong-lito ang
mga alagad dahil sa pagkamatay ni Hesus, sila ay bumalik sa dating hanapbuhay
bilang mga mangingisda. Nagsikap silang mangisda sa sarili nilang kakayahan, at
marahil ay nakalimot sila sa Panginoon kasi ang nasa isip nila ay siya ay hindi
pa muling nabuhay.
Ngunit sa di-inaasahang pagkakataon, habang sila’y papalapit sa pampang,
naroon na si Hesus na muling nabuhay at naghihintay sa kanila. Sinabi ni Jesus
sa kanila, “Mga anak, may nahuli ba kayong makakain?” Sumagot sila, “Wala po”
(Juan 21:5). Sinabi ni Jesus, “Ihulog ninyo ang lambat sa kanang bahagi ng
bangka at makakahuli kayo.” Inihulog nga nila, at halos hindi nila ito mahila
dahil sa dami ng isdang nahuli (Juan 21:6).
Makikita natin ang kamangha-manghang impluwensiya ni Jesus sa buhay ng
Kanyang mga alagad. Nang sila’y nangisda nang wala si Jesus, wala silang
nahuli. Ngunit nang dumating si Jesus sa kanilang piling ay napakarami nilang
nahuli.
Ang tagpong ito sa Ebanghelyo ay maaari ring maganap sa ating araw-araw
na buhay. Kapag tayo’y kumikilos nang sarili lamang nating kakayahan at hindi
humihingi ng gabay sa Panginoon, madalas ay nauuwi ito sa kabiguan. Bawat
gawain o layunin na tinatangka nating makamit nang walang gabay ng Panginoon ay
nauuwi sa kahungkagan o kawalan.
Ngunit sa sandaling hingin natin kay Jesus na siya ay maging ilaw at
gabay natin sa pagtupad ng ating mga mithiin at adhikain sa buhay, tiyak na
makakamtan natin ito—sapagkat tinawag natin Siya at hiniling ang Kanyang tulong
at paggabay.
Si Jesus ay buhay at muling nabuhay! Ginagawa Niyang possible para sa
atin ang mga imposibleng bagay, gaano man ito kahirap kamtin. Binibigyan Niya
ng pag-asa ang nawawalan ng pag-asa. Ginagawa Niyang makabuluhan ang isang
buhay na tila walang direksyon o saysay. Isa lamang ang hinihingi Niya sa
atin—na hingin natin ang Kanyang tulong at paggabay.
Palagi mo bang hinihiling ang tulong at paggabay ng Panginoon sa iyong
pagharap sa mga hamon ng buhay? – Marino
J. Dasmarinas
Jesus said to
Thomas, “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. 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:
Do you want
to know God?
You first
have to know Jesus, for it is only through Jesus that you will know God. But
how will you come to know Jesus? Prayer should be an integral part of your way
of life. You also have to ask Jesus to give you the grace to know Him more
deeply and the grace to have a personal relationship with Him.
How else can
we have a personal encounter with Jesus? We must read about His life in the
Bible, and we must attend Holy Mass, especially on Sundays. Then, whatever we
learn about Jesus, we must live and share.
It is usually
through Jesus that we become aware of the presence of God the Father and God
the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus is the gateway to knowing more about God,
and through Him, our eyes will be opened to many truths about our faith.
Do you want
to know the way? Do you want to know the many real truths about life? Do you
want to live a life with deeper purpose and meaning? You have to ask Jesus—ask
Him to show you the way.
To have Jesus
is to have life. To have Jesus is to find the true way that leads to peace and
contentment. To have Jesus is to discover the real meaning of life—a life that
is very different from the life this world tries to impose on us.
In our
Gospel, Jesus tells Thomas—and us as well: “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.” (John
14:6–7)
Would you
invest some of your precious time to know more about Jesus? — Marino J.
Dasmarinas
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A
large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the
sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that
a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy
enough food for them to eat?"
He said this to test him, because he himself knew what
he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of
food would not be enough for each of them to have a little." One of his
disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a
boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for
so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people recline."
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So
the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves,
gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much
of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his
disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be
wasted.
"So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker
baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than
they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This
is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world." Since Jesus
knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he
withdrew again to the mountain alone.
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Reflection:
The story is
told about a young woman who was doubting whether she would be able to fulfill
her childhood ambition of becoming a doctor. So, she asked her mother to pray
that she would be able to realize her dream. Her mother said to her, “My
daughter, the Lord will help you achieve your childhood dream for as long as
you don’t doubt.”
Do you sometimes doubt when you pray before Jesus?
Our doubts will always be a stumbling block to the
realization of what we pray for. But why do we doubt? Perhaps our faith is
lacking, or perhaps we have not yet developed a close friendship with
Jesus—that is why we doubt. Doubt, by itself, is a negative word, and as such,
it is neither good nor helpful to us. We must therefore eliminate doubt from
our way of thinking so that we can achieve whatever we desire.
In our Gospel for this Sunday, Philip and Andrew were
already doubting whether Jesus would be able to feed the large crowd that had
been following Him. Philip said to Jesus, "Two hundred days’ wages worth
of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little." (John 6:7)
Andrew said to Jesus, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and
two fish; but what good are these for so many?" (John 6:8–9)
Jesus simply told them, “Have the people recline.”
(John 6:10) And then the multiplication of the loaves and fish happened. They
were able to feed the five thousand men—and there was plenty to spare.
What is the lesson the Lord is trying to communicate
to us in this miracle of the loaves and fish? With Jesus, nothing is
impossible. Everything is possible for those who do not doubt, who always
believe, and who have faith in Him.
Do you want something from the Lord? Trust, believe,
have faith—and you will receive it. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
