Team Jesus

I guess I never imagined myself giving a reflection to all of you. Before, when I attended praise and worships, I was always in the audience listening to the person in front and be amazed of their reflections . I thought to myself, magka chance din kaya ako ng ganun? Siguro hindi. But what do you know; here I am in front of all of you. Funny no? I think the reason is because I had faith in myself and faith in God’s works and plans for me. Our Gospel talks about faith. It teaches us of what it means to follow Jesus. Si Bartimaeus , he was blind. Bartimaeus was hoping for a miracle. All that he needed was his sight and he knows that only Jesus can offer him healing and hope. And what’s so special about him, is that he was unlike the other disciples. He was different. Aside from the fact that he was blind, he had faith . Do you remember the story in the calming of the storm, Jesus asked the disciples, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith? (Mark 4:40) The disciples ...

                For me, the striking part in today’s Gospel is that James and John asked special places of authority at Jesus' right hand and left hand. They recognized that victory awaits them because they knew that the authority Jesus has showed in his ministry will lead to something big. And they plan to take advantage on that.                 Even today, there a lot of people who are taking advantage of situations, similar to what James and John did. At home, sometimes, we do household chores for our own personal interest. We work, maybe, to get increased allowance, "laag money" from our parents. It is not necessarily a bad thing but would it be better if we work or do things out of love and concern for our family instead of doing it for the reward?                 In school, we als...

Do you remember a time when you loved something so much that you wouldn't let go of it but you needed to give it up? It could be your lucky charm since you were a child. It could be a shirt which someone special gave to you. However, Jesus is telling us to detach from material possessions. Our Lord said, "Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." In our generation today, it’s hard to let go of material possessions. Everyone, especially the youth, is so attached to it particularly to technology. To some, having many expensive things can bring fame and popularity. So who could resist, right? Who wouldn't want to be rich, famous and popular? But it shouldn't be like this. We should humble ourselves down and set Jesus as our example for He gave up everything, even His life, for me, for others, and for you. Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one...

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us to be strong, to be brave and not to give up when faced with problems. We rarely find it being valued in its truest sense within a relationship . In the context of marriage, our Lord Jesus shows us that being committed is not a simple relating of feelings to the other. Commitment is not a selective attitude over possible choices. Commitment is a gift of the whole person to the other; it is the act of uniting oneself not only in the level of feelings or of intellect. It is the capacity to assume the other to oneself, embracing the other even his defects along with the things which initially attracts us. Jesus takes up the ever controversial issue of marriage to profoundly communicate to man the challenge of serious commitment. Being married is not easy, as married couples would say. You need to choose the right person who you’d spend a lifetime with. They are many problems when you get married and much more during marriage. But Jesus is always rig...