Thursday, February 16, 2006
FRIDAY 6TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
FEBRUARY 17, 2006
FRIDAY 6TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - YEAR II
JAMES 2:14-24, 26
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has
faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a
brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,"
but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is
it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed someone might say, "You have faith and I have works."
Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate
my faith to you from my works. You believe that God is one. You do
well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof,
you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham
our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the
altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith
was completed by the works. Thus the Scripture was fulfilled that
says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as
righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. See how a person
is justified by works and not by faith alone. For just as a body
without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
MARK 8:349:1
Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to
them, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up
his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the
Gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole
world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his
life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and
sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes
in his Father's glory with the holy angels." He also said to
them, "Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not
taste death until they see that the Kingdom of God has come in
power."
REFLECTION
Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our salvation from sin.
This is the greatest gift humanity has received from God. But to
accept this gift, we must shed our worldly attachments and follow
Christ. Following Christ, however, will lead us into direct
confrontation with the world's values many of which are rooted in
materialism and evil.
Accepting and following Christ means commitment to a responsibility
in faith. We see many so-called Christians proclaiming to everyone
their strong faith and beliefs. They sing wholeheartedly during
Mass or services; they religiously attend and participate in Bible
studies and prayer meetings; and they boast their faith and
religious fervor to friends and families at home. But rarely do we
see these same people caring for the sick, visiting prisoners, or
sponsoring programs to educate poor children or orphans. These so-
called Christians, in whom some of us are included, pay a lot more
lip service than real service.
Real followers of Jesus are active participants of their faith.
They practice what they preach and what is preached to them. They
understand and realize that service of their faith is not an easy
task. There inevitably will be conflicts with worldly values and as
a result there will be suffering from those conflicts.
As we strive to be real followers, we can be consoled to know that
even with all the obstacles, conflicts and adversities we will
encounter each day, Jesus will always be on our side. After all,
being His disciple assures us of His presence, His counsel, and most
of all, His love.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray -
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
- for the spiritual and physical healing of Virginia Cruz.
- for the eternal repose of the soul of Augusto E. Ocampo. Eternal
rest grant unto him and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he
and all the souls of the dearly departed rest in peace.
- for the speedy recovery of Gil Calimon.
- for the spiritual and physical healing of Beth.
- for the special intentions of Alyssa.
- for the personal intentions of Veronica Yap.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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