Friday, March 03, 2006
Saturday after Ash Wednesday
March 4, 2006
Saturday after Ash Wednesday - Yr II
ISAIAH 58:9B-14
Thus says the LORD: If you remove from your midst oppression, false
accusation and malicious speech; If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the
darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday; Then the LORD
will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. He
will renew your strength, and you shall be like a watered garden, like
a spring whose water never fails. The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt
for your sake, and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up;
"Repairer of the breach," they shall call you, "Restorer of ruined
homesteads." If you hold back your foot on the sabbath from following
your own pursuits on my holy day; If you call the sabbath a delight,
and the LORD's holy day honorable; If you honor it by not following
your ways, seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice- Then
you shall delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights
of the earth; I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your
father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
LUKE 5:27-32
Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He
said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything behind, he got up and
followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and
a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The
Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, "Why
do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus said to
them in reply, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the
sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but
sinners."
REFLECTION
The first reading today enumerates a list of tasks that we are supposed
to do and not to do. It guides us on what we need to do in the process
of our daily lives. These include: not oppressing others through finger
pointing or malicious talk, not breaking the Sabbath and doing as we
please on the holy day, and to see to the needs of the hungry and
oppressed. If we do these things, perhaps we may have an easier time
finding our joy through the Lord. When we ask the Lord to answer our
petitions, we need to remember that his answers will depend on how we
lead our lives.
In the Gospel today, Jesus called on Levi to follow him. Levi followed
him without hesitation. To celebrate the occasion, Levi prepared a
banquet for Jesus, inviting both the disciples and his friends. When
the Pharisees saw that tax collectors and sinners were also invited,
they complained to Jesus.
In our own experiences, did we encounter situations where we also felt
that the people in a gathering do not belong to the same group as us -
and wondered how the host could have overlooked this fact?
Jesus, through the Gospel today, reminds us, "It is not the healthy who
need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance." We are a diverse society composed of all types
of people. If we keep with the same kind of people, we will fail to
witness God's beauty in all of humankind. If we offer help to the
people who need it, we would be in a better position to witness the
Lord's presence in our midst.
As we reflect on today's readings, let us ask ourselves: "How important
is it for us to live our lives in the best way we can so that we can
better witness the presence of the Lord Jesus in our daily lives?"
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray -
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
- for the personal intentions of Peter.
- for the eternal repose of the soul of Agripina Franco Marcelino.
Eternal rest grant unto her and may perpetual light shine upon her.
May she and all the souls of the dearly departed rest in peace.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Wedding Anniversary: Ian & Jinkee So
- In Memoriam (+): Copia & Pia Yap
- 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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� 2006 Daily-Homily
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