Thursday, March 09, 2006
Friday 1st week of Lent
March 10, 2006
Friday 1st week of Lent - Yr II
EZEKIEL 18:21-28
Thus says the Lord GOD: If the wicked man turns away from all the sins
he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and
just, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the crimes he
committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the
virtue he has practiced. Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death
of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns
from his evil way that he may live? And if the virtuous man turns from
the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that
the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his
virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and
committed sin; because of this, he shall die. You say, "The LORD's way
is not fair!" Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair,
or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away
from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity
he committed that he must die. But if the wicked, turning from the
wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall
preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he
committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
MATTHEW 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, unless your righteousness
surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into
the Kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to your
ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to
judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be
liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be
answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be
liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the
altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with
your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your
opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent
will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to
the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you
will not be released until you have paid the last penny."
REFLECTION
As we draw closer to Holy Week, let us remind ourselves of God's
invitation to continually change our lives for the better. But what
does this mean for us? Our Gospel today emphasizes the need to look
into our relationships with others.
There is no extraordinary merit when we are friendly with people whom
we really like or with those who are very kind to us. It's quite normal
to expect that from anyone. The challenge, it seems, lies in our
relationships with people whom we'd rather not be nice and kind to for
whatever reasons.
This doesn't really have to be a complicated or overly difficult
challenge. In simple words, Jesus invites us to look at the people we
dislike and ask ourselves if we are willing enough to let some charity
and respect come through us.
Take some time out and try to identify these people, and then ask
yourself, "Am I willing to let some of God's charity and respect pour
from me towards these people? How can I show this? What can I do, even
as this may be simple actions?"
We need to be reminded that God's challenge and invitation is built
upon the small steps that we take. Let us strive to achieve God's love
and charity more actively in our lives.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
- for the safe travel of Angelo.
- for the personal intentions and good health of Tisha, Dino and Aidan.
- for the eternal repose of the soul of Amparo Filio. 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 the restoration of love and understanding of Charles & Cheryl C.
- for the healing and speedy recovery of Poch Robles, Armi Araujo,
and Eric Guevarra.
- for the healing of Tina M. Ocampo.
- 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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� 2006 Daily-Homily
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