Monday, September 18, 2006
Tuesday 24th Week in Ordinary Time
September 19, 2006
Tuesday 24th Week in Ordinary Time - Yr II
1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-14, 27-31
Brothers and sisters: As a body is one though it has many parts, and
all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or
Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one
Spirit. Now the body is not a single part, but many. Now you are
Christ's Body, and individually parts of it. Some people God has
designated in the Church to be, first, Apostles; second, prophets;
third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then gifts of healing, assistance,
administration, and varieties of tongues. Are all Apostles? Are all
prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts
of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Strive eagerly
for the greatest spiritual gifts.
LUKE 7:11-17
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large
crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man
who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she
was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord
saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, "Do not weep."
He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted,
and he said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!" The dead man sat up and
began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all,
and they glorified God, exclaiming, "A great prophet has arisen in our
midst," and "God has visited his people." This report about him spread
through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.
REFLECTION
Luke towards the end of his Sermon on the Plain has Jesus say, "Be
compassionate as your heavenly Father is compassionate." Matthew
towards the end of his Sermon on the Mount has Jesus speak the same
words. Compassion is often spoken of as the characteristic virtue of
Christ and of the Christian. Today's Gospel passage records an
extraordinary miracle. In performing this miracle Jesus' sole
motivation was his compassion.
Jesus' concern throughout today's Gospel passage is not for the son,
but for the mother. Jesus sees the body of a young man being carried
out of town for burial. Luke notes that the young man was the only son
of a widowed mother. Jesus is moved with pity when he sees the bereft
woman. Immediately he consoles her, "Do not cry." After he restores the
man to life, "Jesus gives him back to his mother." The miracle is about
the mother, not about the son. The miracle is about compassion, not
about any other motivation.
The Christian, like Jesus, is to reflect in the world the compassion of
Jesus' Father. Fortunately our hearts can fill with compassion for the
less fortunate, as did Jesus' heart for the bereaved widow of Naim.
However, we do not have the power of Christ. We cannot give expression
to the compassion we feel, as Jesus did through miracles.
Today compassion is best expressed not by being charitable, though
charity is still terribly important even essential. Compassion will
create miracles when it moves you and me to participate in the struggle
to change the sinful political, economic and social structures that
keep the poor poor, and the oppressed oppressed.
So we are to ask ourselves: Am I compassionate when the poor come to me
for help? Does my compassion move me to cooperate in changing the
sinful structures of our society? Only if we can answer "yes" to both
of these questions will we imitate Jesus in making our Father's
compassion alive on earth.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
- for the personal intentions of the Santiago Family
- for the personal intentions of Mr. & Mrs. Eliezer T. Santiago &
family.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Lourdes G. Choa
- 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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