DAILY- HOMILY

January 5, 2009
Memorial, John Neumann, bishop
Monday after Epiphany - Year I

1 Jn 3:22–4:6
We receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit whom he gave us.
Beloved, do not trust every spirit
but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is how you can know the Spirit of God:
every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh
belongs to God,
and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus
does not belong to God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist
who, as you heard, is to come,
but in fact is already in the world.
You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them,
for the one who is in you
is greater than the one who is in the world.
They belong to the world;
accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world,
and the world listens to them.
We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us,
while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us.
This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

Mt 4:12-17, 23-25
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
"Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."
He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them.
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

REFLECTION
In the Gospel, Jesus begins his public life much like the way John the
Baptist did. He calls on all to repent for the kingdom of God is at
hand. Later, Jesus will say that the kingdom of God is within us. We
must turn our lives around, give up our sins.

When we completely accept God's reign over our lives, we share in His
kingdom. Yes, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The kingdom over which
Jesus rules is not a plot of land bounded by the ocean or mountains or
artificial political lines. Jesus' kingdom is found in the hearts and
minds of those who repent and believe.

If we listen to God's word, not only with our ears but also with our
hearts, the good news found there will become part of our everyday
living. As we follow Jesus and work to love and serve one another in
his name, we help to draw more people to Jesus. In this way we all
play a part in building up the Kingdom of God here on earth.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Chato Dizon
- Sophia Gonzalez
- Christy Chin
… In Thanksgiving: Gascon-Lomuntad families
… for the priests, laity and friends of San Jose Manggawa Parish and
Barangka Marikina
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Remberto, Estrella, Florence, Danilo, Alfredo, Gloria, Beatriz,
Filomena, Rosario
- Lilia Serrano
- Fr. Michael Kelly
Eternal rest grant unto them and may perpetual light shine upon them.
May they and all the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- In Memoriam (+): Francisco Soc Rodrigo
- In Memoriam (+): Gloria A. del Rosario
- Thanksgiving: Ilion de la Cruz & Family
- Thanksgiving: Joselito Ong & Family
- Wedding Anniversary: James & Gloria Yu
… for the healing and peace of all families

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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