DAILY- HOMILY

FEBRUARY 21, 2009
MEMORIAL, PETER DAMIAN, BISHOP
SATURDAY 6TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

HEBREWS 11:1-7
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do
not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we
understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what
is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel offered
God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a
righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he
still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from
this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found,
because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was
commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible
to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he
exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. By faith
Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark
to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became
heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

MARK 9:2-13
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them
up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was
transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter
than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before
them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to
Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three
shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." He did not
know what to say, they were so frightened. Then a cloud appeared and
enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom
I love. Listen to him!" Suddenly, when they looked around, they no
longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the
mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen
until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to
themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant. And they
asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come
first?" Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and
restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must
suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they
have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about
him."

REFLECTION
Perhaps we have had a mountaintop experience one way or another in our
lives. It can be our marriage, the birth of a child, a reunion between
enemies, a miraculous healing, or even when our family lived in
relative peace and harmony. That is what the transfiguration event is
telling us. That is what happens to us when we experience God's
presence in the ordinary events of life.

But there is another side to the coin. It is not enough that we
experience God's immediate presence; we must also be willing to come
back down to the valley in order to reflect the image of the unseen
God as Jesus did.

In the transfiguration story, having witnessed the glory of God
shining in and through Jesus, Peter did not want to leave the mount of
transfiguration. Peter did not want to go back to the troubles down
below. But Jesus' mission was not that way. He led the apostles down
the mountain and into the valley where they could reflect the image of
God in and through their ministry of loving service.

We need not travel far in order to experience God's presence. We can
find God right in our homes and places of work. God's presence could
be in such ordinary situations as the drudgery of everyday work, the
hard to please, the sick. When we get discouraged, let us be reminded
that that is the same rough road which the Father had chosen for His
Son. But that road led to the glory of the Father.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the healing and strength of:
- Sophia Gonzalez
- Christy Chin
… for the personal intentions of Mary Wong and KL
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Aurea Magcamit
- Manuel Go
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.
- Birthday: Ato Sim
- Wedding Anniversary: Anita & Godfrey Lim Pek Chuan
… 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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