DAILY- HOMILY

APRIL 2, 2009
MEMORIAL, ST FRANCIS OF PAOLA, HERMIT
THURSDAY 5TH WEEK OF LENT – YEAR I

GENESIS 17:3-9
When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him: "My covenant with you
is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations. No longer
shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making
you the father of a host of nations. I will render you exceedingly
fertile; I will make nations of you; kings shall stem from you. I will
maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God
of your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your
descendants after you the land in which you are now staying, the whole
land of Canaan, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God."
God also said to Abraham: "On your part, you and your descendants
after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages."

JOHN 8:51-59
Jesus said to the Jews: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my
word will never see death." So the Jews said to him, "Now we are sure
that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you
say, `Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.' Are you greater
than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do
you make yourself out to be?" Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my
glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom
you say, `He is our God.' You do not know him, but I know him. And if
I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I
do know him and I keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced to see
my day; he saw it and was glad." So the Jews said to him, "You are not
yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." So they
picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the
temple area.

REFLECTION
Are we prepared to change our life in whatever way necessary in order
to adapt ourselves to the Truth? The opponents of Jesus seek their own
glory, but Jesus seeks only to glorify the Father. Within the Most
Blessed Trinity, the Father knows the Son and the Son knows the
Father. The knowledge is so total, complete, and perfect that it is
total self-giving. So too, in his sacred humanity, Jesus seeks to know
the Father and to glorify Him by the perfect accomplishment of His
will. Jesus says, "I know him and I keep his word." As Jesus keeps the
Father's word, so we are to keep the word of Jesus. Let us welcome His
word, embrace it, and accomplish it. Let us not count the cost. Let us
seek only to glorify Jesus and our Heavenly Father. Let us make our
love of God as necessary to us as breathing, repeating throughout the
day: "We praise you. We bless you. We worship you. We glorify you. We
give you thanks for your great glory".

In answer to the objections of the unbelieving Jews, Jesus makes a
glorious manifestation of his divinity. We are mindful of other
manifestations: the revelation to all the nations given to the magis,
the miracle at Cana, the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. But this
revelation has greater clarity and splendor, for Jesus proclaims:
"Before Abraham came to be, I am." Jesus is saying that from all
eternity he exists. It is another transfiguration, but without the
blaze of light.

Let us open our eyes to Jesus' goodness and divinity. Let us be ready
to undergo changes, no matter how painful, to live according to his
word.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the healing and strength of:
- Sophia Gonzalez
- Ester Marcelo
- Lisa
- Christy Chin
… for the safety of Johnson Cuiting
… for the eternal repose of the soul of Elena Acero. Eternal rest
grant unto her and may perpetual light shine upon her. May she and all
the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Jason Roy Pacheco
- Birthday: Henry Tan
… 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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