DAILY- HOMILY

MAY 24, 2009
SOLEMNITY, ASCENSION OF THE LORD
7TH SUNDAY OF EASTER – B

ACTS 1:1-11
In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and
taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions
through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He
presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered,
appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of
God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from
Jerusalem, but to wait for "the promise of the Father about which you
have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days
you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." When they had gathered
together they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore
the kingdom to Israel?" He answered them, "It is not for you to know
the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own
authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon
you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they
were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their
sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They
said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in
the same way as you have seen him going into heaven."

EPHESIANS 1:17-23
Brothers and sisters: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in
knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you
may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the
riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is
the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord
with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the
heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one
to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head
over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the
one who fills all things in every way.

MARK 16:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the
gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be
saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will
accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their
hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They
will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then the Lord
Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his
seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached
everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word
through accompanying signs.

REFLECTION
Looking at our lives we realize that Jesus becomes very much present
through the love, care, and concern of people whom we encounter daily.
The Gospel beckons each one of us to do something that will enhance
the kingdom of love, peace, joy, and justice. In this regard the
question in today's reading from Acts: "... why are you standing there
looking up at the sky?" challenges us. Do we simply stand still and
just wait for Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit? Or do we do something
that can sustain what Jesus has begun?

The response is obvious. We are to do something to make a difference
in people's lives. After all, Jesus missions his friends to sustain
his work. We will be able to do what Jesus was not able to do - - to
preach the Gospel to the whole world. We can readily proclaim the
Gospel everywhere. But the question is: how have we made use of these
opportunities?

The work of evangelization, that is, proclaiming the Good News, is a
work in progress both for the clergy and lay. Every single Christian
by his baptism is missioned to communicate the life vision of the
risen Lord as found in the Scriptures. The challenge lies in
substantiating these faith convictions in daily life particularly by
leading a life of honesty, fidelity, and integrity.

Related to that is our role in healing. We are concerned with the
whole person thereby necessitating that we are able to allow people to
experience the effects of salvation -- in spirit, mind, feelings,
body, and in the surrounding environment. In many instances of Jesus'
healings, he not only addressed the physiological illness but related
it into the healing of the soul and of the heart and the
reconciliation of the sinner. In short, a wholistic approach to
illness becomes necessary.

Thirdly, we are not alone in the endeavor of evangelization as we can
rely on Jesus' promise that he will be with us always, to the very end
of time. He is Emmanuel, God-with-us. Through his Spirit, Jesus
continues to work with and through us. And so we firmly believe that
he is to be found in every one of us.

On this Feast of Ascension, we are given hope as we are reminded of
the resurrection when God will raise our mortal bodies and make them
like his own in glory, when every tear will be wiped away, when we
shall again see our God. In the meantime, we are tasked to sustain the
mission begun by Jesus by sharing the good news of mercy and love
sustained by our capacity for healing of people, both body and soul,
with others.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the healing and speedy recovery of:
- Elvira Belen
- Francis Torres
- Mylene Lingad
- Shiappee
- Ester Marcelo
… for the safety of Johnson Cuiting
… for the special intentions:
- Annie Leonardo
- Franc Alma
- San Juan de Dios Hospital
… for the continued well-being: Fe Domingo
… for the emotional healing and strength of Josheil Dapo
… In Memoriam:
- Luy Wai and Lok Mee Chau
- Sebastian Luy
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Marciana Guevara
- Jerry Guevara
- Hector V. Domingo
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: Olivia M. Briones
- Birthday: Beth Tong
- Wedding Anniversary: Philip & Gilette Go
- Wedding Anniversary: Sio & Reggie Tiu
- In Memoriam (+): Rita R. Borja
… 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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