DAILY- HOMILY

JANUARY 10, 2009
SATURDAY AFTER EPIPHANY – YEAR I

1 JOHN 5:14-21
Beloved: We have this confidence in him that if we ask anything
according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in
regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is
ours. If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he
should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those
whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about
which I do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin, but
there is sin that is not deadly. We know that anyone begotten by God
does not sin; but the one begotten by God he protects, and the Evil
One cannot touch him. We know that we belong to God, and the whole
world is under the power of the Evil One. We also know that the Son of
God has come and has given us discernment to know the one who is true.
And we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the
true God and eternal life. Children, be on your guard against idols.

JOHN 3:22-30
Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent
some time with them baptizing. John was also baptizing in Aenon near
Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came
to be baptized, for John had not yet been imprisoned. Now a dispute
arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial
washings. So they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the one who
was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is
baptizing and everyone is coming to him." John answered and said, "No
one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You
yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ, but that
I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;
the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the
bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He
must increase; I must decrease."

REFLECTION
Today's Gospel points out that John's baptism was a sign of
repentance. The Gospel also points out the jealousy of the disciples
of John the Baptist. When they realized that Jesus was drawing the
crowds that previously followed John, they were not happy. Even though
John had told them that Jesus was the One whose coming he had been
waiting for, they were faithful to John and had difficulty changing
their loyalty to Jesus. John, in all humility, attempted to console
his disciples by using the analogy of Jesus being the bridegroom, and
himself, the best man at the wedding. The best man to the bridegroom
is not in competition to the bridegroom, but anxiously waits for him
to arrive and rejoices when the groom's voice is heard.

The Scriptures often remind us of this image. Jesus is called the
bridegroom, and the Church is called his bride. We are the Church, the
faithful members of the body of Christ. We are betrothed to Christ and
become one, in spirit, with him. Our prayers nurture this
relationship, keeping it alive and strong.

Like John the Baptist, we must be ready to accept Christ above all
else, and allow his Spirit to increase within us. Just as the
disciples of John the Baptist came to believe, we know that we are
begotten by God. We know that we belong to God. We know that God's Son
has come so that we may know the truth. These are the basic beliefs of
our faith. These basic beliefs are what give us great confidence in
God. God hears us, sees us, and loves us with great love and tender
care.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Sophia Gonzalez
- Christy Chin
- Judy
- Boy Afable
… for the personal intentions of
- Pauline
- Nitz Carvajal and family
… Birthday: Marilou Gonzales Marasigan
… for the eternal repose of the soul of Lilia Serrano. 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: Annie Ting Ang
- Birthday: Sheree Rose N. Sumabat
- Birthday: Vicente Cuevas Jr.
… 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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