DAILY- HOMILY

MARCH 26, 2009
THURSDAY 4TH WEEK OF LENT – YEAR I

EXODUS 32:7-14
The LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once to your people whom you
brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. They
have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for
themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and
crying out, `This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the
land of Egypt!' The LORD said to Moses, "I see how stiff-necked this
people is. Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them
to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation." But Moses
implored the LORD, his God, saying, "Why, O LORD, should your wrath
blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of
Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand? Why should the
Egyptians say, `With evil intent he brought them out, that he might
kill them in the mountains and exterminate them from the face of the
earth'? Let your blazing wrath die down; relent in punishing your
people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and how you
swore to them by your own self, saying, `I will make your descendants
as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I
promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'"
So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on
his people.

JOHN 5:31-47
Jesus said to the Jews: "If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony
is not true. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I
know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent
emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept
human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a
burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice
in his light. But I have testimony greater than John's. The works that
the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify
on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who
sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice
nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you,
because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the
Scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even
they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have
life. "I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not
have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you
do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will
accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one
another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do
not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will
accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had
believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me.
But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my
words?"

REFLECTION
Both scripture readings today tell us of the consequences of turning
away from God and being awed by worldly idols and the vanity of
spiritual self-sufficiency, self-righteousness. For the Israelites,
the wrath of God against their idolatry is eased only through the
pleading of Moses. For the Pharisees, Jesus says that they will never
possess eternal life if they cannot accept him as the Son of God.

Now the question is, are there things in our own lives that are like
the golden calf, keeping us from fully living out our faith? Are we
making a sincere effort to keep Jesus foremost in our hearts? Do our
actions testify to our beliefs as Christians? Or do we do them for the
acceptance and praise of others? Jesus calls us to invite him into our
daily lives that we may experience the fullness of life that the
Father desires for all of us.

This Lenten season is an ideal time to quietly contemplate how we are
worshiping God; how much we recognize the love and care that God has
for each one of us. It is a good opportunity for us to examine our
conscience to see how well we are following the First Commandment and
being true to our loving God.

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
- Coach Boy Afable
- Christy Chin
- Elena
... for eternal repose of the soul of Beatriz M. Alda
… for the safety of Johnson Cuiting
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
In Memoriam (+): Antonio Ng, Sr.
… 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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