DAILY- HOMILY

MAY 21, 2009
MEMORIAL, CHRISTOPHER MAGALLANES & COMPANIONS, MARTYRS
THURSDAY 6TH WEEK OF EASTER – YEAR I

ACTS 18:1-8
Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila,
a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife
Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. He
went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade, stayed
with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. Every
sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to
convince both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came down from
Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the
word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. When they
opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to
them, "Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From
now on I will go to the Gentiles." So he left there and went to a
house belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God; his
house was next to a synagogue. Crispus, the synagogue official, came
to believe in the Lord along with his entire household, and many of
the Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized.

JOHN 16:16-20
Jesus said to his disciples: "A little while and you will no longer
see me, and again a little while later and you will see me." So some
of his disciples said to one another, "What does this mean that he is
saying to us, `A little while and you will not see me, and again a
little while and you will see me,' and `Because I am going to the
Father'?" So they said, "What is this `little while' of which he
speaks? We do not know what he means." Jesus knew that they wanted to
ask him, so he said to them, "Are you discussing with one another what
I said, `A little while and you will not see me, and again a little
while and you will see me'? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep
and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief
will become joy."

REFLECTION
Recall a time when you lost sight of Jesus. Whenever we focus on our
troubles, we take our eyes off Jesus and become blind to what He's
doing to help us. Spiritual growth means improving our self-control so
that we focus on Jesus no matter what's happening. The sooner we
remember to do this, the sooner we see Him again.

When work or our ministry preoccupies us, remember that Jesus is
beside us, instructing us in what to do, how to do it, and how to be a
witness of his love and truth. Losing sight of Jesus makes us
vulnerable to sin. Then, when we get in touch with our sins and
realize that we've crucified Christ by hurting others and ourselves,
we truly do mourn and weep, as Jesus prophesied in this Gospel
reading. But notice that He added: "You will grieve for a time, but
your grief will be turned into joy." What is it that is grieving us
now? Where is our joy lacking? Why are we lacking it? How can our
grief be turned into joy?

When we deny our need for forgiveness or after seeking it we deny that
we have been forgiven, we lose the joy of our salvation. Likewise,
when we look to externals for our joy, we lose the gift of joy that
Jesus has given us. Only by seeing Jesus as the true source of joy can
we find hope and healing and lasting happiness. Only by noticing how
Jesus handled life can we develop the right attitudes about our own
life. Only by observing why Jesus was glad to suffer for the sake of
others can we find blessings in our sufferings.

Have we lost sight of Jesus? Look again. Keep our eyes on Jesus, but
when we have to look at others, or things or events or whatever, see
them through his eyes!

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the healing and speedy recovery of:
- Eligia Fernando
- Sophia Gonzalez
- Shiappee
- Mylene Lingad
- Francis Torres
- Ester Marcelo
- Elvira Belen
… for the safety of Johnson Cuiting
… for the special intentions:
- San Juan de Dios Hospital
- Annie Leonardo
… In Memoriam:
- Luy Wai and Lok Nee Chau
- Sebastian Luy
… for the eternal repose of the soul of Jerry Guevara. Eternal rest
grant unto him and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he and all
the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Felisa Lim Uy
- Birthday: Dada M. Del Carmen
- Birthday: Cong. Adelina Rodriguez Zaldarriaga
- Wedding Anniversary: Benito Jr. Layfong Montero
- Wedding Anniversary: Cecille & Nam Le
… 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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