DAILY- HOMILY

JUNE 11, 2009
MEMORIAL, BARNABAS, APOSTLE
THURSDAY 10TH WEEK ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

ACTS 11:21B-26; 13:1-3
In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The news
about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent
Barnabas to go to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in
firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit
and faith. And a large number of people was added to the Lord. Then he
went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought
him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the Church and taught a
large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were
first called Christians. Now there were in the Church at Antioch
prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius
of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and
Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit
said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have
called them." Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid
hands on them and sent them off.

MATTHEW 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, unless your righteousness
surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into
the Kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to your
ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to
judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be
liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, `Raqa,' will be
answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, `You fool,' will be
liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the
altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with
your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your
opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your
opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you
over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to
you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."

REFLECTION
In today's Gospel we hear about anger. We also hear that if we are to
be followers of Jesus, it is not enough to follow the letter of the
law. The disciples are warned against the evil that anger can bring
and they are encouraged to seek reconciliation with anyone who has
wronged them or whom they have wronged. Anger places our spiritual
health in danger. There should be no holding on to old resentments
that fill us with uncharitable bitterness. Jesus is clear about not
using the power of words to inflict harm on those around us.

Jesus set down an essential condition to come to him. We need to be at
peace with our neighbor. Many of us have suffered because we have
stopped speaking to each other, unwilling to reach out because of
stubbornness or pride. If we harbor resentment towards another, we are
told not approach the altar of God. Our first duty is to try to
reconcile and then come to the altar. Only then are we ready to offer
the gift of ourselves in a manner that is pleasing to God. This is
what can help us to find peace that comes to us by God's grace.

As we reflect on today's Gospel, let us look at our own lives and see
if we are following Jesus' teaching. Are we consciously acting as
peacemakers? Is there somebody in our lives to whom we need to give an
apology? Is there somebody we still have not forgiven? Do we seek
reconciliation, even when we are the one who was offended? May Jesus'
teaching, in today's Gospel, become the thermometer of our daily love
for God and for each other.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Lisa
- Pit Eng
- Lucy Chin
- Ariana Cuevas
- Francis Torres
- Mylene Lingad
- Shiappee
- Sophia Gonzalez
… for the special intentions:
- San Juan de Dios Hospital
- Med Villanueva
… emotional healing, wisdom, strength and inner peace of Josheil Dapo
… for the healing of the Dapo family
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- John L. Carpio, Jr.
- Dolores Kalingasan
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: Rosalinda R. Roa
- Wedding Anniversary: Domingo & Cecilia Lim Uy
- Wedding Anniversary: Harry & Mimi Uy
- In Memoriam (+): Mercedes Pacis-Rosete
… 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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