DAILY- HOMILY

JUNE 15, 2009
MONDAY 11TH WEEK ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-10
Brothers and sisters: As your fellow workers, we appeal to you not to
receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time I
heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a
very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We cause no
one to stumble in anything, in order that no fault may be found with
our ministry; on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves as
ministers of God, through much endurance, in afflictions, hardships,
constraints, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, vigils, fasts; by
purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in
unfeigned love, in truthful speech, in the power of God; with weapons
of righteousness at the right and at the left; through glory and
dishonor, insult and praise. We are treated as deceivers and yet are
truthful; as unrecognized and yet acknowledged; as dying and behold we
live; as chastised and yet not put to death; as sorrowful yet always
rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet
possessing all things.

MATTHEW 5:38-42
Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, An eye
for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no
resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right
cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law
with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone
press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give
to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants
to borrow."

REFLECTION
Today's Gospel reading talks about revenge. However, Jesus is not
trying to teach us passivism. Rather, he is inviting us to discover
that love is the perfection of justice. Humility and forgiveness are
the pillars of this radically new mentality. Only in the light of
these can we hope to build true and enduring peace in the world,
amongst those around us and even within ourselves. Fulfillment of this
attitude is not merely to avoid direct retaliations but rather to form
a generous and magnanimous heart which knows how to give itself
without ever giving up. Jesus walked the extra mile, which brought him
to the top of Calvary. Jesus promised salvation to the criminal who
asked him to remember him.

Jesus came down from heaven to teach us how to love, but some of us
have such a hard time loving those around us and even loving ourselves
sometimes. Jesus completely and utterly transformed our understanding
of the very human and understandable reaction and response of revenge
when he said: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hurt you." The
problem with revenge is that it hurts us more than it hurts those who
have hurt or wounded us. As the peace activist, Martin Luther King,
said: `The old law about "an eye for an eye" leaves everybody blind.'

Revenge solves nothing. It does not bring any closure or resolution or
enable us to find healing. The way of Jesus is the way to freedom. If
we strive to live by his way we will find it. Let us ask Jesus today
to help us to be more like him, to forgive and to give ourselves to
others so that we can make their lives just a bit happier and make
this world a better place to live in.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Shiappee
- Sophia Gonzalez
- Lisa
- Francis Torres
- Mylene Lingad
… for the special intentions: San Juan de Dios Hospital
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Jaime V. Ongpin (+)
- Wedding Anniversary: Wilfred Lim & Edna Lim
- In Memoriam (+): Estanislawa S. Bate
… 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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