DAILY- HOMILY

NOVEMBER 14, 2009
MEMORIAL, ROCH GONZALEZ, MARTYR
SATURDAY 32ND WEEK ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

WISDOM 18:14-16; 19:6-9
When peaceful stillness compassed everything and the night in its
swift course was half spent, Your all-powerful word, from heaven's
royal throne bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land, bearing
the sharp sword of your inexorable decree. And as he alighted, he
filled every place with death; he still reached to heaven, while he
stood upon the earth. For all creation, in its several kinds, was
being made over anew, serving its natural laws, that your children
might be preserved unharmed. The cloud overshadowed their camp; and
out of what had before been water, dry land was seen emerging: Out of
the Red Sea an unimpeded road, and a grassy plain out of the mighty
flood. Over this crossed the whole nation sheltered by your hand,
after they beheld stupendous wonders. For they ranged about like
horses, and bounded about like lambs, praising you, O Lord! their
deliverer.

LUKE 18:1-8
Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to
pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a
certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And
a widow in that town used to come to him and say, `Render a just
decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was
unwilling, but eventually he thought, `While it is true that I neither
fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps
bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally
come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the
dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his
chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to
answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for
them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
earth?"

REFLECTION
Jesus sets this before us as a model of how we are to pursue the life
of prayer. He tells us what shape this is to take: not to become
"weary" of prayer; "to call out" to God; and to do this "day and
night". Jesus wants prayer to accompany the whole of our life. Jesus
then describes our reality — the best situation possible. Unlike the
earthly judge, we have a judge who is just and who is a loving,
provident Father. Furthermore, Jesus tells us that God will be quick
in His replies. Nonetheless, most of us are deficient in our prayer
life. Few of us follow a solid and demanding prayer schedule. Perhaps
we pray now and then. Or we pray when we feel a particular need for
extra help, but especially when we are in trouble, in fear, in danger,
or when we are worried and anxious. Sometimes we even use prayers to
give God marching orders — along the lines of "my will be done" rather
than "your will be done", the original version taught by Jesus. When
God does not seem to comply with our wishes; that becomes the moment
to test our purity of intention.

Unlike the persistent widow, we have all had responses other than what
we expected from God. How we accept them reveals a lot about how much
we want God's will and how much we are attached to our own will. We
might think that the injunction to "pray always" is exaggerated, along
the lines of "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." But
Jesus is the Truth, and he is not given to cheap words and slogans.
When Jesus says something, he means it: Be perfect, pray always. These
are more than suggestions.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the strength and healing of: Brenda Domingo-Solis
… for the good health of: Enrique and Lizanne Castillo
… Birthday: Veny Yap
… for the victims of natural disasters
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Wedding Anniversary Robert & Catherine Dy
- In Memoriam (+): Celestino N. Leaño
- In Memoriam (+): Maria See Co. (Mar 23, 1916-Nov 14 2007)+
- In Memoriam (+): Choa Thian Siu (Jan 21, 1913-Nov 14-1983)+
- In Memoriam (+): Mercedes P. Salgado
… 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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Parish Priests' e-mail:
Fr. J. Cesar R. Marin, S. J. parishpriest@marythequeen.org

Assistant Parish Priests' e-mails:
Fr. R. Hart, S. J. rodneyhart@marythequeen.org
Fr. Thomas O'Gorman, S. J. thogorman@marythequeen.org
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