DAILY- HOMILY

NOVEMBER 18, 2009
MEMORIAL, DEDICATION OF THE BASILICAS OF STS PETER AND PAUL
WEDNESDAY 33RD WEEK ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

2 MACCABEES 7:1, 20-31
It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and
tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat
pork in violation of God's law. Most admirable and worthy of
everlasting remembrance was the mother, who saw her seven sons perish
in a single day, yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the
Lord. Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with
manly courage, she exhorted each of them in the language of their
ancestors with these words: "I do not know how you came into existence
in my womb; it was not I who gave you the breath of life, nor was it I
who set in order the elements of which each of you is composed.
Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe who shapes each
man's beginning, as he brings about the origin of everything, he, in
his mercy, will give you back both breath and life, because you now
disregard yourselves for the sake of his law." Antiochus, suspecting
insult in her words, thought he was being ridiculed. As the youngest
brother was still alive, the king appealed to him, not with mere
words, but with promises on oath, to make him rich and happy if he
would abandon his ancestral customs: he would make him his Friend and
entrust him with high office. When the youth paid no attention to him
at all, the king appealed to the mother, urging her to advise her boy
to save his life. After he had urged her for a long time, she went
through the motions of persuading her son. In derision of the cruel
tyrant, she leaned over close to her son and said in their native
language: "Son, have pity on me, who carried you in my womb for nine
months, nursed you for three years, brought you up, educated and
supported you to your present age. I beg you, child, to look at the
heavens and the earth and see all that is in them; then you will know
that God did not make them out of existing things; and in the same way
the human race came into existence. Do not be afraid of this
executioner, but be worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that
in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them." She had
scarcely finished speaking when the youth said: "What are you waiting
for? I will not obey the king's command. I obey the command of the law
given to our fathers through Moses. But you, who have contrived every
kind of affliction for the Hebrews, will not escape the hands of God."

LUKE 19:11-28
While people were listening to Jesus speak, he proceeded to tell a
parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the
Kingdom of God would appear there immediately. So he said, "A nobleman
went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and
then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold
coins and told them, `Engage in trade with these until I return.' His
fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him
to announce, `We do not want this man to be our king.' But when he
returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to
whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said, `Sir, your gold coin has earned ten
additional ones.' He replied, `Well done, good servant! You have been
faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.' Then
the second came and reported, `Your gold coin, sir, has earned five
more.' And to this servant too he said, `You, take charge of five
cities.' Then the other servant came and said, `Sir, here is your gold
coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of
you, because you are a demanding man; you take up what you did not lay
down and you harvest what you did not plant.' He said to him, `With
your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was
a demanding man, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what
I did not plant; why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my
return I would have collected it with interest.' And to those standing
by he said, `Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant
who has ten.' But they said to him, `Sir, he has ten gold coins.' He
replied, `I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Now as
for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring
them here and slay them before me.'" After he had said this, he
proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

REFLECTION
The first reading from Maccabees is the touching account of a mother
who gives up her seven sons in death to a ruler forcing them to break
God's Law. The graphic details of torture the mother witnesses for
each son would have been enough to break her resolve, but, she and her
sons saw righteousness only in death rather than offending God by
breaking His law.

In our own life, how many times have we bent or broken the law?
Perhaps we have committed nothing quite as serious as murder, robbery,
plunder, or domestic abuse. Yet cutting ourselves slack for minor
offenses soon make us immune to increasingly bigger transgressions.
Whenever we are tempted to take shortcuts by bending the Law, let us
think of this mother and her sons who were faithful unto death. Let us
remain faithful to God in small things in order to practice
faithfulness to Him in big things.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the strength and healing of:
- Eriberta Calvario
- Heidi Faraon
- Francis Torres
- Mon Torres
- Anastacio Manago
- Brenda Domingo-Solis
… for the personal intentions of
- Romuel Zamoranos
- Mary Deanne and family
- Valerie A
- Mark and Mycel
… Thanksgiving: Danica and family
… for the victims of natural disasters
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Fr. Ernie Cruz
- Birthday: Shiela C. Yu
- Birthday: Jody Sim
- In Memoriam (+): Wong Yong
… 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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