DAILY- HOMILY

DECEMBER 3, 2009
MEMORIAL, FRANCIS XAVIER, PRIEST
THURSDAY 1ST WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR I

ISAIAH 26:1-6
On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah: "A strong
city have we; he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us. Open up the
gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith. A nation
of firm purpose you keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you."
Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal Rock. He humbles
those in high places, and the lofty city he brings down; He tumbles it
to the ground, levels it with the dust. It is trampled underfoot by
the needy, by the footsteps of the poor.

MATTHEW 7:21, 24-27
Jesus said to his disciples: "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord,
Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the
will of my Father in heaven. "Everyone who listens to these words of
mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on
rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted
the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on
them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell,
the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it
collapsed and was completely ruined."

REFLECTION
It is not a philosophy, principle, gimmick or psychology that provides
the solid foundation on which we can build our life safely. Rather, it
is the personal God and His Word, the Truth that provides the
unshakeable basis for a safe passage through the storms of life. The
Word of Jesus is the foundation of our life. We have to pay attention
to what Jesus says. With his words we can do a lot. We can discuss,
teach, write books, and use them for recollections and meditations.
But that is not what Jesus gave as a condition for a solid foundation.
We also need to act on them.

A physician studies medicine for many years but he will not be able to
perform a successful operation without practice. The same holds true
for our faith. It is through practice that we become deeply spiritual
persons who can face the difficulties of life without resorting to
superstition. The practice of the Word of God gives more security than
what we'd get from lucky charms.

Perhaps we think that the season of Advent is just a preparation time
for Christmas. But Advent is a new beginning of an advent that lasts
as long as we live. It goes beyond December 25. Advent, therefore,
becomes a new beginning in our journey towards spiritual maturity. And
this can be achieved only when our spirituality is based on the
rocklike foundation of practicing the Word of God.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the strength and healing of:
- Francis Torres
- Mon Torres
- Brenda
… for the personal intentions of Mary and Lawrence
… for the victims of natural disasters
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Cathy Diokno
- Birthday: Leonida G. Casiano
- Wedding Anniversary: Beny & Soraya Chua
… 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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