DAILY- HOMILY

DECEMBER 18, 2009
FRIDAY 3RD WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR I

JEREMIAH 23:5-8
Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a
righteous shoot to David; As king he shall reign and govern wisely, he
shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall
be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give
him: "The Lord our justice." Therefore, the days will come, says the
Lord, when they shall no longer say, "As the Lord lives, who brought
the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt"; but rather, "As the
Lord lives, who brought the descendants of the house of Israel up from
the land of the north" – and from all the lands to which I banished
them; they shall again live on their own land.

MATTHEW 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary
was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found
with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a
righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to
divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of
the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is
through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She
will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save
his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the
Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with
child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means
"God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord
had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations
with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.

REFLECTION
Joseph is the epitome of true faithfulness and unwavering trust in the
Lord. Let's take a look at his dilemma. The woman he is about to marry
is found to be pregnant and he is not the father. Being a man of
honor, he decides to divorce her quietly so as not to cause scandal.
The angel of the Lord, however, appears to Joseph in a dream imploring
him to reconsider. The child to be born will do great things. And so,
the story of Christmas is as it is supposed to be.

Imagine the repercussions if Joseph had chosen a different course. Who
would have guided Jesus in his formative years? The role of the father
is very important in any family. Fathers provide the strong foundation
that the entire family can lean on. During a crisis, the wisdom of a
father's love and concern is valuable.

Joseph's complete commitment for his family's welfare has endeared him
as a righteous man in the eyes of the Lord. He wasn't just raising any
ordinary person. Jesus was destined for greatness. Maybe others would
have been intimidated by the task. Joseph lovingly embraced this very
important responsibility. The man Jesus became can be traced to the
positive influence he gained in his early years from the man he also
called father.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especiaslly for the
unborn.
… for the strength and healing of:
- Brenda
- Sis. Dang Corpin
- Nedda Marjorie Correa
- Abraham
- Francis Torres
- Mon Torres
… for the personal intentions of
- Paul and Amalyn Regalado
- Raymund, Cris and Parke
… Birthday: Fr. Mac Reyes, SJ
… for the eternal repose of the souls of Antonio S. Co. Eternal rest
grant unto them and may perpetual light shine upon them. May they and
all the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for the victims of natural disasters
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Carmelita San Diego
- Prayer Intention: Vicky & Michael Tan Falcon
- Wedding Anniversary: Zenaida & Alexander See Co.
- Wedding Anniversary: Benito & Alice Cua
- Wedding Anniversary: Robin & Jackie Tong
- Wedding Anniversary: Ryan & Jin S. Gregorio
… 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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