DAILY- HOMILY

DECEMBER 24, 2009
THURSDAY 4TH WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR I

2 SAMUEL 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16
When King David was settled in his palace, and the Lord had given him
rest from his enemies on every side, he said to Nathan the prophet,
"Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in
a tent!" Nathan answered the king, "Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the Lord is with you." But that night the Lord spoke to Nathan and
said: "Go, tell my servant David, `Thus says the Lord: Should you
build me a house to dwell in? "`It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I
have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your
enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of
the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them
so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will
give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also reveals to you that
he will establish a house for you. And when your time comes and you
rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung
from your loins, and I will make his Kingdom firm. I will be a father
to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your Kingdom shall
endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.'"

LUKE 1:67-79
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:
"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people
and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of
the house of his servant David. Through his prophets he promised of
old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who
hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his
holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to
set us free from the hand of our enemies, free to worship him without
fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You,
my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will
go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of
salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion
of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our
feet into the way of peace."

REFLECTION
Perhaps we have many enemies, many terrors, which afflict our hearts,
not the least of which is our very selves. Yet when Jesus comes into
our lives, fear is dispelled, enemies are overcome, terrors vanish,
demons are destroyed and our hearts are opened to embrace the God of
love who brings hope, light and peace. All this can happen because the
Coming God is a gentle God of tenderness and care. He is the one who
has taken our lot, our condition, our very humanity seriously enough
to enter our flesh, live our life, dream our dreams and die our death.
He is not a God who is distant and keeps aloof, but one who is very
near to each one of us. Yes, the coming God is truly Emmanuel. After
these weeks of longing and preparation, he will once again be born in
our midst.

Let us offer him homage and always be men and women who are coming to
him. Though tomorrow will be a busy day filled with preparations and
family reunions, let us try to get away with the Lord into the quiet
place — the "house of God" — in our hearts and spend time with him.
Let his promises seep into our minds, refresh us, and give us hope for
the coming new year. Let God continue to build us into a temple and
dwelling place where He can live. Hear Him whisper of His tender care
and love for us this Christmas. And let us rejoice that God is
faithful and true to His promises. He will never abandon His dwelling
place among us.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the strength and healing of:
- Brenda
- Eva Desiderio
- Francis Torres
- Mon Torres
- Jessy
… for the safety of the residents of Albay, threatened by the eruption
of Mayon volcano
… good health: Isabelle
… Birthday and good health: Ben Baqui
… for the victims of natural disasters
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Wedding Anniversary: Paul & Chelo Jarme
… 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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