DAILY- HOMILY

FEBRUARY 26, 2010
FRIDAY 1ST WEEK OF LENT – YEAR II

EZEKIEL 18:21-28
'If the wicked, however, renounces all the sins he has committed,
respects my laws and is law-abiding and upright, he will most
certainly live; he will not die. None of the crimes he committed will
be remembered against him from then on; he will most certainly live
because of his upright actions. Would I take pleasure in the death of
the wicked -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- and not prefer to see him
renounce his wickedness and live? 'But if the upright abandons
uprightness and does wrong by copying all the loathsome practices of
the wicked, is he to live? All his upright actions will be forgotten
from then on; for the infidelity of which he is guilty and the sin
which he has committed, he will most certainly die. 'Now, you say,
"What the Lord does is unjust." Now listen, House of Israel: is what I
do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright
abandons uprightness and does wrong and dies, he dies because of the
wrong which he himself has done. Similarly, when the wicked abandons
wickedness to become law-abiding and upright, he saves his own life.
Having chosen to renounce all his previous crimes, he will most
certainly live: he will not die.

MATTHEW 5:20-26
'For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the
scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven.
'You have heard how it was said to our ancestors, You shall not kill;
and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I
say this to you, anyone who is angry with a brother will answer for it
before the court; anyone who calls a brother "Fool" will answer for it
before the Sanhedrin; and anyone who calls him "Traitor" will answer
for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the
altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with
your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come
to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the
way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and
the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. In truth
I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.

REFLECTION
Violence begets more violence. Oppressors rule people with naked
power. When the people rise up in anger, it becomes the very
justification for those in authority to wield its power and use
violence in order to keep the "angry mob" in place. Jesus knew this.
He knew that anger was behind much of the violence that existed at
that time.

In a world full of hate and violence, nothing is more radical than to
go to the root of the issue - anger. The strict observance of the
Mosaic Law created many feuds and violent action in the name of
justice. "An eye for an eye" has created a nation of blind people.
People so consumed with vengeance who seek justice through violence
and in the process perpetuate the very violence which leads to deeper
animosities. The only way to break the cycle is to subdue anger, so as
not to breed violence.

During his time, Jesus was already preaching Anger Management. How
often have we regretted saying hurtful words uttered in anger? How
often have we regretted doing things out of anger?

So, when we are angry, let us remind ourselves not to participate in
the perpetuation of anger and violence. Control our anger and manage
it so as break the cycle of hate and violence. This is the only way to
build a world of peace — with love and compassion.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the strength and healing of:
- Rita Cuerva
- Ely Lara
- Maripaz Ordonez Ortiz
- Brenda
- Arnold Cabatingan
- Walter Stamatelaky
- Lydia Pe
- Renan Lacida
- Fr. Ismael Zuloaga, SJ
… for the personal intentions of Pauline
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Jerome Roderick L. Diokno
- Wedding Anniversary: Vincent & Maget Fabella
… 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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