DAILY- HOMILY

AUGUST 10, 2010
FEAST, ST. LAWRENCE, DEACON AND MARTYR
MONDAY 19TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR II

SECOND CORINTHIANS 9:6-10
But remember: anyone who sows sparsely will reap sparsely as well --
and anyone who sows generously will reap generously as well. Each one
should give as much as he has decided on his own initiative, not
reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. God
is perfectly able to enrich you with every grace, so that you always
have enough for every conceivable need, and your resources overflow in
all kinds of good work. As scripture says: To the needy he gave
without stint, his uprightness stands firm for ever. The one who so
freely provides seed for the sower and food to eat will provide you
with ample store of seed for sowing and make the harvest of your
uprightness a bigger one:

JOHN 12:24-26
In all truth I tell you, unless a wheat grain falls into the earth and
dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies it yields a rich
harvest. Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life
in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me, must
follow me, and my servant will be with me wherever I am. If anyone
serves me, my Father will honour him.

REFLECTION
In the first reading St. Paul urges the Corinthians to help the Church
in Jerusalem at a time when the Holy Land was experiencing a famine.
He had organized a collection to be sent to the Christians of the
Jerusalem to help them buy food. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to give
not sadly, not grudgingly, but cheer fully, for he says, God loves a
cheerful giver.

St. Paul points to God's generosity. He wants the Corinthians to
imitate God in their generosity, to give to those in need with the
same abundance with which God has given gifts to them. God will, he
tells the church at Corinth, reward them abundantly. This may sound as
though St. Paul is appealing to the Corinthians' self-interest. "Give
to the poor and God will be generous to you." St. Paul, however, is
not proposing materialistic motivation to them. Rather he's speaking
of a principle of the spiritual life. Generosity with material goods
does not win from God material rewards. Generosity to those in need
merits spiritual rewards; we will grow in the Spirit.

This passage from St. Paul's second letter to the Corinthians was
chosen for the Mass honoring St. Lawrence probably because of a story
about the saint which shows him to be a cheerful person. The prefect
of Rome had ordered St. Lawrence to bring and turn over to him the
Church's treasure. St. Lawrence gathered the poor and brought them to
the prefect. "These," he announced to the Roman official, "these are
the Church's treasures." He was immediately martyred.

The Church today suggests we ought to imitate St. Lawrence's cheerful
generosity. Should we do this? Are we taking a chance? Maybe we'll
give too much and deprive ourselves and our families? We can be
generous, if we have faith that God will supply our needs, that he
will bless us as we try to live lives of love and service.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- JR Dolor, Adyn Bolos, Dolores Segui
- Jo Marcelo, Jun Lee, Mon Torres
- See Yung Hui
- Susan
… for the personal intentions of
- Nikolai, Aydin, Karl, Maureen Cortez
- Elmo Estinos
- Jazmine and Brenda
- Patrick and Mary Ann
- Donna
- J.E.S.
- Elaine, Mesh, Lourdes, Jun and Angel, John and Rica, Jojo and
Eunice, Jack and Maryann, Paul and Judy, Sheldon and Kristine
- Pauline
… for good health: Atty. Jose O. Cortez
… for safe travel: AB and LARS
… in Memoriam:
- Lutgarda S. Cortez
- Candelaria S. Ventura
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Deling Cortez
- Ulysses Antonio Yap
- Rodolfo E. Venturanza
- William Guanzon, Asilda Guanzon, Jose Cezar Sr, Dulce Cezar
Eternal rest grant unto them and may perpetual light shine upon them.
May they and all the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday +Cardinal Gaudencio B. Rosales. D.D.
- Birthday Mercedes Reyes
- In Memoriam (+) Dy Ka Bian
… for world peace and reconciliation.

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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