Sunday, December 12, 2010
MEMORIAL, ST. LUCY, VIRGIN AND MARTYR
MEMORIAL, ST. LUCY, VIRGIN AND MARTYR
MONDAY 3RD WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR II
NUMBERS 24:2-7, 15-17
Raising his eyes Balaam saw Israel settled tribe by tribe; the spirit
of God came on him and he declaimed his poem, as follows: The prophecy
of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of the man with far-seeing eyes,
the prophecy of one who hears the words of God. He sees what Shaddai
makes him see, receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened.
How fair your tents are, Jacob, how fair your dwellings, Israel, like
valleys that stretch afar, like gardens by the banks of a river, like
aloes planted by Yahweh, like cedars beside the waters! A hero arises
from their stock, he reigns over countless peoples. His king is
greater than Agag, and his kingship held in honour. He then declaimed
his poem, as follows: The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy
of the man with far-seeing eyes, the prophecy of one who hears the
words of God, of one who knows the knowledge of the Most High. He sees
what Shaddai makes him see, receives the divine answer, and his eyes
are opened. I see him -- but not in the present. I perceive him -- but
not close at hand: a star is emerging from Jacob, a sceptre is rising
from Israel, to strike the brow of Moab, the skulls of all the
children of Seth.
MATTHEW 21:23-27
He had gone into the Temple and was teaching, when the chief priests
and the elders of the people came to him and said, 'What authority
have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?' In
reply Jesus said to them, 'And I will ask you a question, just one; if
you tell me the answer to it, then I will tell you my authority for
acting like this. John's baptism: what was its origin, heavenly or
human?' And they argued this way among themselves, 'If we say
heavenly, he will retort to us, "Then why did you refuse to believe
him?"; but if we say human, we have the people to fear, for they all
hold that John was a prophet.' So their reply to Jesus was, 'We do not
know.' And he retorted to them, 'Nor will I tell you my authority for
acting like this.'
REFLECTION
If we recognize that the authority of Jesus Christ came from God, why
then do many refuse to believe in him? More so, many refuse to believe
in the Church even though Jesus passed his authority to the Church.
Today, many don't believe in the teachings of the Church. The Church
is the body of Christ. Those who don't believe will never believe.
Many times, we believe in the human authority which we can see and
touch rather than in the divine authority which we cannot see. And
since we do not see or refuse to see, we will always remain blind and
remain in a state of "not knowing".
Jesus is the recipient of a singular authority, with power to forgive
sins. He is the Lord of the Sabbath. He has power over sickness, and
even demons. His authority surpasses all earthly, political and human
authority. And with all this power and authority, Jesus chose to love
mankind, unworthy as we are and undeserving of so great a Savior. This
shows the greatest love the world has known. We are loved in a divine
and ultimate way!
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Vicky Fabella
- Deacon Joe Nicholas
- Susan
… for the personal intentions of Josheil Dapo
…In Thanksgiving: Luis Torres
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Marissa S. Saludares
- Birthday: Caridad Rabuco
- Birthday: Senator Manny Villar
- Birthday: Jesus A. Diaz, SJ
- Birthday: James Lim Yu
- Birthday: Christian Emmanuel Ching
- Thanksgiving: The Family of Aguilar & Villar
- In Memoriam (+): James Yao E Heong
… 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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| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
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3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT – A
3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT – A
ISAIAH 35:1-6, 10
Let the desert and the dry lands be glad, let the wasteland rejoice
and bloom; like the asphodel, let it burst into flower, let it rejoice
and sing for joy. The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it, the
splendour of Carmel and Sharon; then they will see the glory of
Yahweh, the splendour of our God. Strengthen all weary hands, steady
all trembling knees and say to the faint-hearted, 'Be strong! Do not
be afraid. Here is your God, vengeance is coming, divine retribution;
he is coming to save you.' Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame will leap like a deer and
the tongue of the dumb sing for joy; for water will gush in the desert
and streams in the wastelands, For those whom Yahweh has ransomed will
return, they will come to Zion shouting for joy, their heads crowned
with joy unending; rejoicing and gladness will escort them and sorrow
and sighing will take flight.
JAMES 5:7-10
Now be patient, brothers, until the Lord's coming. Think of a farmer:
how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the ground until it
has had the autumn rains and the spring rains! You too must be
patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord's coming will be soon. Do
not make complaints against one another, brothers, so as not to be
brought to judgement yourselves; the Judge is already to be seen
waiting at the gates. For your example, brothers, in patiently putting
up with persecution, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord's name.
MATTHEW 11:2-11
Now John had heard in prison what Christ was doing and he sent his
disciples to ask him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or are we to
expect someone else?' Jesus answered, 'Go back and tell John what you
hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, those suffering
from virulent skin-diseases are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead
are raised to life and the good news is proclaimed to the poor; and
blessed is anyone who does not find me a cause of falling.' As the men
were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the people about John, 'What did
you go out into the desert to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No?
Then what did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? Look,
those who wear fine clothes are to be found in palaces. Then what did
you go out for? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than
a prophet: he is the one of whom scripture says: Look, I am going to
send my messenger in front of you to prepare your way before you. 'In
truth I tell you, of all the children born to women, there has never
been anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the
kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.
REFLECTION
For those who are impatient with God the letter of James in today's
second reading offers some very wise words. He says: "Be patient.
Steady your hearts. Do not grumble against one another. Take as our
models, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord". One such
prophet is John the Baptist.
John the Baptist is in jail and wants to know if Jesus is the promised
Messiah. He sends his disciples to Jesus to ask the question: "Are you
he who is to come, or do we look for another?" This is by no means a
casual question of identity, but a critical question whose answer
affects our entire destiny. As such, it is a timeless, contemporary
and ultimate question.
During Advent we wait expectantly for the coming of Christ at
Christmas. We wait expectantly because we are aware of our poverty and
emptiness, conditions described in the first reading from the Prophet
Isaiah. But we must not allow our weakness and failures to discourage
us. Rather, they should make us desire Christ's coming all the more.
This is the attitude of the liturgy, and it should be ours as well.
In the gospel Jesus tells the messengers of John the Baptist: "Go back
and report what you hear and see. The blind recover their sight and
the deaf hear. Cripples walk and dead men rise of life". In other
words, we don't have to stay the way we are, weak, blind or crippled.
Our Savior is coming at Christmas to bring us strength, light and
healing. We don't have to look for another. Jesus is the one who is to
come. We need no other. He is our way, our truth and our life.
Our question becomes a mission. Once we have experienced Christ's
presence and power in our lives, we are sent to share these with
others. Like John the Baptist, we too are sent as messengers to open
the hearts of people to his coming into their lives.
Let us build bridges and enter into people's lives so that we may see
Jesus in each one of them. Maybe then they will also discover the
Christ who lives in them reflected in our eyes. Let us offer the
members of our family to Jesus so that he may bring them to the Father
to receive forgiveness and love. Let us offer Jesus our eyes so that
he may use them to show his compassion and understanding to others.
Let us offer him our hands so that he may use them to love and bless
all those we meet on the road of life. Let us offer him our lips so
that he may use them to speak words of love, encouragement and support
to those who need to hear them.
Let us prepare the way before him so that he may enter into the hearts
and lives of those we meet every day. It is for this that he
commissions and empowers us. So let us respond by saying: "Make me a
channel of your peace".
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Jo Marcelo, Jun Lee, Mon Torres, Fleur Torres, Peping Torres, John
Lawrence
- Marife
- Vicky Fabella
- Susan
… for the personal intentions of
- Veca Yap
- Josheil Dapo
…In Thanksgiving: Luis Torres
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Diego Estrella Bate
- Wedding Anniversary: Al and Cita Conception
- In Memoriam (+): Orlando G. Salgado
- In Memoriam (+): Laura Peczon Platon
… 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!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only.
Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends,
colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the
following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
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SATURDAY 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR II
SATURDAY 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR II
SIRACH 48:1-4, 9-11
Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, his word flaring like a
torch. It was he who brought famine on them and decimated them in his
zeal. By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens, three times also
he brought down fire. How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah!
Has anyone reason to boast as you have? - taken up in the whirlwind of
fire, in a chariot with fiery horses; designated in the prophecies of
doom to allay God's wrath before the fury breaks, to turn the hearts
of fathers towards their children, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed, those who will see you, and those who have fallen asleep in
love; for we too shall certainly have life.
MATTHEW 17:10-13
And the disciples put this question to him, 'Why then do the scribes
say that Elijah must come first?' He replied, 'Elijah is indeed
coming, and he will set everything right again; however, I tell you
that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but
treated him as they pleased; and the Son of man will suffer similarly
at their hands.' Then the disciples understood that he was speaking of
John the Baptist.
REFLECTION
Elijah, the man of God, mysteriously foreshadowed John the Baptist in
many ways. The return of Elijah was discussed in ancient Jewish
tradition. Today's first reading from the book of Sirach, also known
as Ecclesiasticus, written about 200 years before the birth of Christ,
speaks about this tradition. In saying that Elijah has returned, Jesus
is referring to John the Baptist.
John's first public appearance was in the desert, near the Jordan, the
very place venerated by the memory of Elijah. John the Baptist was the
censor of people, the warning to people, yet winning people over by
his utter simplicity. He did not draw them by soft inducements but by
harsh words and by the threat of doom that awaited those who would not
listen.
In his exhortations he distinguished true heart conversion from the
false conversion of conformity. John the Baptist was, a fiery
whirlwind in his lifestyle, vividly remembering Elijah's ascension
into heaven in a whirlwind, carried away in a flaming chariot drawn by
flaming horses.
Our reflections should reflect the same kind of urgency and zealous
anticipation of the Lord's return. But John is only a symbol. He is
dynamic model. He teaches us discipline, mortification and repentance.
There is to be no more hiding behind excuses for our weak spiritual
life. John warns us with stark directness: "Even now, the ax is laid
to the root of the tree." And he does this not only by his dramatic
words, but by his very life style, that of a herald's voice, silenced
only by martyrdom, the offering of his life for the faith that he
proclaimed.
When we open up our hearts to his words and his memory, we heighten
our awareness of what Christ's coming can mean for us, namely the
beginning of a new life of grace. Each advent can constitute a renewal
of Baptism, through which our souls were first opened to the coming of
the Savior. Christ does not come empty-handed. He brings us divine
life. Christ is, after all, the supreme Gift-giver.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Elizabeth B. Santos
- Konnie Lo
- Jo Marcelo, Jun Lee, Mon Torres, Fleur Torres, Peping Torres, John
Lawrence
- Marife
- Vicky Fabella
- Susan
… for the personal intentions of
- Maxiene Ponce De Leon
- Carlito P. Santos, Maria Karen B. Santos, Karlo Eliezer B. Santos,
Jhoanna Leiko B. Hagiwara
- Veca Yap
- Josheil Dapo
…In Thanksgiving: Luis Torres
… for the eternal repose of the souls of Felino Manas Santos, Gregoria
Pahati Santos. 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: Joana Mari G. Villanueva
- Birthday: Mark Allan C. Camposagrado
- Birthday: Max Tuliao
- Birthday: Pinky S. Abueg
- Birthday: Alle Lourdes T. Sun
- Wedding Anniversary: Tom & Edith Caro
… 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!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only.
Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends,
colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the
following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
--
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© 2010 Daily-Homily
