DAILY- HOMILY

APRIL 18, 2011
MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK – YEAR I

Is 42:1-7 / Ps 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14 / Jn 12:1-11

ISAIAH 42:1-7
Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight. I
have put my spirit upon him, and he will bring justice to the nations.
He does not shout or raise his voice proclamations are not heard in
the streets. A broken reed he will not crush, nor will he snuff out
the light of the wavering wick. He will make justice appear in truth.
He will not waver or be broken until he has established justice on
earth; the islands are waiting for his law. Thus says God, Yahweh, who
created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread the earth and
all that comes from it, who gives life and breath to those who walk on
it: I, Yahweh, have called you for the sake of justice; I will hold
your hand to make you firm; I will make you as a covenant to the
people, and as a light to the nations, to open eyes that do not see,
to free captives from prison, to bring out to light those who sit in
darkness.

JOHN 12:1-11
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where he had
raised Lazarus, the dead man, to life. Now they gave a dinner for him,
and while Martha waited on them, Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus.
Then Mary took a pound of costly perfume made from genuine nard and
anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair. And the whole
house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Judas, son of
Simon Iscariot— the disciple who was to betray Jesus—remarked, "This
perfume could have been sold for three hundred silver coins and turned
over to the poor." Judas, indeed, had no concern for the poor; he was
a thief and as he held the common purse, he used to help himself to
the funds. But Jesus spoke up, "Leave her alone. Was she not keeping
it for the day of my burial? Many Jews heard that Jesus was there and
they came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus whom he
had raised from the dead. So the chief priests thought about killing
Lazarus as well, for many of the Jews were drifting away because of
him and believing in Jesus.

REFLECTION
Mary of Bethany's action is an admirable service of love to Jesus. She
anoints the feet of Jesus with precious perfume as a dramatic gesture
of gratitude for the kindness he has shown her before. She gives
everything sparing nothing to honor and pay homage to Jesus whom she
has come to love with all her heart. She believes and hopes in him.
But Judas sees Mary's anointing of the feet of Jesus with costly oil,
a waste of money, an uncalled-for extravagance. He looks at this
loving act in a materialistic way. This is why he becomes an easy
target of the devil. Satan uses this weakness to tempt him to betray
Jesus. If he were not worldly, he would not have given in to the
temptation.

If Jesus were to visit us in our own homes, what kind of preparation
shall we make? What shall we offer him? How shall we receive him?
Shall we receive him the way Mary did, offering him everything we
have, sparing nothing? Or shall we treat him the way Judas did,
unwilling to offer him anything?

In reality, we may not even be aware that Jesus lives in us, within
us... in the depths of our heart. What kind of dwelling place are we
providing him? Is this dwelling place good enough for our Lord who
comes to us even at times we do not want to let him in and yet, he
does not give up on us? Is this the way we treat our God and Savior?
Does he deserve such treatment?

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Marge, Ben, Eugene R, Maria, Mrs T, Ed's mom, Frank & Gene
- Amy Trice, Jim White
… for the personal intentions of:
- Nick
- Josheil Dapo
- Mary Wong
… for the eternal repose of the soul of Emmalynda V. Bernales. Eternal
rest grant unto her and may perpetual light shine upon her. May she
and all the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Mike P. Del Carmen
- Birthday: Terence Gotamco Tan
- Birthday: Forest Francis Tan
- Birthday: Beth Claudio
- Birthday: Amelita D. Go
- Wedding Anniversary: Henry & Julie Gamilla
- In Memoriam (+): Ildefonso Yang
- In Memoriam (+): Ramon Shih I Sheng (1900-1978)+
… 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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