DAILY- HOMILY

MARCH 26, 2011
SATURDAY 2ND WEEK OF LENT – YEAR I

Mi 7:14-15, 18-20 / Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12 / Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

MICAH 7:14-15, 18-20
Shepherd your people with your staff, shepherd the flock of your
inheritance that dwells alone in the scrub, in the midst of a fertile
land. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old, in the
days when you went out of Egypt. Who is a god like you, who takes away
guilt and pardons crime for the remnant of his inheritance? Who is
like you whose anger does not last? For you delight in merciful
forgiveness. Once again you will show us your loving kindness and
trample on our wrongs, casting all our sins into the depths of the
sea. Show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn
to our ancestors from the days of old.

LUKE 15:1-3, 11-32
So Jesus told them this parable: "There was a man with two sons. The
younger said to his father: `Give me my share of the estate.' So the
father divided his proper t y between them. "Some days later, the
younger son gathered all his belongings and started of f for a distant
land where he squandered his wealth in loose living. Having spent
everything, he was hard pressed when a severe famine broke out in that
land. ... Finally coming to his senses, he said: `How many of my
father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to
death! I will get up and go back to my father and say to him: Father,
I have sinned against God and before you. I no longer deserve to be
called your son. He was still a long way off when his father caught
sight of him. His father was so deeply moved with compassion that he
ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.
The son said: `Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you. I
no longer deserve to be called your son.' But the father turned to his
servants: `Quick! Bring out the finest robe and put it on him. Put a
ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and
kill it. We shall celebrate and have a feast, for this son of mine was
dead and has come back to life. He was lost and is
found.' ...Meanwhile, the elder son had been working in the fields. As
he returned and was near the house, he heard the sound of music and
dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what it was all
about. The servant answered: `Your brother has come home safe and
sound, and your father is so happy about it that he has ordered this
celebration and killed the fattened calf.' "The elder son became angry
and refused to go in. His father came out and pleaded with him. The
indignant son said: `Look, I have slaved for you all these years. Yet
you have never given me even a young goat to celebrate with my
friends. Then when this son of yours returns after squandering your
property with loose women, you kill the fattened calf for him.' The
father said: `My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is
yours. But this brother of yours was dead, and has come back to life.
He was lost and is found. And for that we had to rejoice and be
glad.'"

REFLECTION
Like the father of the prodigal son, God does not dwell on our past
waywardness. He knows all your sins and weaknesses, but as you open
your mouth to confess them, He stops you. He rejoices when you come
back to His embrace. He has already removed your transgressions as far
as the east is from the west.

Lent is the moment for us to stop, sit down, and try to reflect on our
own present situations as sinners. Truly, sin has dragged us down to
our lowest dignity and placed us into a most embarrassing position.
The good news, however, is that should we at any time find ourselves
burdened by our sins, we may go back to our Father and He will always
run to meet us and rejoice that we have found our way back to Him.
Like the Pharisees and scribes, the older brother, in his self-
righteousness, has forgotten to rejoice when a sinner returns to God.
Bitterness and resentment keep him from forgiving his younger brother.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Dr. Pepe Nebre
- Jo Marcelo
- Jun Lee
- Pamela, Juday, Darlita, Godofredo, Lydia & Jennette
… for the personal intentions of:
- Louie Relatado
- Nabua and family
- Pe Aguirre family
- Josheil Dapo
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
… 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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