DAILY- HOMILY

AUGUST 23, 2011
MEMORIAL, ST ROSE OF LIMA
TUESDAY 21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

1 Thes 2:1-8 / Ps 139:1-3, 4-5 / Mt 23:23-26

1 THESSALONIANS 2:1-8
You well know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not in
vain. We had been ill-treated and insulted in Philippi but, trusting
in our God, we dared announce to you the message of God, and face
fresh opposition. Our warnings did not conceal any error or impure
motive, nor did we deceive anyone. But as God had entrusted his Gospel
to us as to faithful ministers, we were anxious to please God who sees
the heart, rather than human beings. We never pleased you with
flattery, as you know, nor did we try to earn money, as God knows. We
did not try to make a name for ourselves among people, either with you
or anybody else, although we were messengers of Christ and could have
made our weight felt. On the contrary, we were gentle with you, as a
nursing mother who feeds and cuddles her baby. And so great is our
concern that we are ready to give you, as well as the Gospel, even our
very lives, for you
have become very dear to us.

MATTHEW 23:23-26
Jesus said, "Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You do not forget the mint, anise and cumin seeds when you
pay the tenth of everything, but then you forget what is most
fundamental in the Law: justice, mercy and faith. These you must
practice, without neglecting the others. Blind guides! You strain out
a mosquito, but swallow a camel. "Woe to you, teachers of the Law and
Pharisees, you hypocrites! You fill the plate and the cup with theft
and violence, and then pronounce a blessing over them. Blind Pharisee!
Purify the inside first, then the outside too will be purified."

REFLECTION
Why were the scribes and Pharisees so obsessed with their tithes of
mint, dill and cumin? Because these were the things that people saw.
They cleaned the outside of the cup because that was what was seen.
Their lack of faith, their judgmental thoughts, their lack of mercy,
their greed and self-indulgence were personal and not seen by people,
so they did not care to "clean" them.

Are we not like the scribes and Pharisees? Do we not distort the
importance of our obligations, worrying more about what is seen by
people? Then we do need to change for the better if we do not wish to
hear from Jesus these harsh words: "Woe to you on judgment day!"

How do we clean the inside of our lives? Greed and self-indulgence
come from the heart. If our heart is set on evil, then we will be
covering our actions with the appearances of good. On the other hand,
if our heart is set on what is good, then good actions will naturally
follow.

Let us ask the Lord Jesus to enlighten our mind and hearts so that we
can see ourselves as he sees us.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Fr. Antonio Claudio, Priscilla Eugenio and Yolanda Caberto
- Antonio Evangelista
- Fr. Ismael Zuloaga, SJ
- Andrew Que
- Wilfredo Tadiosa
- Jo Marcelo
- Jun Lee
- Jonathan Salazar
- Wally Torres
- Mon Torres
… for the eternal repose of the soul of Anna Limpe McAvoy. 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: Cristine C. Tan
- Birthday: Ann Stephanie Tan
… for families who are in need of healing
… 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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