DAILY- HOMILY

AUGUST 26, 2011
FRIDAY 21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

1 Thes 4:1-8 / Ps 97:1, 2, 5-6, 10, 11-12 / Mt 25:1-13

1 THESSLONIANS 4:1-8
For the rest, brothers, we ask you in the name of Jesus, the Lord, and
we urge you to live in a way that pleases God, just as you have
learned from us. This you do, but try to do still more. You know the
instructions we gave you on behalf of the Lord Jesus: the will of God
for you is to become holy and not to have unlawful sex. Let each of
you behave towards his wife as a holy and respectful husband, rather
than being led by lust, as are pagans who do not know God. In this
matter, let no one offend or wrong a brother. The Lord will do justice
in all these things, as we have warned and shown you. God has called
us to live, not in impurity but in holiness, and those who do not heed
this instruction disobey, not a human, but God himself who gives you
his Holy Spirit.

MATTHEW 25:1-13
Jesus told his disciples this parable: "This story throws light on
what will happen in the kingdom of heaven. Ten bridesmaids went out
with their lamps to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were careless
while the others were sensible. The careless bridesmaids took their
lamps as they were and did not bring extra oil. But those who were
sensible, brought with their lamps flasks of oil. As the bridegroom
delayed, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight, a cry
rang out: `The bridegroom is here, come out and meet him!' All the
maidens woke up at once and trimmed their lamps. Then the careless
ones said to the sensible ones: `Give us some oil, for our lamps are
going out.' The sensible ones answered: `There may not be enough for
both you and us. You had better go to those who sell and buy for
yourselves.' "They were out buying oil when the bridegroom came, and
those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the doors
were shut. "Later the rest of the bridesmaids arrived and called out:
`Lord, Lord, open to us.' But he answered: `Truly, I do not know you.'
"So, stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour."

REFLECTION
What is this parable about? It is about a wedding, the wedding of
Christ and the Church. There are 5 foolish wedding attendants and 5
sensible ones. The foolish ones did not bring oil for their lamps
while the sensible ones did. So while they were waiting for the
bridegroom to arrive, they fell asleep. What does this oil signify? It
signifies the Holy Spirit. No one who has not received the spirit of
holiness, of generosity, of kindness, of gentleness, of chastity,
etc., can enter the kingdom of God. Without oil to light their lamps,
the foolish wedding attendants were lef t out of the wedding hall.

What does this mean for us? That to be married to Christ, we must be
pure, chaste and full of the Holy Spirit. God cannot be joined to an
impure person in marriage. The Holy Spirit cannot invade the heart of
a person who is full of selfishness, greed, lust, etc. In the first
reading, St. Paul reminds us that we are called to be holy and not
immoral. He says that our dealings with one another must not be for
lustful gain. Relationships between men and women nowadays are often
tainted by impure motives. St. Paul says that the Holy Spirit cannot
enter into a person who has impure motives.

So let us ask God to clean our hearts and minds and make us chaste and
pure persons. Let us ask for the Holy Spirit so that like the sensible
wedding attendants, we may be admitted to the wedding feast of Christ
and his beloved bride, the Church.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Andrew Que
- Wilfredo Tadiosa
- Jo Marcelo
- Jun Lee
- Jonathan Salazar
- Wally Torres
- Mon Torres
- Kris and Ben
- Ditas dela Paz
- Chuck, Karen T, Mrs C, Ben, Pam, Maria & John C
- Julie Manzon
- Lisa Chan
… for the personal intentions of
- Fr. Sergio
- Veronica Yap
- Elizabeth Toral
- Estileta and Salvador Escamilla
- Ma.Fe and Florante De Castro
- Mary Ann Castro
- Glenn and Joel Bisco
- Fe and Doming Barayoga Jr.
- Glenn and Julie Manzon
- Pat and Linda Manzon
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Tom Taylor
- Anna Limpe McAvoy
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: Edwin C. Inocentes
- Birthday: Pierre Angeli Dee Addison
- Wedding Anniversary: Manuel & Milagros Tagle
- In Memoriam (+): Edgardo Diama +
… 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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