DAILY- HOMILY

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011
THURSDAY 25TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

Hg 1:1-8 / Ps 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 9 / Lk 9:7-9

HAGGAI 1:1-8
In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the
sixth month, a word of Yahweh was directed to the prophet Haggai for
the benefit of Zerub babel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah,
and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. "So says Yahweh of
hosts: This people claim that the time to rebuild the House of Yahweh
has not yet come. Well now, hear what I have to say through the
prophet Haggai: Is this the time for you to live in your well-built
houses while this House is a heap of ruins? Think about your ways: you
have sown much but harvested little, you eat and drink but are not
satisfied, you clothe yourselves but still feel cold, and the laborer
puts the money he earned in a tattered purse. Now think about what you
must do: go to the mountain and look for wood to rebuild the House.
This will make me happy and I will feel deeply honored, says Yahweh.

LUKE 9:7-9
King Herod heard of all that Jesus was doing and did not know what to
think, for people said, "This is John, raised from the dead." Others
believed that Elijah or one of the ancient prophets had come back to
life. As for Herod, he said, "I had John beheaded; who is this man
about whom I hear such wonders?" And he was anxious to see him.

REFLECTION
What is our idea of a good and happy life? Many seek happiness in
pleasure, wealth and success. This seems to be idea of the Israelites
at the time of the prophet Haggai. The Israelites had just returned
from their Babylonian exile and while the temple lay in ruins, they
set about to build their own homes and make themselves comfortable.
The prophet Haggai, in today's first reading, speaks strongly of the
emptiness in their lives as they look to their own interests above
those of God. With all the crops they have sown, all the food and
drink they have consumed, and all the wages they have earned, the
people of Israel receive only empty rewards and no satisfaction, no
joy. It is only by building the Lord's temple and serving the God of
their salvation that the people again find joy and meaning in life.
The message is very clear. Without God, our lives have little meaning.

King Herod, who is mentioned in the Gospel reading, could rightly be
seen by many as a man who had every reason to be happy. He had power,
wealth and a new wife. However, the Gospel reading shows him fret ting
and confused about this new preacher, Jesus of Nazareth, who has just
come on the scene. Herod's curiosity about Jesus could eventually have
led to his conversion, to his giving his life over to Jesus and
finding the joy that we all seek. Unfortunately, he never let his
curiosity blossom into true searching for the truth. Herod's life
story could have been one of the greatest conversion stories, like
that of Saul of Tarsius, who from being a persecutor of the early
Christians, became Paul the Apostle, the defender and preacher of the
Good News of Jesus Christ. Instead Herod's life story became the
tragic story of a mighty ruler who missed a precious opportunity to be
a great follower of Jesus.

Both readings today describe people who set their hearts on the wrong
aspects of life and did not put God first in the lives. Let us pray
today for the wisdom and courage to put God first in our own lives.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of:
- Normita Siaco
- Julie Manzon
- Fe Edralyn Barayoga
- Linda and Patricio Manzon
- Loida Buensalida
… for the personal intentions of
- Estelita Escamilla
- Glenn Bisco
- Mary Ann Castro
- Ma Fe De Castro
- Domingo Barayoga Jr.
- Glenn Dale and John Dale Manzon
- Glenn Manzon
… In Thanksgiving:
- Manzon Family
- Barayoga Family
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Micah M. Del Carmen
- Birthday: Maria Rosabel Nazal Kaw
- Birthday: Regina V. Morabe
… 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!

**************************************************

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.
+================================================+

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GoogleGroup Address: http://groups.google.com/group/daily_homily
To subscribe from this free mailing service, send email to: dailyhomily@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe: daily_homily-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com

© 2011 Daily-Homily