DAILY- HOMILY

DECEMBER 4, 2011
2ND SUNDAY OF ADVENT – B

Is 40:1-5, 9-11 / Ps 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14 / 2 Pt 3:8-14 / Mk 1:1-8

ISAIAH 40:1–5, 9–11
"Be comforted, my people, be strengthened," says your God. "Speak to
the heart of Jerusalem, proclaim to her that her time of bondage is at
an end, that her guilt has been paid for, that from the hand of Yahweh
she has received double punishment for all her iniquity." A voice
cries In the wilderness, "Prepare the way for Yahweh. Make straight in
the desert a highway for our God. Every valley will be raised up;
every mountain and hill will be laid low. The stumbling blocks shall
become level and the rugged places smooth. The glory of Yahweh will be
revealed, and all mortals together will see it; for the mouth of
Yahweh has spoken." "Go up onto the high mountain, messenger of Zion,
lift up your voice with strength, fear not to cry aloud when you tell
Jerusalem and announce to the cities of Judah: "Here is your God!"
Here comes your God with might; his strong arm rules for him; his
reward is with him, and here before him is his booty. Like a shepherd
he tends his flock: he gathers the lambs in his arms, he carries them
in his bosom, gently leading those that are with young."

2 PETER 3:8-14
Do not forget, brothers and sisters, that with the Lord, one day is
like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. The Lord
does not delay in fulfilling his promise, though some speak of delay;
rather he gives you time because he does not want anyone to perish,
but that all may come to conversion. The Day of the Lord is to come
like a thief. Then the heavens will dissolve with a great noise; the
elements will melt away by fire, and the earth with all that is on it
will be burned up. Since all things are to vanish, how holy and
religious your way of life must be, as you wait for the Day of God and
long for its coming, when the heavens will dissolve in fire and the
elements melt away in the heat. We wait for a new heaven and a new
earth in which justice reigns, according to God's promise. Therefore,
beloved, as you wait in expectation of this, strive that God may find
you rooted in peace, without blemish or fault.

MARK 1:1-8
This is the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of
God. It is writ ten in the book of Isaiah, the prophet, "I am sending
my messenger ahead of you to prepare your way. Let the people hear the
voice calling in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, level his
paths." So John began to baptize in the desert; he preached a baptism
of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All Judea and all the
people from the city of Jerusalem went out to John to confess their
sins and be baptized by him in the river Jordan. John was clothed in
camel's hair and wore a leather garment around his waist. His food was
locusts and honey. He preached to the people saying, "After me comes
one who is more powerful than I am; I have baptized you with water,
but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit."

REFLECTION
The hardest part of our conversion is to recognize that we are blind.
Because in order to desire to be cured, we must first of all recognize
our blindness. How could we possibly be blind?

Everyday we are blind to other people. We are blind when we see only
ourselves, our own needs, our own desires, our own ambitions. We are
also blind when we make ourselves the center of the universe. We are
blind when we fail to confess that we are sinners, and fail to accept
with gratitude the mercy of God offered to us. We are blind also when
we fail to recognize the love of God that He sends us thru the cross.
Thru the cross, we learn to lean on God. It is precisely in the cross,
in the sufferings, in the very problems that we detest, that salvation
will come. That is why when we speak of the glorious cross.

It is difficult to see the cross as a gift, as a grace, and it is only
with new eyes that we can see this. Thru the cross, we see that we are
not God; we see that our limitations bring us closer to our Creator
and help us to be humble. The proud will never inherit the kingdom of
God, so the cross is the sword that beats our pride down. When we
recognize our weakness, that is the moment we can be cured of our
blindness and see the goodness and mercy of God.

To have the new eyes of Christ is to have the real sight restored. We
have to see events with faith, with the eyes of Christ.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Inigo Javillo
- Nathan Javillo
… for the personal intentions of
- Berna Javillo
- Michael Jones, Joanne McGuire, Tammy Modica, Kathy Taylor, Terry
Modica
- Pauline
- Carlos and Emma Q
… for the successful result of the BAR examinees of Ateneo Law School
Batch 2011 (all Sundays of November)
... Birthday: Cordelia Anyaugo
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Teodora Baluca, Sr.
- Silvestre Monay, Sr.
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.
- Prayer Intention: Johnson Ho Gotamco
- In Memoriam (+): Bernardo M. Sison
… 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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