DAILY- HOMILY

DECEMBER 13, 2011
MEMORIAL, ST. LUCY, VIRGIN AND MARTYR
TUESDAY 3RD WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR I

Zeph3:1-2, 9-13 / Ps 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19, 23 / Mt 21:28-32

ZEPHANIAH 3:1-2, 9-13
Woe to the rebellious, the defiled, the city that op presses. She did
not pay attention to the call nor accept the correction; she did not
trust Yahweh nor did she approach her God. At that time I will give
truthful lips to the pagan nations that all of them may call on the
name of Yahweh and serve him with the same zeal. From beyond the
rivers of Ethiopia they will bring offerings to me. On that day you
will no longer be ashamed of all your deeds when you were unfaithful
to me; I will have removed from your midst the conceited and arrogant
and my holy mountain will no longer be for you a pretext for boasting.
I will leave within you a poor and meek people who seek refuge in God.
The remnant of Israel will not act unjustly nor will they speak
falsely, nor will deceitful words be found in their mouths. They will
eat and rest with none to threaten them.

MATTHEW 21:28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, "What do you
think of this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said to
him: `Son, today go and work in my vineyard.' And the son answered: `I
don't want to.' But later he thought better of it and went. Then the
father went to the second and gave him the same command. This son
replied: `I will go, sir,' but he did not go. Which of the two did
what the father wanted?" They answered, "The first." And Jesus said to
them, "Truly, I say to you: the publicans and the prostitutes are
ahead of you on the way to the kingdom of heaven. For John came to
show you the way of goodness but you did not believe him, yet the
publicans and the prostitutes did. You were witnesses of this, but you
neither repented nor believed him."

REFLECTION
The thrust of Jesus' application of the parable can be summarized this
way. The chief priests and elders are like the second son. They
profess to be righteous observers of God's law, but they refuse to
hear the call of John the Baptist and of Jesus himself. The tax
collectors and the prostitutes, on the other hand, are like the first
son. They said "no" to God in the course of their lives, but they
repent and change their ways and thus they enter the Kingdom of God.

How does today's parable apply to us? The first application shows the
sadder but wiser and more genuine reaction of the first son. He
repents and proves it by action. Jesus said in the Sermon of the
Mount: "It is not those who say to me `Lord, Lord' who will enter the
kingdom of heaven." In other words, actual repentance is the true test
of obedience. In his preaching, Jesus often emphasized the importance
of response and action. It is doing the will of the Father, keeping
His commandments, per forming the works of repentance. It is not
enough for us to just talk about the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The second application shows that the tax collectors, prostitutes and
other sinners had no difficulty in recognizing that their salvation
was a work of God's grace and not their own righteousness. In other
words, our good works, even our repentance, are possible only through
God's grace.

Advent is the time to apply these points to our lives. Perhaps we,
like the first son, sometimes feel negative towards the commands of
Jesus. But if, in spite of these feelings, we repent, believe and take
action, we will be children of God's kingdom.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Baby Diam Dy
- Chief SamRose Anyaugo
- Francis Santos
- Julie Manzon
- Glenn Manzon
- Jovelyn Ureta
- Jo Marcelo
- Mon Torres
- Rakkie Villa
… for the personal intentions of
- Dr. Ugonna Anyaugo; Mr Ogechi Anyaugo; Barr Obinna Okoronkwo; Barr
(Mrs) Adaugo Barbara Okoronkwo; Ifeanyi Mathias Anyaugo; Chuba
Osinachi Anyaugo; Ezinne Cordelia C Anyaugo; Cordelia
- Pauline
- Cherie Torres
- Tess
- Lordy Fernandez
- Julie and Glenn Manzon
- Ma.Fe and Florante De Castro
- Mary Ann Castro
- Glenn and Joel Bisco
- Estelita Escamilla and Salvador Escamilla
- Fe Edralyn and Domingo Barayoga Jr.
- Josheil Dapo
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Serafia Manalili Laquian
- Ernesto F. Singson Jr.
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: Jesus A. Diaz, SJ
- Birthday: Harold S. Macasaquit
- Birthday: Jessica Ho Gotamco
- Birthday: James Lim Yu
- Birthday: Christian Emmanuel Ching
- Birthday: Caridad Rabuco
- In Memoriam (+): James Yao E Heong
… 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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