DAILY- HOMILY

JANUARY 9, 2012
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or Is 55:1-11 / Acts 10:34-38 or 1 Jn 5:1-9 / Mk 1:7-11

ISAIAH 42:1-4, 6-7
Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight. I
have put my spirit upon him, and he will bring justice to the nations.
He does not shout or raise his voice proclamations are not heard in
the streets. A broken reed he will not crush, nor will he snuff out
the light of the wavering wick. He will make justice appear in truth.
He will not waver or be broken until he has established justice on
earth; the islands are waiting for his law. I, Yahweh, have called you
for the sake of justice; I will hold your hand to make you firm; I
will make you as a covenant to the people, and as a light to the
nations, to open eyes that do not see, to free captives from prison,
to bring out to light those who sit in darkness.

ACTS 10:34-38
Peter then spoke to them, "Truly, I realize that God does not show
partiality, but in all nations he listens to everyone who fears God
and does good. And this is the message he has sent to the children of
Israel, the good news of peace he has proclaimed through Jesus Christ,
who is the Lord of all. No doubt you have heard of the event that
occurred throughout the whole country of the Jews, beginning from
Galilee, after the baptism John preached. You know how God anointed
Jesus the Nazarean with Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing
good and healing all who were under the devil's power, because God was
with him.

MARK 1:7-11
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." At that time Jesus came from
Nazareth, a town of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
And the moment he came up out of the water, heaven opened before him,
and he saw the Spirit coming down on him like a dove. And these words
were heard from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved, the One I have
chosen."

REFLECTION
When we interact with people, we often cannot help but have gut
reactions. At times, we may feel drawn to some individuals because the
person looks familiar or we find their appearance quite pleasing.
Certain habits or personal characteristics strike us as being positive
or even desirable. The attention that that other person gives to us
can also flatter us and we respond in similar attentive ways. In
contrast, we occasionally meet people who just strike us negatively.
We may not always easily identify the reasons behind our negative
reaction, but know only too well to be cautious in interacting with
the person.

As these are very natural reactions for many of us, we tend to think
that other people have similar reactions and sentiments. We may even
take it for granted that God must be the same to people, that he
favors someone over us or that He favors us over other people. We
might even push this thought further by explaining that this is why
some people are born rich and others are born poor. Some are given
more challenges in their lives because God either loves them more or
less than others who are not similarly blessed.

In today's Gospel, Jesus subjects himself to John's baptism, a rite of
repentance. Jesus knows he has nothing to repent for, as He has lived
a virtuous life. And yet, Jesus also knows the value of humility, and
that in God's eyes, he is not any more, or less, special than the next
person. Paradoxically, this is what makes him so unique to our Father.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Chief Samrose Anyaugo
- Tung-Jou Sheh
- Cecilia Yu
… for the personal intentions of
- Dr. Ugo Anyaugo, Mr. Ogechi Anyaugo, Barr Obinna Okoronkwo, Barr Mrs
Barbs Adaugo Okoronkwo, Mr .Iffy Anyaugo, Mr Chuboy Anyaugo, Cordelia
Anyaugo
- Raymund, Cris, Nedda Marjorie, Allan, Parke, Kaye, EJ, Arron,
Janine
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Epifania
- Adelina Rogando de Banate
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: Babes Batac
- Wedding Anniversary: Michael & Ceylilona Tong
- Wedding Anniversary: Harris & Ever Ngo
- Wedding Anniversary: Rowie & Angela Torres
- Wedding Anniversary: Atty. Antero Jr. & Mila Sison
- Wedding Anniversary: Tony & Lina Buenafe
- In Memoriam (+): Ildefonso Cheng Lee
… 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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