DAILY- HOMILY

JANUARY 16, 2012
MONDAY 2ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR II

1 Sm 15:16-23 / Mk 2:18-22

1 SAMUEL 15:16-23
Samuel then told Saul, "Enough! Let me tell you what Yahweh said to me
last night." Saul replied, "Please tell me." So Samuel went on and
said, "Though you had no confidence in yourself, you became chief of
the tribes of Israel, for Yahweh wanted to anoint you king over
Israel. Then he sent you with this command, `Go. Completely crush the
Amalekite offenders, engaging them in battle until they are
destroyed.' Why then did you not obey the voice of Yahweh but instead
swooped down on the spoil, doing what was evil in his sight?" To this,
Saul replied, "I have obeyed the voice of Yahweh and have carried out
the mission for which he sent me. I have captured Agag, king of Amalek
and completely destroyed the Amalekites. If my men spared the best
sheep and oxen from among those to be destroyed, it was in order to
sacrifice them to Yahweh, your God, in Gilgal." Samuel then said,
"Does Yahweh take as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obedience to his command? Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission better than the fat of rams. Rebellion is like the sin
of divination, and stubbornness like holding onto idols. Since you
have rejected the word of Yahweh, he too has rejected you as king."

MARK 2:18-22
One day, when the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist
were fasting, some people asked Jesus, "Why is it that both the
Pharisees and the disciples of John fast, but yours do not?" Jesus
answered, "How can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is
with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot
fast. But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken from
them, and on that day they will fast. No one sews a piece of new cloth
on an old coat, because the new patch will shrink and tear away from
the old cloth, making a worse tear. And no one puts new wine into old
wineskins, for the wine would burst the skins, and then both the wine
and the skins would be lost. But new wine, new skins!"

REFLECTION
Today's readings remind us to look beyond appearances. When Samuel
was tasked to anoint God's chosen leader for Israel, a person Samuel
had never seen before, he was told not to focus on appearances. He was
told that God sees the heart, and he needed to do the same if he were
to anoint the right person. Similarly, Jesus argued with the people of
his day that the Sabbath was made for man, and not the other way
around.

Today, we are challenged to re-think our ways. Are we quick to judge
people based on mere external manifestations? Do we tend to impose our
own sensibilities, our ideas of what is proper and what is not, on
those we encounter? How flexible are we when we interact with others?
To what extent are we able to give others the benefit of the doubt
when they appear to offend our sensibilities?

God challenges us to see others with compassion and generosity. Doing
so enables us to access the grace that God offers us in learning more
about Him and His love for others. This exercise takes effort; it is
not easy. We often judge others based on their appearance. Hence we
sometimes we fall short, because we trust only in our own efforts. Let
us be reminded today to rely on the loving grace of the Lord.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Bob, Toni, Vera
- Ely Lara
- Eden Batuto
- Tung-Jou Sheh
- Cecilia Yu
… for the personal intentions of
- Jane, Maureen, Nick, Delores, Brian, Michael G, Linda O, Mary Ann, &
Frank
- Rita & Pam, Dana, Eugene R
- Angeli Marmeto
- Josheil Dapo
- Pauline
- Titong Villacorta
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Fernando P. Hofileña, M.D.
- Ricky C. Villacorta
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: Lucy M. Eugenio
- Birthday: Ryan L. Lamar
- Birthday: Ramona Marie C. Tan
- Birthday: Bishop Teodoro Bacani
- Birthday: Sally Mamalateo
- Wedding Anniversary: Liza & Manny Salgado
- Wedding Anniversary: Ramon & Chit Marin
… 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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