DAILY- HOMILY

JANUARY 2, 2012
SAINT BASIL THE GREAT & SAINT GREGORY NAZIANZEN
MONDAY BEFORE EPIPHANY – YEAR II

1 Jn 2:22-28 / Jn 1:19-28, White

1 JOHN 2:22-28
Who is the liar? The one who denies that Jesus is the Christ. This is
an antichrist, who denies both the Father and the Son. The one who
denies the Son is without the Father, and those who acknowledge the
Son also have the Father. Let what you heard from the beginning remain
in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you, too,
will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise he
himself gave us: eternal life. I write this to you thinking of those
who try to lead you astray. You received from him an anointing, and it
remains in you, so you do not need someone to teach you. His anointing
teaches you all things, it speaks the truth and does not lie to you;
so remain in him, and keep what he has taught you. And now, my
children, live in him, so that when he appears in his glory, we may be
confident and not ashamed before him when he comes.

JOHN 1:19-28
This was the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and
Levites to ask him, "Who are you?" John recognized the truth, and did
not deny it. He said, "I am not the Messiah." And they asked him,
"Then who are you? Elijah?" He answered, "I am not." They said, "Are
you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Tell
us who you are, so that we can give some answer to those who sent us.
How do you see yourself?" And John said, quoting the prophet Isaiah,
"I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the
way of the Lord!" Those who had been sent were Pharisees; and they put
a further question to John, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are
not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?" John answered, "I baptize
you with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know;
although he comes after me, I am not worthy to untie the strap of his
sandal." This happened in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was
baptizing.

REFLECTION
"Make a straight way for the Lord." In today's Gospel, John the
Baptist quoted Isaiah in reference to his role. His is a baptism of
water and repentance, and he acknowledges that repentance is only the
first step to our conversion.

"One is coming after me, and I am not fit to undo his sandal strap,"
he continued. Jesus' baptism is the next logical step after the
repentance that John urged his followers. It is the acknowledgment
that God is in our midst, the Emmanuel. It is also a commitment to
love in a manner that goes beyond our human limitations. As this
daunting challenge is humanly insurmountable, we are given the Spirit
to remain faithful to this commitment.

As we begin a new year, this is a most relevant reminder for all of
us. In what ways have we failed to love, as we are called to do so?
This could take the form of a bad habit or an ineffective pattern of
relating to others. It could also manifest itself in our biases and
prejudices against an individual or a group of people. For some of us,
it could be in the more subtle thoughts that we harbor against other
people. As we acknowledge our sinfulness, whether in small or major
ways, we can respond to John and "make a straight way for 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
- Cecilia Yu
- Gemma
- Chief Samrose Anyaugo
… for the personal intentions of
- Cherie Torres
- Dr. Ugo Anyaugo, Mr. Ogechi Anyaugo, Barr Obinna Okoronkwo, Barr Mrs
Barbs Adaugo Okoronkwo, Mr .Ifeanyi Anyaugo, Mr Chuboy Anyaugo,
Cordelia Anyaugo
- Pauline
… for the eternal repose of the soul of Peggy Lim Furukawa. 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: Emmanuel Jio Jr.
- Birthday: Macario Tee
- Wedding Anniversary: Dennis & Cornelia Tan Ang
- Thanksgiving: Nimfa Salazar & Janice Padua
- In Memoriam (+): Lilia B. Serrano
… 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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