Friday, August 24, 2012

 

SATURDAY 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR II

AUGUST 25, 2012
SATURDAY 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR II
MEMORIAL, ST LOUIS OF FRANCE; ST JOSEPH CALASANZ

Ez 43;1-7b / Mt 23:1-12

EZEKIEL 43;1-7B
He took me to the gate, facing east. Then I saw the Glory of the God of Israel approaching from the east with a sound like the sound of the ocean, and the earth shone with his Glory. This vision was like the one I had seen when he came for the destruction of the city, and like the one I had seen on the bank of the river Chebar. Then I threw myself to the ground. The Glory of Yahweh arrived at the Temple by the east gate. The spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court: the Glory of Yahweh was filling the House. And I heard someone speaking to me from the Temple while the man stood beside me. The voice said, "Son of man, you have seen the place of my throne, where I will place the soles of my feet, and live among the Israelites forever; and the people of Israel, they and their kings, will no longer defile my holy name with their prostitutions and the kings,

MATTHEW 23:1-12
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees have sat down on the chair of Moses. So you shall do and observe all they say, but do not do as they do, for they do not do what they say. They tie up heavy burdens and load them on the shoulders of the people, but they do not even raise a finger to move them. They do everything in order to be seen by people: they wear very wide bands of the Law around their foreheads, and robes with large tassels. They enjoy the first places at feasts and reserved seats in the synagogues, and they like being greeted in the marketplace, and being called `Master' by the people. But you, do not let yourselves be called Master, because you have only one Master, and all of you are brothers and sisters. Neither should you call anyone on earth Father, because you have only one Father, he who is in heaven. Nor should you be called Leader, because Christ is the only Leader for you. Let the greatest among you be the servant of all. For whoever makes himself great shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be made great.

REFLECTION
To follow Christ, we must be a humble and selfless servant as exemplified by today's saint, St. Joseph Calasanz. He came from a rich family, became a priest with university training in canon law and theology, and was respected for his wisdom and administrative expertise. He put aside his career because of his deep concern for the education of the poor children. He established the first public school in Europe, which was purposely organized for children who lost their parents. He never sought recognition, humbly serving and devoting his life to the needs of the abandoned children in spite of the prejudices and struggles he had to overcome in running the school. With his deep relationship with and trust in the Lord, he gained exceptional patience and a genuine spirit of forgiveness for those who persecuted him. It was only after his death that the Piarists, the community he founded, was recognized.

One might think that it is difficult to find servant leaders like St. Joseph Calasanz, when today, so much emphasis is given to self-indulgence. But our Lord has always been and will always be with us as the Holy Spirit continues to dwell in the many servants of our modern age. These people humbly serve the Lord and touch the lives of other people, especially the poor, through various ministries and organizations. We pray for the intercession of St. Joseph for the grace of the Holy Spirit so that we may assume our role in society with humility and selfless giving.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Fr. Ismael Zuloaga, SJ
- Kathy
- Eriberta Calvario
- RJ Sombrero and Mesh Villanueva
… for the personal intentions of Pauline
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Xavier Javier, Rowena L. Yap, Bong Lacida, Jess Graces
- Jesse Manalastas Robredo
- Buenseselita B Mitra
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: Leo Abot
- In Memoriam (+): Rowena Ocampo Yao
… 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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