Monday, December 10, 2012

 

TUESDAY 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR II

DECEMBER 11, 2012
MEMORIAL, ST DAMASUS
TUESDAY 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR II

Is 40:1-11 / Mt 18:12-14

ISAIAH 40:1-11
Be comforted, my people, be strengthened, says your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, proclaim to her that her time of bondage is at an end, that her guilt has been paid for, that from the hand of Yahweh she has received double punishment for all her iniquity. A voice cries, "In the wilderness prepare the way for Yahweh. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley will be raised up; every mountain and hill will be laid low. The stumbling blocks shall become level and the rugged places smooth. The glory of Yahweh will be revealed, and all mortals together will see it; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken." A voice says, "Cry." and I say, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is grass, and all its beauty as the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower wilts, when the breath of Yahweh blows upon it. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will forever stand." Go up onto the high mountain, messenger of good news to Zion, lift up your voice with strength, fear not to cry aloud when you tell Jerusalem and announce to the cities of Judah: Here is your God! Here comes your God with might; his strong arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and here before him is his booty. Like a shepherd he tends his flock: he gathers the lambs in his arms, he carries them in his bosom, gently leading those that are with young.

MATTHEW 18:12-14
What do you think of this? If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, won't he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside, and go to look for the stray one? And I tell you: when he finally finds it, he is more pleased about it than about the ninety-nine, that did not get lost. It is the same with your Father in heaven: your Father in heaven doesn't want even one of these little ones to be lost.

REFLECTION
Today's Gospel, short though it be, perhaps more than any other scripture passage portrays the intensity and the warmth of God's love and the care He longs to bestow on us. We're not speaking here of God's love for us as a group, as His creatures or His children, but rather as individuals. God's willingness to forgive and welcome us back into relationship with Him time and again is recorded in this Gospel in strong lines and sharp colors.

Similarly, today's message from Isaiah reveals a God who goes to great lengths to redeem His beloved people. God is intimately involved in the lives of His Chosen People, caring for them as a shepherd cares for his flock.

All throughout his Book of Prophecy, Isaiah portrays God as a God of power, might and majesty. With His might He levels mountains and makes the rough land straight and flat. The responsorial psalm speaks of this same majestic God who comes to His people in glory, working marvels among them, bringing them salvation. The land and the sea, the plains and the heavens, the nations of the world and all their peoples come together and exult before the Lord, the king.

This king of might and power is seen is seen in today's Gospel also as a humble and dedicated shepherd who searches through the rocks and the brambles until he finds his stray. Then the shepherd-king's mighty hands gently lift the stray to his breast and to his shoulders, rejoicing that he is found safely.

As we contemplate the incredible generosity of God, manifest in Jesus' Incarnation, what can we do to show our gratitude for His magnificent gift to us? This is our challenge as we prayerfully move through the next few weeks before Christmas.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Mommy Carmen
- Mon Torres
- Fleur Torres
- Ditas dela Paz
… for those affected by Typhoon Pablo
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Dolores Tan
- Chhaya Nandi
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: Antonio G. Evidente
- Birthday: Joana Mari G. Villanueva
- Birthday: Mark Allan C. Camposagrado
- Birthday: Gloria Calotes
- In Memoriam (+): Guadalupe Dnay
… 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!

**************************************************

These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:

+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+

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MONDAY 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR II

DECEMBER 10, 2012
MONDAY 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT – YEAR II

Is 35:1-10 / Lk 5:17-26

ISAIAH 35:1-10
Let the wilderness and the arid land rejoice, the desert be glad and blossom. Covered with flowers, it sings and shouts with joy, adorned with the splendor of Lebanon, the magnificence of Carmel and Sharon. They, my people, see the glory of Yahweh, the majesty of our God. Give vigor to weary hands and strength to enfeebled knees. Say to those who are afraid: "Have courage, do not fear. See, your God comes, demanding justice. He is the God who rewards, the God who comes to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unsealed. Then will the lame leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb sing and shout. For water will break out in the wilderness and streams gush forth from the desert. The thirsty ground will become a pool, the arid land springs of water. In the haunts where once reptiles lay, grass will grow with reeds and rushes. There will be a highway which will be called The Way of Holiness; no one unclean will pass over it nor any wicked fool stray there. No lion will be found there nor any beast of prey. Only the redeemed will walk there. For the ransomed of Yahweh will return: with everlasting joy upon their heads, they will come to Zion singing, gladness and joy marching with them, while sorrow and sighing flee away.

LUKE 5:17-26
One day Jesus was teaching, and many Pharisees and teachers of the Law had come from every part of Galilee and Judea, and even from Jerusalem. They were sitting there, while the power of the Lord was at work to heal the sick. Then some men brought a paralyzed man who lay on his mat. They tried to enter the house to place him before Jesus, but they couldn't find a way through the crowd. So they went up on the roof, and removing the tiles, they lowered him on his mat into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "My friend, your sins are forgiven." At once the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to wonder, "This man insults God! Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" But Jesus knew their thoughts and asked them, "Why are you reacting like this? Which is easier to say: `Your sins are forgiven' or `Get up and walk'? Now you shall know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." And Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, take your mat and go home." At once the man stood before them. He took up the mat he had been lying on, and went home praising God. Amazement seized the people and they praised God. They were filled with a holy fear, and said, "What wonderful things we have seen today!"

REFLECTION
How many times have we given up on God? God never gives up on us even if we have often given up on Him. Why is God so patient with us and so forgiving to us even if we have repeatedly taken Him for granted? We all know the answer and because we know that He loves us so much, we do not take Him seriously.

We, too, have our own paralysis that needs healing. We know deep in our hearts that we are wounded and broken. We are paralyzed by our selfishness, by our worldliness and, most of all, by our sins. We feel alone and depressed. We wallow in self-pity and hopelessness, but many times, God works through people to bring us out of despair. These people of faith help us get out of our entanglement in sin and will do all their best to bring us back to God. These people may be our parents, loved ones or friends who never get tired trying to bring us back to the fold. We cannot thank God enough for them paving the way to reconcile us with Him. As long as we do not get tired following Him, and as long as we do not stop believing, we will always be strengthened and fortified by our faith in God who has the power to heal us. But do we have to witness miracles and incredible things before we can fully trust God?

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of Mommy Carmen
… for those affected by Typhoon Pablo
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Dolores Tan
- Chhaya Nandi
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: Paula O'Gorman
- Birthday: Loreto T. Reyes
- Birthday: Most Rev. Fr. Deogracias Iniguez Jr.
- Birthday: Jimmy O. Tee
- Birthday: Santino B. Sevilla
- Wedding Anniversary: Manny & Dory Gutierrez
… 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!

**************************************************

These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:

+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GoogleGroup Address: http://groups.google.com/group/daily_homily
To subscribe from this free mailing service, send email to: dailyhomily@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe: daily_homily-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
 
© 2012 Daily-Homily

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