DAILY- HOMILY

September 30, 2013

Monday, 26^th Week in Ordinary Time - Year I

Memorial, Saint Jerome, priest and doctor

Zec 8:1-8 / Ps 102: 16-18. 19-21. 29 and 22-23 / Lk 9:46-50

READINGS

Zechariah 8:1-8

The word of Yahweh, the God of hosts was directed to me in this way, "I am intensely jealous for Zion, stirred by a burning anger for her sake. Yahweh says: I will return to Zion and live in her midst. Jerusalem shall be called City of faithfulness and the Mountain of Yahweh of hosts, the Mountain of holiness." Yahweh, God of hosts speaks, "Old men and women will again sit in the squares, each with a stick in hand on ac- count of their great age. The squares of the city will be filled with girls and boys playing." Yahweh, God of hosts declares, "If that seems impossible in the eyes of those who have returned from exile, will it be impossible for me as well?"—word of Yahweh. Yahweh, God of hosts says, "See, I am going to save my people, bringing them from the east and from the west and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people and I shall be their God in truth and in justice."

Luke 9:46-50

One day the disciples were arguing about which of them was the most important. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he took a little child and stood him by his side. Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. And listen: the one who is found to be the least among you all, is the one who is the greatest." Then John spoke up, "Master, we saw someone who drives out demons by calling upon your name, and we tried to forbid him, because he doesn't follow you with us." But Jesus said, "Don't forbid him. He who is not against you is for you."

Reflection

When his disciples argued about who was the greatest, Jesus probably took it as their inability to understand the reason why he was here on earth. They might have understood his kingdom on earth in the secular way. So Jesus, gently but firmly told them that if they want to be the first they have to forget themselves. Jesus' analogy of believers being like children shows how much love he has for his disciples. Instead of saying outright that they were wrong, he showed them how it is to be a child of God. To have faith even as little as a mustard seed, one must possess the disposition of a child, trusting, loving and forgiving. Children follow adults because they trust that adults would do no harm to them. Children are open to love and being loved.

Children easily forget whatever wrong is done to them - at one moment they are enemies and in the next they are inseparable. Children are like that. God wants us to have this disposition. Then we begin to understand Luke 9:50. How often have we caught ourselves critiquing others of the faith who do things different from us? Jesus knows this. Thus when John, urged by his conscience to tell Jesus that they told another believer to stop what they were doing, Jesus firmly said, "Do not forbid him if he is doing the work of God just because he is not one of us."

Salvation is the work of God. It is not ours. If we are able to serve, it is not because we are great but because God, through the Holy Spirit, granted us the grace to serve. Everything we have is a gift from God which comes to us in many forms. And so we differ in the way we do things. If other people, who do not belong to our group or clique are doing the work of God, this is grace given to them. No one has the right to stop them from doing God's work. God's gift has no boundaries. Color, creed, race do not give us the right to curtail people from spreading the Word. In this way, Jesus is showing us how it is to be a community – a community of love and support for each other.

Are we childlike? Have we prayed for the disposition of a child in our faith life?

Prayer Requests

We pray …

… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.

… for the speedy recovery and healing of

Joy Droke

Brenda

Fr. Bill McGarry, S.J.

Ditas dela Paz, Toots Monfort, Virginia Hernandez, and Fleur Torres

… In Memoriam: Teresita Enriquez

… for the eternal repose of the soul of Benjamin Pajaro Quitoriano. 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: Myrna Javier Reyes

Birthday: Melody W. Lim

Birthday: Vicky Que

Wedding Anniversary: Virginia & Angelo L. Yu

Wedding Anniversary: David & Fely Ong

Wedding Anniversary: Lourdes & Jose Limchutick

… 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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