DAILY- HOMILY

 November 2, 2013

Saturday 30^th Week in Ordinary Time - Year I

Solemnity, All Souls

Wis 3:1-9 / Ps 27:1,4,7-9,13-14 / Jn 11:21-27

Wisdom 3:1-9

The souls of the just are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them. In the eyes of the unwise they appear to be dead. Their going is held as a disaster; it seems that they lose everything by departing from us, but they are in peace. Though seemingly they have been punished, immortality was the soul of their hope. After slight affliction will come great blessings, for God has tried them and found them worthy to be with him; after testing them as gold in the furnace, he has accepted them as a holocaust. At the time of his coming they will shine like sparks that run in the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will be their king forever. Those who trust in him will penetrate the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love, for his grace and mercy are for his chosen ones.

John 11:21-27

And she said to Jesus, "If you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." Jesus said, "Your brother will rise again." Martha replied, "I know that he will rise in the resurrection, at the last day." But Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection. Whoever believes in me, though he die, shall live. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Martha then answered, "Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world."

Reflection

Today's feast day of All Souls gives us an answer to some questions we have inside of us. Why pray for the dead? Why offer mass intentions for them? Why visit graveyards? These make sense if we believe the foundational truth of Christianity: "Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too, might live in newness of life." Because Jesus is raised into newness of life, there is hope for us to enter into fullness of life.

John's gospel echoes that truth: "It is the will of my Father that everyone who sees the son and believes in him may have eternal life." Primarily that raising up is God's action in our lives. It is the raising up of our hopes and dreams and sadness and tears. It is that end time summation of all we are and hope to be. Like a reunion with a long lost family member or friend, the will of the Father is to have us with Him. But there is a second raising up that we celebrate today. It is the raising up of our prayers for the deceased.

Because we love them, because they have been so much a part of our lives, we raise them up in prayer to God, hopeful that just as our love made a difference in their living, just as our care raised them up to "all that they could be" on this earth, so our love will raise them up to union with God. It becomes not just Jesus' desire that he should lose nothing of what God gave him, but our desire that God should lose nothing of what we surrender back to Him. So we visit cemeteries, we offer masses, we pray the rosary. We 'raise up to God' the gift of our family members, friends, and neighbors.

So today and during this month of November that is dedicated to remembering and praying for the dead, spend some time in prayer lifting up those who have gone before you. Spend time being lifted up by their lives and love. Let their continued care for you while they were alive, lift you up to all that you can be.

Prayer Requests

We pray …

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

… for the speedy recovery and healing of

Brenda D. Solis and Sister Carmencita

Lorenzo Meoli

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

Renan Lacida, Cha Dilla, Karen and Ramon Domingo

Palo Perez

.. In Memoriam: Cipriano P. Maribojoc, Anselmo M. De Guia, Purisima DG. Castillo, Eulogio M. De Guia, Alexis C. Hirang , Sr., Adelaida H. Alterado, Cion H. Quelnan, Carmelo Aranzamendez, Sr., Emerenciana P. Aranzamendez, Karmina Claire Aranzamendez, Carolino P. Aranzamendez, Hermogenes C. Serrano, Celerina Reyes, Apolonio R. Dimapilis, Leonida M. Dimapilis, Mylene A. Dimapilis, Alice Dimapilis, Zenelyn Catapia, Crispin Ofrecio, Rosario Ofrecio, Florentina Suñga, Benito Suñga, Felisa Suñga, Bernabe Suñga, Benedicto Suñga, Buenaventura Suñga, Eutaquio Ofrecio, Dominador Rayola, Ramon Rayola, Julian Escototo, Cynthia A. Leoveras, Generoso Leoveras, Patricia Gabriel, Rosie Ancheta, Leonora Ancheta, Teodoro A. Legario, Jr., Regina A. Soriano, Pelagia S. Lumbang, Leopoldo Sy Yao, Felomina A. Legario, Florentino M. Villamer, Avelina N. Villamer, Florentino N. Villamer, Jr., Dominador Villanueva, Rimedios Villanueva, Erlinda V. Ma, Vilhelmina V. Panelo, Manuel Villanueva, Ramon Villanueva, Wilson V. Ma, Gregorio Panelo, Irine Ma Centeno, Alfredo Ortiz, Iian Crisle Ma, Rosemarie Joyce Ortiz, Rex Owen Lucena, NIckaela Regina Lucena, Alfonso L.Orbin, Gloria C. Orbin, Valentin Custodio, Justina Eustaquio, Ildefonso Custodio, Lucia Custodio, Danilo Custodio, Cesar Custodio, Rodolfo Custodio, Pedro Orbin, Delia Lucena, Claro Lucena, Ernest Kahn Sr., Rosalia R Kahn, Marielle Korteland, Kees Korteland, Leopold Kahn, Anacoreta V. Kahn, Lita K. Wientjes, Joseph Wientjes, Teresita R Bocobo, Victoria M. Russell, Julie R. Torrejon, Myron Ongpin

… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.

Birthday: Kitay E. Español

Birthday: Victor N Nañagas, Jr

Birthday: Sheena Lorraine Go Kaw

Birthday: John Braganza

Thanksgiving: Philip & Lucy Ong & Family

Birthday: Ramona Chua Hwan (Nov 2, 1955 - Jun 3, 2005)

… 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. 

  +================================================+