DAILY- HOMILY

December 10, 2013

Tuesday 2^nd Week of Advent - Year I

Is 40:1-11 / Ps 96: 1-2. 3 and 10ac. 11-12. 13 / 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

A wise businessman would probably answer the question in the gospel in the negative. No, he would not go to look for the stray one. It is not good sense. He might lose the ninety- nine while looking for just one simple ordinary sheep. Simple mathematics and common sense dictates to just forget about the one solitary sheep.

How do we make decisions in our lives? Most of the time, we simply use common sense and human reasoning, but God does not think the way we think. Many decisions of the Lord are against human logic and common sense. He takes a chance with the lowly and the weak. He chose to send the Savior to be born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes and raised as a son of a mere carpenter. God could have sent a mightier figure, surely one who could persuade mankind in a more powerful manner. God has chosen to humble the learned with the logic of faith and love. Many times love is not rational. Love means to sacrifice our intelligence and our self-preservation instinct and to take a chance, to take a risk. The Father in heaven has chosen to take a risk in looking for us because we are the lost sheep. We are bad risks, bad gambles with our unfaithfulness and our sins, and yet, God is ready to take a chance with us. And the reason is out of love for us. He desires all not to be lost. Thank God, our God is not a businessman. We are not just one of the sheep, one of many. A child is not just one of the children. Each child is special and unique and that's how God sees us - each one special. When we hear this gospel, we should consider each of us as specially loved as the stray sheep was cared for. And out of gratitude, when God looks for us and finds us, let us go back to Him and stay with Him.

Prayer Requests

We pray …

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

… for the speedy recovery and healing of

-                  Lorenzo Meoli

-                  Eric

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

… for the personal intentions of Lina Magcamit

… Birthday: Fred de Leoin

… In Memoriam: Gloria C. Orbin

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

Birthday: Jose Maria Bonto

Birthday: Anya Celin Tan Chu

Birthday: Paula O'Gorman

Birthday: Loreto T. Reyes

Birthday: Tomas Pama

Wedding Anniversary: Manny & Dory Gutierrez

Thanksgiving: Dennis, Jocelyn, Henry, Hannah & Baby

… 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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