Friday, February 22, 2013

 

MEMORIAL, SAINT POLYCARP, BISHOP AND MARTYR

FEBRUARY 23, 2013
MEMORIAL, SAINT POLYCARP, BISHOP AND MARTYR
SATURDAY 1ST WEEK OF LENT – YEAR I

Dt 26:16-19 / Ps 119: 1-2. 4-5. 7-8 / Mt 5:43-48

DEUTERONOMY 26:16-19
On this day, Yahweh, your God, commands you to fulfill these norms and these commandments. Obey them now and put them into practice with all your heart and with all your soul. Today Yahweh has declared to you that he will be your God, and so you shall follow his ways, observing his norms, his commandments and his laws, and listening to his voice. Today Yahweh has declared that you will be his very own people even as he had promised you, and you must obey all his commandments. He, for his part, will give you honor, renown and glory, and set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will become a nation consecrated to Yahweh, your God, as he has declared.

MATTHEW 5:43-48
You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor and do not do good to your enemy. But this I tell you: love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. For he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good, and he gives rain to both the just and the unjust. If you love those who love you, what is special about that? Do not even tax collectors do as much? And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much? As for you, be righteous and perfect in the way your heavenly Father is righteous and perfect.

REFLECTION
"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Many of us find this commandment very difficult to do. Sometimes it is easier to forgive after we have been hurt physically, but when someone has given us deep emotional wounds, the pain stays with us for years or even until death. God does not want that to happen. His plan is for us to share the glory of His Kingdom in heaven.

Today's gospel also reminds us of Jesus' commandment: "Love your neighbor as I have loved you." But how do we know if we have already learned his way of loving? We will only know if we have loved enough; if we have become merciful because the fruit of love is mercy. Jesus invites us to be merciful by having a childlike faith, a faith that teaches us to be obedient to the will of our Father in heaven. It makes us more loving, more trusting and more forgiving. This is the essence of the devotion to the Divine Mercy – to love our neighbor by exercising the three degrees of mercy: first, the act of mercy of whatever kind; second, the word of mercy; and third, prayer. If we cannot show mercy by deeds or words, we can always do so by prayer, for prayer reaches out where we cannot reach out physically.

The "Prayer for the Grace to Be Merciful to Others" in the Home Evangelization Program of the Divine Mercy is a perfect way of loving and praying for our enemies. Do you want to be free from the bondage of unforgiveness? Turn to Jesus the Divine Mercy and he will fill your heart with the fire of his love and the grace to experience the fullness of life by being loving and merciful.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Eliseo Fabella, Sr.
… for the personal intentions of
- Alfonso Marquez III
- Pauline
… for the eternal repose of the soul of
- Ricardo (Nonoy) Diaz
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: Rev. Fr. Caloy Reyes
- Birthday: Harris Javier T. Ngo
- In Memoriam (+): Henry S. Chua
- In Memoriam (+): Alberto V. Pefianco
… 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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