DAILY- HOMILY

September 17, 2013

Tuesday , 24^th Week in Ordinary Time - Yr I

Memorial, Saint Robert Bellarmine, bishop and doctor

1 Tim 3:1-13 / Ps 101: 1b-2ab. 2cd-3ab. 5. 6 / Lk 7:11-17

1 Timothy 3:1-13

If someone aspires to the overseer's ministry, he is without a doubt looking for a noble task. It is necessary that the overseer (or bishop) be beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, responsible, judicious, of good manners, hospitable and skillful in teaching. He must not be addicted to wine or quarrelsome, but gentle and peaceful, and not a lover of money, but a man whose house hold is well-managed, with obedient and well-mannered children. If he cannot govern his own house, how can he lead the assembly of God? He must not be a recent convert, lest he become conceited and fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must enjoy a good reputation among the outsiders, lest people speak evil about him and he fall into the snare of the devil. Deacons, likewise, must be serious and sincere and moderate in drinking wine, not greedy for money, they must keep the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. Let them be first tried and, if found blameless, be accepted as deacons. In the same way the women must be conscientious, not given to gossip, but reserved and trustworthy. A deacon must be husband of one wife, and must know how to guide his children and manage his household. Those who serve well as deacons will win honorable rank, with authority to speak of Christian faith.

Luke 7:11-17

A little later Jesus went to a town called Naim. He was accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. As he reached the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; there followed a large crowd of townspeople. On seeing her, the Lord had pity on her and said, "Don't cry." Then he came up and touched the stretcher, and the men who carried it stopped. Jesus then said, "Young man, I say to you, wake up!" And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. A holy fear came over them all, and they praised God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people." This news spread throughout Judea and the surrounding places.

Reflection

Many of us are already dead without knowing it. When we have lost grasp of the true meaning of life, we are actually dead, even if our bodies move around physically. We are like zombies, working hard, eating and living just to satisfy our concupiscence of the flesh, running the rat race without any spiritual direction. We never really have time to think about what life is all about. We have very little time or no time for God. Our perennial excuse is "We are too busy." When sickness makes us bedridden, sometimes it is a blessing in disguise for us to stop and pause, take account of our lives and start examining what is really important in life. Today Jesus is also attempting to resurrect us from our deep sleep, inviting us to wake up to see the bigger picture of life. We were created, we LIVE in order to LOVE. Love is what makes life meaningful. It is to give ourselves for others, as Christ has done. Let us have this "holy fear" to be alive and not be overwhelmed to dwell too much in the world that we forget that this world is passing and we are just passing through. We may be physically alive but in a state of eschatological death. Christ comes today to "fill our lives" with faith and love. When we lose our life, we will find it and really be alive.

Prayer Requests

We pray …

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

… for the speedy recovery and healing of

Lourdes, Jun, Aileen

… for the personal intentions of

Medi

Beny Chua

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

Birthday: Pamela Denise C. Inocencio

Birthday: Merle Gaspar

Birthday: Annie Aberin

Birthday: Jigger Jamir

In Memoriam (+): Fr. Juan Andechaga, S.J.

In Memoriam (+): Marie Amy O'Gorman

In Memoriam (+): Elizabeth Ong Ting

… 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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