DAILY- HOMILY

December 16, 2013

Monday 3^rd Week of Advent - Year I

Num 24:2-7,15-17 / Ps 25: 4-5ab. 6 and 7bc. 8-9 / Mt 21:23-27

Numbers 24:2-7,15-17

He looked up and saw Israel camping, tribe by tribe; and the spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his song: "Word of Balaam, son of Beor, the seer, the one who hears the words of God, and beholds the vision of the Almighty, in ecstasy, with eyes unveiled. How goodly are your tents, Jacob, your encampments, Israel! Like valleys stretching far, like gardens beside a stream, like aloes planted by Yahweh, like cedars beside the waters. His buckets are overflowing and his seeds are always watered. His king be- comes stronger than Agag, and his kingdom grows. Then Balaam pronounced his oracle: "Word of Balaam, son of Beor, the seer, the one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, and sees the vision of the Al mighty, in ecstasy, with eyes unveiled. I see a figure, but not really. I behold him but not near. A star shall come forth from Jacob, he rises with a staff in his hand; he shatters the forehead of Moab and tears down all the sons of Sheth.

Matthew 21:23-27

Jesus had entered the Temple and was teaching, when the chief priests, the teachers of the Law and the Jewish authorities came to him, and asked, "What authority have you to act like this? Who gave you authority to do all this?" Jesus answered them, "I will also ask you a question, only one. And if you give me an answer, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. When John began to baptize, was it a work of God, or was it merely something human?" They reasoned out among themselves, "If we reply that it was a work of God, he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?' And if we say, 'The baptism of John was merely something human', we've got to beware of the people, for all hold John as a prophet." So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what right I do these things."

Reflection

At first glance, it may seem that Jesus managed to give a non-reply to the query of the chief priests. There seems to be some debate as to whether John the Baptist's authority came from heaven or was merely a human act. The teachers of the law found themselves in a quandary.

They couldn't agree if John's mission was divine or if he was just another aspiring messiah. They didn't know which to believe. That's why Jesus was not obliged to answer them because they couldn't come to a final answer for themselves.

Sometimes, it's more convenient to take the stance of the learned. We fail to see the blessings from above. Or we don't notice the nobility in serving one another. We'd rather not determine for ourselves which is which.

Choosing a final answer means we have to decide. If what Jesus does for us is sourced from heaven itself, we should journey onwards with more hope and fervour in our hearts. If his actions are just of a human nature, how can we not imitate these examples of caring and concern for others? Yes, we are challenged to stand by our answers.

Let us continue to pray for guidance and direction. May we not be swayed to sit on the fence, rather we must believe in the answers we give. As long as we look towards heaven, our earthly service will have a deeper meaning for all of us concerned.

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

-               Cely Katigbak

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

-               Eric

… for the personal intentions of Feliciana Bonsol

… for the eternal repose of the souls of Victor Borja. 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: Bea C. Ventura

-               Birthday: Francisco H. Suarez Jr.

-               Birthday: George U. Young, Jr

-               Birthday: Trinidad Bulaong & Luisa Bulaong Leichtman

-               Birthday: Virginia Ho Gotamco & Jovi Ho Gotamco

-               Birthday: Emilie Yu

-               In Memoriam (+): Juanita Q. Estrada

… 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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