DAILY- HOMILY

November 13, 2014

Thursday 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

[Memorial, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini; St. Stanislaus Kosta]

Phlm 7-20 / Ps 146: 7, 8-9a, 9bc-10 / Lk 17: 20-25 

Reading: Phlm 7-20

I had great satisfaction and comfort on hearing of your charity, because the hearts of the saints have been cheered by you, brother. Because of this, although in Christ I have the freedom to command what you should do, yet I prefer to request you in love. The one talking is Paul, the old man, now prisoner for Christ. And my request is on behalf of Onesimus, whose father I have become while I was in prison. This Onesimus has not been helpful to you, but now he will be helpful both to you and to me. In returning him to you, I am sending you my own heart. I would have liked to keep him at my side, to serve me on your behalf while I am in prison for the Gospel, but I did not want to do anything without your agreement, nor impose a good deed upon you without your free consent. Perhaps Onesimus has been parted from you for a while so that you may have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but better than a slave. For he is a very dear brother to me, and he will be even dearer to you. And so, because of our friendship, receive him as if he were I myself. And if he has caused any harm, or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, write this and sign it with my own hand: I will pay it... without further mention of your debt to me, which is you yourself. So, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord's sake. Give me this comfort in Christ.

Gospel: Lk 17: 20-25

The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was to come. He answered, "The kingdom of God is not like something you can observe and say of it: 'Look, here it is! There it is!' See, the kingdom of God is among you." And Jesus said to his disciples, "The time is at hand when you will long to see one of the glorious days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. Then people will tell you: 'Look there! Look here!' Do not go, do not follow them. As lightning flashes from one end of the sky to the other, so will it be with the Son of Man.  But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this people.

Reflection:

     Yes, God is present in our midst, in the here and now, as He had been since the beginning of time.  Like the Pharisees, generation after generation after Christ asks for signs: events, occurrences, even cataclysms that will signal the coming of the kingdom of God.  As mortals, we have this notion that God's kingship will come with a Bang! God, in his majesty, should be heralded in no uncertain terms.  When Jesus lived in the world, he taught us many things, most of which ran contrary to the thinking at that time:  that love, mercy, compassion counted more than rigid teachings, rituals and customs. What mattered most was what was inside our hearts and not the outward trappings of piety. He was a revolutionary!  He called himself the Son of God!  He mingled with tax collectors and prostitutes!  He healed and performed miracles! Isn't that cataclysmic enough?  The Pharisees shuddered at the audacity of this man, but failed to see that with Jesus, the kingdom of God has happened, right in their midst.

     Let us not wait for signs that come and fizzle out. Let us recognize God's awesomeness in even the smallest signs in our daily lives: the beauty of the waves lapping on the shore, the wonder of a new mother at the baby she is holding in her arms, the beauty of an artwork or a good book or a jazz tune, the companionship and love we feel in the company of friends, all pointing at God's greatness. Let us savor the truth in our inmost beings that our God the King is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and that He is forever with us.

Prayer Requests:

We pray ...

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

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

... for families who are in need of healing

... for world peace and reconciliation

... for the eternal repose of Bobby Lee

We pray especially for Lorenzo Sy: 

     That his doctors may be guided in the cure of Lorenzo

     that his surgery may be successful

     and that he may be granted a long term cure.  

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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