DAILY- HOMILY

December 2, 2014

Tuesday, First Week of Advent

Is 11:1-10 / Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 / Luke 10:21-24

Reading: Is 11:1-10

From the stump of Jesse a shoot will come forth; from his roots a branch will grow and bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him - a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and power, a Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. Not by appearances will he judge, nor by what is said must he decide, but with justice he will judge the poor and with righteousness decide for the meek. Like a rod, his word will strike the oppressor, and the breath of his lips slay the wicked. Justice will be the girdle of his waist, truth the girdle of his loins. The wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will rest beside the kid, the calf and the lion cub will feed together and a little child will lead them. Befriending each other, the cow and the bear will see their young ones lie down together. Like cattle, the lion will eat hay. By the cobra's den the infant will play. The child will put his hand into the viper's lair. No one will harm or destroy over my holy mountain, for as water fills the sea the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. On that day the "Root of Jesse" will be raised as a signal for the nations. The people will come in search of him, thus making his dwelling place glorious.

Gospel: Luke 10: 21-24

At that time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and made them known to the little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. I have been given all things by my Father, so that no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said to them privately, "Fortunate are you to see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings would have liked to see what you see but did not, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

Reflection:

     In the first reading, Isaiah speaks about a time when all men will live in peace with one another. Using animals to depict all kinds of people, he says that the wolf will live with the lamb, the panther with kid, the cow with the bear, the lion with the ox, etc. and there will be a little boy who will lead them. Of course, this little boy is Jesus who will inaugurate the messianic kingdom when he comes to our world and is born as an infant in the manger.  With Jesus comes peace and harmony for all men of goodwill.  

     In the gospel, Jesus blesses His Father for all the miracles he is doing in the lives of his disciples, for revealing things of the spirit to them. How do men know the Father?  It is through the Son. This is a gift given to whomever Jesus chooses to give it. Human wisdom and intelligence are not the only qualities needed to attain this knowledge. In fact, they may become more of an obstacle. We often tend to rely more on logic than faith. We make decisions based on what is conformable, comfortable or advantageous to us. Hence Jesus blesses and chooses the childlike to whom he reveals his Father. They are the ones who can follow him without prejudices or doubts because they trust in the Lord's goodness and love.  To them is promised the gift of the Holy Spirit.  

     This Advent let us aspire for the riches that do not fade away or get eaten by moths or get rusted. Advent reminds us that we have a heavenly homeland together with Christ.       

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

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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