DAILY- HOMILY

October 3, 2014

Friday 26th Week in Ordinary Time

[Memorial, St. Francis Borgia]

Jb 38: 1, 12-21; 40: 3-5 / Ps 139: 1-3, 7-8, 9-10, 13-14ab / Lk 10: 13-16 

Reading: Jb 38: 1, 12-21; 40: 3-5

Then Yahweh answered Job out of the storm: Have you ever commanded the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might grasp the earth by its edges and shake the wicked out of it, when it takes a clay color and changes its tint like a garment; when the wicked are denied their own light, and their proud arm is shattered? Have you journeyed to where the sea begins or walked in its deepest recesses? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of Shadow? Have you an idea of the breadth of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. Where is the way to the home of light, and where does darkness dwell? Can you take them to their own regions, and set them on their homeward paths? You know, for you were born before them, and great is the number of your years! Job said: How can I reply, unworthy as I am! All I can do is put my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, now I will not answer; oh, yes, twice, but I will do no further.

Gospel Luke 10: 13-16 

Alas for you Chorazin! Alas for you Bethsaida! So many miracles have been worked in you! If the same miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would already be sitting in ashes and wearing the sackcloth of repentance. Surely for Tyre and Sidon it will be better than for you on the Judgment Day. And what of you, city of Capernaum? Will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead. Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me; and he who rejects me, rejects the one who sent me."

Reflection:

     The Lord, our God, is so gentle, so loving in his treatment of us humans, his creation. He goes to great lengths to call our attention to his words. He works out miracles, performs extraordinary feats to prove the truth of what he teaches us so that we may believe.  Even in reproaching us for our continued unbelief, he does not act with anger or condemnation.  He continues to try to convince us. He does not force us to believe him.  He respects our freedom to decide for ourselves. 

     In the Gospel, when he sees Jerusalem from a distance, Jesus laments "O Jerusalem, you slay the prophets and stone your apostles! How often have I tried to bring together your children as a bird gathers her young under her wings, and you would not!"  The Lord cried, expressing his sorrow for the future destruction of the city because its people refused to recognize the salvation offered to it by God. Christ's reproach is not in the form of angry condemnation for the refusal of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum to believe his word. He laments instead of the fate which they will suffer if they persist in their unbelief. 

     God gave us free will, freedom of conscience, to decide on our actions. He also gave us intelligence and the grace to discern what is good and what is evil.  We must not allow our pride, our desire for secular fame and fortune, to blind us from the eternal life destined for us. Jesus suffered and died to redeem us from our sinfulness to gain eternal life. We must not persist in our unbelief but accept instead the redemption which Christ offers us. Jesus reminds us, through his apostles that if we reject what the apostles teach us, we are actually rejecting Jesus, and in effect, rejecting God who sent him and rejecting the eternal life which God is offering to 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 birthday intentions of Cate Dy, Robert Ang, Nancy Tejada

... for wisdom, perseverance and clarity of mind as they prepare and take their exams:

     * Dennis Puno who takes the Mechanical Engineering Board Exams on October 3 - 4, 2014

     * Karen Tuala who takes the bar exams on the coming four (4) consecutive weekends

... for the healing and recovery of Boby Aquitania

... for the healing and personal intentions of Renan Lacida

... for the repose of the souls of

     * Alfredo Garcia Jr, Francia Beroin, Marlon Badian

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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