DAILY- HOMILY

November 7, 2014

Friday 31st Week in Ordinary Time

Phil 3: 17 - 4: 1 / Ps 122: 1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5 / Lk 16: 1-8 

Reading: Phil 3: 17 - 4: 1

Unite in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and look at those who walk in our way of life. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. I have said it to you many times, and now I repeat it with tears: they are heading for ruin; their belly is their god and they feel proud of what should be their shame. They only think of earthly things. For us, our citizenship is in heaven, from where we await the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord. He will transfigure our lowly body, making it like his own body, radiant in Glory, through the power which is his to submit everything to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, you my glory and crown, be steadfast in the Lord.

Gospel: Luke 16: 1-8

At another time Jesus told his disciples, "There was a rich man, whose steward was reported to him for fraudulent service. He summoned the steward and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? I want you to render an account of your service, for it is about to be terminated.' The steward thought to himself, 'What am I to do now? My master will surely dismiss me. I am not strong enough to do hard work, and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I will do: I must make sure that when I am dismissed, there will be people who will welcome me into their homes.'  So he called his master's debtors, one by one. He asked the first debtor, 'How much do you owe my master?' The reply was, 'A hundred jars of oil.' The steward said, 'Here is your bill. Sit down quickly and write fifty.' To the second debtor he put the same question, 'How much do you owe?' The answer was, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' Then the said: 'Take your bill and write eighty.' The master commended the dishonest steward for his astuteness: for the people of this world are more astute, in dealing with their own kind, than are the people of light.

Reflection:

     In today's liturgy, the epistle contains the theme of our CITIZENSHIP in Heaven, where we will see the Lord and where we shall be transformed to His likeness and be eternally happy.

     The Gospel passage is confusing in that Jesus seems to be condoning dishonesty.  However, this parable has to be understood in the light of the custom then of agents acting on behalf of their master and the usurious practices common to such agents. The dishonesty of the steward consisted in the squandering of his master's property.  But the master commends the dishonest steward who has forgone his own usurious commission on the business transactions by having the debtors write new notes that reflected only the real amount owed the master, minus the steward's profit. The dishonest steward acts this way to ingratiate himself to the debtors because he knows he will be dismissed. (from the Bible Notes on this passage.)

     In this story, Jesus shows how the world behaves. People trust each other, and yet, become dishonest, and then even the dishonesty is mitigated for something that would benefit the individual and so on. Always in self-interest. Always, in what is in it for me?  Always, what do I get out of the transaction?

     However, the message of the Lord is found in the succeeding passages of Lk 16:9-13, where Jesus ultimately posits that "No servant can serve two masters." Connecting that to the Epistle, we are NOT citizens of the world where they are headed for ruin, their belly is their god, and they feel proud of what should be their shame. Rather, our citizenship is in Heaven, from where we await the coming of Our Lord. 

     We should start behaving like these citizens of Heaven, even now while we are on earth, and as St Paul says in the first verse of Phil 4, "Be steadfast in the Lord."

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!

**************************************************

These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following: 

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   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the

   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

   |            http://www.marythequeen.org

   |  Distributed free and for personal use only.  

  +================================================+

November 6, 2014

Thursday 31st Week in Ordinary Time

Phil 3: 3-8a / Ps 105: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7 / Lk 15: 1-10 

Reading: Phil 3: 3-8a

Beware of the dogs, beware of the bad workers; beware of the circumcised. We are the true circumcised people since we serve according to the Spirit of God, and our confidence is in Christ Jesus rather than in our merits. I myself do not lack those human qualities in which people have confidence. If some of them seem to be accredited with such qualities, how much more am I! I was circumcised when eight days old. I was born of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; I am a Hebrew, born of Hebrews. With regard to the Law, I am a Pharisee, and such was my zeal for the Law that I persecuted the Church. As for being righteous according to the Law, I was blameless. But once I found Christ, all those things that I might have considered as profit, I reckoned as loss. Still more, everything seems to me as nothing compared with the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. 

Gospel: Luke 15: 1-10

Meanwhile tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what he had to say. But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, muttering. "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So Jesus told them this parable: "Who among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and seek out the lost one till he finds it? And finding it, will he not joyfully carry it home on his shoulders?  Then he will call his friends and neighbors together and say: 'Celebrate with me for I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, just so, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine upright who do not need to repent. What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one, will not light a lamp and sweep the house in a thorough search till she finds the lost coin?  And finding it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say: 'Celebrate with me for I have found the silver coin I lost!' I tell you, in the same way there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner."

Reflection:

      Jesus addressed the twin parables in today's Gospel (the parable of the lost sheep and of the lost coin) to the Pharisees to explain why he can be seen in the company of sinners. How many of us being so forgetful would lose something of value and would later have a big sigh of relief upon finding that which was lost for quite some time. We would probably be so elated with the find and jump with joyful gratitude. This was the feeling of the woman who found her lost coin.  Similarly, the shepherd in the first parable rejoiced upon finding one wayward sheep. Even though he had ninety-nine others safely grazing at a secure pasture.  It tells us that as God's children, we are so valuable and precious to Him that He goes out of the way to bring us back if we were lost (to sin). God calls us all into a personal relationship with Him.  He patiently searches and calls us back in the hope that we would respond.  When He finally find us and gets us to respond, He would joyfully hoist us up (like the helpless sheep that can no longer move on its own power) on His strong and wide shoulders. Repentant sinners are all so important to God that the angels in heaven rejoice because they know that restoration is not far away. God will personally see to it, if and only if, we humbly allow it to happen. Jesus our Good Shepherd never tires looking out for us.   Let us all trust in him and entrust ourselves to his care.  Alleluia.

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!

**************************************************

These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following: 

  +================================================+

   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the

   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

   |            http://www.marythequeen.org

   |  Distributed free and for personal use only.  

  +================================================+