DAILY- HOMILY

September 23, 2015 WEDNESDAY, 25TH Week in Ordinary Time

St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest 

Memorial, White  

Ezr 9:5 – 9 / Lk 9:1 – 6

[Today is the Memorial of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887 – 1968), a Capuchin friar, spiritual advisor, confessor and intercessor, famous for bearing the Stigmata. Pope St. John Paul II beatified him on 02 May 1999 and canonized him on 16 June 2002.]

Reading: Ezr 9:5 – 9

     I remained seated and dismayed until the evening sacrifice; and then, at the time for the evening offering, I rose from my fasting, and with my clothes and mantle torn, I knelt down, spreading out my hands to Yahweh, my God.

     I said, "My God! I am ashamed and confused, my God, I do not dare raise my eyes to you for our sins have increased over our heads and our crimes reach up to the heavens.

     From the days of our ancestors to this day, our guilt has been great. We, our kings and priests have been given into the hands of foreign kings because of our crimes; we have been delivered to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and put to shame as on this day. However, for a brief moment, the mercy of Yahweh, our God, has been shown to us. He made a remnant of our people survive, and allowed the survivor to settle once again in his Holy Place; he has given us joy and life, though we are in bondage. We are no more than slaves, but in the midst of our slavery, God has not abandoned us, he has extended a merciful hand over us to support us before the kings of Persia. He has revived our life, enabled us to rebuild the House of our God, and to have walls in Jerusalem and in the other cities of Judah.

Gospel: Lk 9:1 - 6

     Then he called his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to drive out all evil spirits and to heal diseases. And he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He instructed them, "Do not take anything for the journey, neither walking stick, nor bag, nor bread, nor silver coins; and do not even take a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place.  And wherever they do not welcome you, leave the town and shake the dust from your feet: it will be as a testimony against them." 

     So they set out and went through the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere. 

Reflection:

     In the Gospel reading Jesus commissions his disciples to go and preach the Good News, with instructions on what to bring and where to stay. They were told that, wherever they were not welcome, they were to "shake the dust from their feet as a testimony against them."

     Jesus instructed his disciples to bring nothing in their apostolic work but to place full trust in God. So different from us: whenever we go anywhere, be it a short trip or for a longer stay, we make sure we bring what we would need: clothing, toiletries, medicines, etc. 

     How can Jesus instruct his disciples to bring nothing and to trust in the welcome and generosity of the people they preach to? The apostles and the followers and preachers of the early Church followed and lived according to these instructions of Jesus.  As narrated in the Acts of the Apostles, many members of the early Church even pooled and shared their possessions. They lived their lives in complete trust in God.

     Are we able to live our lives in similar trust in God?  When Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden God told Adam. "In suffering you will provide food for yourself from the earth, all the days of your life. . . . With sweat on your face you will eat your bread, until you return to clay."

     Paul reminded the various Christian communities that he himself did not wish to be a burden to them and that he worked for what he needed.

     We pray to the Lord for the proper balance in our lives: that we learn to work hard and to make proper use of the fruits and gifts of the earth and at the same time that we trust in the heavenly Father who takes care of the birds in the air and the lilies in the field.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     TEDDY CUA

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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