DAILY- HOMILY

October 26, 2015 MONDAY, 30th Week in Ordinary Time   

Green 

Rom 8:12-17 / Lk 13:10-17    

Reading: Rom 8: 12-17

     Then, brothers, let us leave the flesh and no longer live according to it. If not, we will die. Rather, walking in the Spirit, let us put to death the body's deeds so that we may live.

     All those who walk in the Spirit of God are sons and daughters of God....  If we are children, we are heirs, too. Ours will be the inheritance of God and we will share it with Christ; for if we now suffer with him, we will also share Glory with him.

Gospel: Lk 13:10-17

     Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath, and a crippled woman was there. An evil spirit had kept her bent for eighteen years, so that she could not straighten up at all. On seeing her, Jesus called her and said, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." Then he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight and praised God.

     But the ruler of the synagogue was indignant, because Jesus had performed this healing on the Sabbath day, and he said to the people, "There are six days in which to work. Come on those days to be healed, and not on the Sabbath!"

But the Lord replied, "You hypocrites! Everyone of you unties his ox or his donkey on the Sabbath, and leads it out of the barn to give it water. 

     And here you have a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound for eighteen years. Should she not be freed from her bonds on the Sabbath?"

 When Jesus said this, all his opponents felt ashamed. But the people rejoiced at the many wonderful things that happened because of him.

Reflection:

     The Readings for today point to two conditions, that of the frail, sickly, and tentative human condition and that of being sons and daughters of God.  

     In the first reading, St. Paul reminds the followers from Rome to leave the flesh and to walk in the Spirit and become the sons and daughters of God.  As children of God, we can share in God's glory. 

     In the Gospel, Jesus demonstrates that Glory by curing a woman crippled for 18 years. The narrative gives us two lessons:  1) that sometimes in doing good works, we will encounter difficulties and criticisms; and 2) that many times, we have to discern what is the more loving thing to do.  

     In this situation, Jesus encounters the hypocritical ruler of the synagogue who thinks that Jesus violated the Sabbath by curing the cripple.  And yet, as Jesus demonstrates, even in the Sabbath, people work; isn't it much more loving to cure, and do good?  The discernment that is asked of us in situations like this is – what is more pleasing to the Father, to obey the Sabbath, or to cure the cripple and relieve her of 18 years of pain and suffering.  

     Many times, we will encounter difficult situations but we must discern and answer the question, WHAT IS THE MORE LOVING THING TO DO?   WHAT WOULD THE FATHER WANT US TO DO?

Let us end with a prayer: 

IT'S BETWEEN YOU AND GOD

People are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, hidden motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will get some false friends and some true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

If you find happiness and serenity, others will be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will forget tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Give the world your best, and it may never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

Why?

Because in the final analysis, all of these is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     FR. GIL G. DONAYRE, SJ

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

     ROBERT & NAZARINA

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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