DAILY- HOMILY

March 24, 2015 TUESDAY, 5th Week of Lent

Violet 

Nm 21:4- 9 / Jn 8: 21-30

Reading: Nm 21: 4-9

     From Mount Hor they set out by the Red Sea road to go around the land of Edom. The people were discouraged by the journey and began to complain against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is neither bread nor water here and we are disgusted with this tasteless manna."

     Yahweh then sent fiery serpents against them. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died. Then the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, speaking against Yahweh and against you. Plead with Yahweh to take the serpents away."

     Moses pleaded for the people and Yahweh said to him, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; whoever has been bitten and then looks at it shall live."

     So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Whenever a man was bitten, he looked towards the bronze serpent and he lived.

Gospel: Jn 8: 21-30

     Again Jesus said to them, "I am going away, and though you look for me, you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come." The Jews wondered, "Why does he say that we can't come where he is going? Will he kill himself?"

     But Jesus said, "You are from below and I am from above; you are of this world and I am not of this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. And you shall die in your sins unless you believe that I am He."

     They asked him, "Who are you?"; and Jesus said, "Just what I have told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the One who sent me is truthful and everything I learned from him, I proclaim to the world."

     They didn't understand that Jesus was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing of myself, but I say just what the Father taught me. He who sent me is with me and has not left me alone; because I always do what pleases him."

     As Jesus spoke like this, many believed in him. 

Reflection:

     "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone," goes the popular song, "Big Yellow Taxi." It is both a lament and a warning - and ultimately, a call to exercise gratitude on a more regular basis.

     The first reading is an epilogue of sorts to one of the most celebrated miracles of the Old Testament, the parting of the Red Sea. It was an exciting time. With unquestionable might, the Lord delivered His people from decades of slavery and cruelty. From the plagues that paved the way for the Israelites, to their ultimate grand exit, God displayed His power extravagantly.

     And then what? For years, the liberated Israelites wandered in the desert, until they forgot the mighty work that bought their freedom in the first place. It was anti-climactic, to say the least, and they grew restless and complained.

     Are we the same in daily life? Do we get sucked into the dreariness of our routines, the fear that we are going around in circles aimlessly? Then perhaps we have forgotten to see and appreciate what we've been given, what we had all along.

     Gratitude is the memory of the heart. Let's not wait until the blessings are taken away before we start saying thank you.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     JENNY LAXAMANA

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

     PATRICK & BILLIE SYLING

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     CONSUELO CUNANAN (MARCH 24, 1914 – JAN 8, 1981)

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For Tan Chin Eng, that he regains strength in his limbs and will have the will to live, after his stroke.

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

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March 23, 2015 MONDAY, 5th Week of Lent

St. Toribio de Mogrovejo, Bishop

Violet

Dn 13: 1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 / Jn 8: 1-11

[Born in Spain, St. Toribio of Mogrovejo (1538-1606) established ecclesiastical discipline in Latin America as Archbishop of Lima.]

Reading: Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62

     There lived in Babylon a man named Joakim, who was married to a very beautiful God-fearing woman, Susanna, Hilkiah's daughter, whose pious parents had trained her in the law of Moses. A very rich man and greatly respected by all the Jews, Joakim was frequently visited by the Jews in his house adjoining a garden.

     That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges, in whom this word of the Lord became true, "Wickedness has come forth from Babylon, through the elders appointed judges, who were supposed to govern the people." These men frequented Joakim's house, and all who had legal disputes used to come to them.

       After the people had left at noon, Susanna would go into her husband's garden for a walk. The two old men began to lust for her as they watched her enter the garden every day. Forgetting the demands of justice and virtue, their lust grew all the more as they made no effort to turn their eyes to heaven.

     One day, as they were waiting for an opportune time, Susanna entered the garden as usual with only two maids. She decided to bathe, for it was a hot day. Nobody else was there except the two elders watching her from where they had hidden themselves.

      She said to the maids, "Bring me oil and ointments, and shut the garden doors while I bathe."

     When the maids had left, the two elders hurried to her and said, "Look, the garden doors are shut and no one sees us. We desire to possess you. If you refuse to give in, we will testify that you sent your maids away for there was a young man here with you."

     Susanna moaned, "Whatever I do, I am trapped. If I give in to your desire, it will be death for me; if I refuse, I won't escape your persecution. I would rather be persecuted than sin in the eyes of the Lord."

     Susanna shrieked, but the old men shouted, putting the blame on her. One of them ran and opened the garden doors. Hearing the noise in the garden, the household servants rushed in by the side entrance to see what was happening. They were taken aback when they heard the elders' accusation, for never had anything like this been said of Susanna.

     The next day a meeting was held at Joakim's house. The two elders arrived, vindictively determined to have Susanna sentenced to death. They ordered before all the people, "Send for Susanna, Hilkiah's daughter and Joakim's wife." They sent for her, and she came with her parents, children and all her relatives.

     Her family and friends and all who saw her wept.

     The two elders stood up and laid their hands upon her head. Completely trusting in the Lord, she raised her tearful eyes to heaven.

     The elders started making their accusation, "We were taking a walk in the garden when this woman came in with two maids. She ordered them to shut the garden doors and dismissed them. Then a young man came out of hiding and lay with her. We were in a corner of the garden, and we saw this crime from there. We ran to them, and caught them in the act of embracing. We were unable to take hold of the man. He was too strong for us. He made a dash for the door, opened it and ran off. But we were able to seize this woman. We asked her who the young man was, but she refused to tell us. This is our statement, and we testify to its truth."

     The assembly took their word, since they were elders and judges of the people. Susanna was condemned to death. She cried aloud, "Eternal God, nothing is hidden from you; you know all things before they come to be. You know that these men have testified falsely against me. Would you let me die, though I am not guilty of all their malicious charges?"

     The Lord heard her, and as she was being led to her execution, God aroused the holy spirit residing in a young lad named Daniel. He shouted, "I will have no part in the death of this woman!"

     Those present turned to him, "What did you say?" they all asked.

     Standing in their midst, he said to them, "Have you become fools, you Israelites, to condemn a daughter of Israel without due process and in the absence of clear evidence? Return to court, for those men have testified falsely against her."

     Hurriedly they returned, and the elders said to Daniel, "Come and sit with us, for you also possess the gifts bestowed by God upon the elders."

     Daniel said to the people, "Separate these two from one another and I will examine each of them." 

     When the two elders were separated from each other, Daniel called one of them and said, "How wicked you have grown with age. Your sins of earlier days have piled up against you, and now is the time of reckoning. Remember how you have passed unjust sentences, condemning the innocent and freeing the guilty, although the Lord has said 'The innocent and the just should not be put to death.' Now, if you really witnessed the crime, under what tree did you see them do it?"

     The elder answered, "Under a mastic tree."

     Daniel said, "Your lie will cost you your head. You will be cut in two, as soon as the Lord's angel receives your sentence from God."

     Putting the first one aside, Daniel called the other elder and said to him, "You offspring of Canaan and not of Judah, you have long allowed yourself to be perverted by lust. This is how you have dealt with the daughters of Israel, who out of fear have yielded to you. But here is a daughter of Judah who would not tolerate your wickedness. Tell me then, under what tree did you catch them committing the crime?"

     The answer came, "Under an oak."

     "Your lie has also cost you your head," Daniel said. "God's angel waits to cut you both in two."

     The whole assembly shouted and blessed God for helping those who hope in him. They turned against the two elders who, through Daniel's efforts, had been convicted by their own mouths. In accordance with Moses' law, the penalty the two elders had intended to impose upon their neighbor was inflicted upon them. They were sentenced to death. Thus was the life of an innocent woman spared that day.

Gospel: Jn 8:1-11

     At daybreak Jesus appeared in the Temple again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them.

     Then the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone. "Master," they said, "this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now the Law of Moses orders that such women be stoned to death; but you, what do you say?" They said this to test Jesus, in order to have some charge against him.

     Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. And as they continued to ask him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let anyone among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her." And he bent down again, writing on the ground.

     As a result of these words, they went away, one by one, starting with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Then Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go away and don't sin again."

Reflection:

     Jesus invites us to examine ourselves. There are numerous instances when we tend to judge others, looking at them as unworthy of forgiveness and love. However, we fail to acknowledge our own sinfulness. All of us are sinners. Yet, it is so easy for us to pass judgment on the wrongdoings of others. We find ourselves like the self-righteous Pharisees and teachers of the law who mercilessly and with no compassion wished to exact punishment on presumed sinners like the adulteress in the Gospel.

     When Jesus told them, "Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her," one by one the crowd left. They seemed to have felt shame and guilt, perhaps because they themselves have sinned.

     Jesus teaches us to forgive. It is only by forgiving that we allow God back in our lives. The same is true when we become remorseful of a wrongdoing and sin no more; we find ourselves back in the loving embrace of God.

     When we are forgiving, we are not inclined to judge others. We have seen this in Christ's example. His forgiving nature led him to become merciful, patient and compassionate to the adulteress. His forgiveness gave her the chance to repent and be a better person.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     AILEEN SERRANO

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

     JONATHAN & CAROLINE KHONG HUN

     RAUL & SUSAN AQUINO

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

   |  distributed free and for personal use only.  

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