DAILY- HOMILY

September 21, 2015 MONDAY, 25TH Week in Ordinary Time       

ST. MATTHEW, Apostle and Evangelist         

Feast, Red

Eph 4:1 - 7, 11 – 13 / Mt 9:9 – 13

[St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, also called Levi, was a tax collector whom Christ called to follow him. He preached the Gospel as far as Persia or Ethiopia.]

Reading: Eph 4:1 - 7, 11 – 13 

     Therefore I, the prisoner of Christ, invite you to live the vocation you have received. Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love.

     Make every effort to keep among you the unity of Spirit through bonds of peace. Let there be one body and one spirit, for God, in calling you, gave the same Spirit to all. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God, the Father of all, who is above all and works through all and is in all.

     But to each of us divine grace is given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 

     As for his gifts, to some he gave to be apostles, to others prophets, or even evangelists, or pastors and teachers. So he prepared those who belong to him for the ministry, in order to build up the Body of Christ, until we are all united in the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God. Thus we shall become the perfect Man, upon reaching maturity and sharing the fullness of Christ.

Gospel: Mt 9:9 -13 

     As Jesus moved on from there, he saw a man named Matthew at his seat in the custom-house, and he said to him, "Follow me." And Matthew got up and followed him. Now it happened, while Jesus was at table in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, "Why is it that your master eats with those sinners and tax collectors?"

     When Jesus heard this he said, "Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

Reflection:

     The Gospel reading today tells us that Christ came to save all, sinners and saints: "I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."  

     The Pharisees and scribes were scandalized and upset that our Lord was at s dinner at Matthew's house, where "many tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus and his disciples, 'Why is it that your master eats with those sinners and tax collectors?'"  

     God's mercy is for all. In the Gospel of Luke the parables of the lost sheep, of the lost coin and of the prodigal son were given after the Pharisees and scribes complained, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." (Lk 15: 2)

     The sheep-owner celebrates on finding his lost sheep, "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."  (Lk 15: 6b – 7)

     The woman who finds her lost coin rejoices, "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." (Lk 15: 9b – 10)

     And the father rejoices at the return of his prodigal son, "This brother of yours was dead, and has come back to life. He was lost and is found. And for that we had to rejoice and be glad." (Lk 15: 32)

     In the case of the adulterous woman, Jesus quietly says, "Let anyone among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her." "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? "No one." "Neither do I condemn you; go away and do not sin again." (Jn 7b, 10 -11) 

     "For the Lord is good: his love lasts forever and his faithfulness through all generations." (Ps 100: 5)

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     LUNINGNING DE QUIROZ

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For the intentions of participants in the retreat of Alay sa Diyos Community on Sept. 25-27, 2015.

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.  

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

September 20, 2015 - 25th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME  

Cycle B, Green

Wis 2:12, 17 - 20 / Jas 3: 16 - 4: 3 / Mk 9: 30 - 37

First Reading: Wis 2:12, 17 - 20

     Let us set a trap for the righteous, for he annoys us and opposes our way of life; he reproaches us for our breaches of the Law and accuses us of being false to our upbringing.

     Let us see the truth of what he says and find out what his end will be. If the righteous is a son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from his adversaries.

     Let us humble and torture him to prove his self-control and test his patience. When we have condemned him to a shameful death, we may test his words."

Second Reading: Jas 3:16 - 4:3

     Wherever there is jealousy and ambition, you will also find discord and all that is evil. Instead, the wisdom which comes from above is pure and peace-loving. Persons with this wisdom show understanding and listen to advice; they are full of compassion and good works; they are impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow peace reap a harvest of justice.

     What causes these fights and quarrels among you?  Is it not your inner longings which make war within your own selves? When you long for something you cannot have, you kill for it and when you do not get what you desire, you squabble and fight. You pray for something and you do not get it because you pray with the wrong motive of indulging your pleasures.

Gospel: Mk 9:30 – 37

     After leaving that place, they made their way through Galilee; but Jesus did not want people to know where he was because he was teaching his disciples. And he told them, "The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him, but three days after he has been killed, he will rise." The disciples, however, did not understand these words and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

     They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they did not answer because they had been arguing about who was the greatest.

     Then he sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, "If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all." Then he took a little child, placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, "Whoever welcomes a child such as this in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me but the One who sent me."

Reflection:

     In January 2008 the UN named Hollywood actor George Clooney as a UN Messenger of peace.  In a speech, Clooney said, "Peace is not just a colored ribbon. It is more than a wristband or a T-shirt, It is not just a donation or a five-K race. It is not just a folk song or a white dove. Peace is certainly more than a celebrity endorsement."

     By defining peace negatively, for what is not, Clooney wanted us to see that peace was more than a conflict-free life. In fact he believed that "peace, like war, must be waged." We have to actively engage ourselves, even to the point of being in conflict or at war, to promote peace.  

     Rather unsettling perhaps? Yet many humanitarian activities are based on this principle of "waging for peace." Red Cross volunteers work despite the danger of bullets in war-torn countries; teachers in the Philippines protect the sanctity of the ballots during elections; many civilians provide sanctuary at great risk for those persecuted by unjust governments.

     In today's second reading from the Letter of James we are reminded that peace begins at the personal level.  We begin peace-making by first confronting the many conflicts within ourselves.

     Making a conscious decision to be honest even if others are not is peace-making. Serving a church or a community even if many leaders are poor and imperfect is peace-making. Seeing and respecting people of other religions or color or orientation is peace-making, Upholding the truth even if a simple lie may be more convenient is peace-making.  If we look within ourselves and the people and the world we live in, we realize how much we can do in waging peace.

     We can learn so much from St. Francis of Assisi's Prayer for Peace: "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is error, truth; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; and Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     LIAO E. LIAN

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.  

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

September 19, 2015 SATURDAY, 24th Week in Ordinary Time    

St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr

Green 

1 Tim 6:13 – 16 / Lk 8:4 - 15

[Born in Benevento, St. Januarius (d. 305) was martyred in Naples during the time of Diocletian.]

Reading: 1 Tim 6: 13 – 16

     Now, in the presence of God who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus who gave the good testimony before Pontius Pilate, I command you to keep the commandment. Keep yourself pure and blameless until the glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord, which God will bring about at the proper time, he, the magnificent sovereign, King of kings and Lord of lords. To him, alone immortal, who lives in unapproachable light and whom no one has ever seen or can see, to him be honor and power for ever and ever. Amen!

Gospel: Lk 8: 4 - 15

     As a great crowd gathered and people came to him from every town, Jesus began teaching them through stories, or parables, "The sower went out to sow the seed. And as he sowed, some of the grain fell along the way, was trodden on and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and no sooner had it come up than it withered, because it had no water. Some fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with the seed and choked it. But some fell on good soil and grew, producing fruit – a hundred times as much." And Jesus cried out, "Listen then, if you have ears to hear!"

     The disciples asked him, "What does this story mean?" And Jesus answered, "You have been granted to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to others it is given in the form of stories, or parables, so that seeing they may not perceive and hearing they may not understand." 

     Now, this is the point of the parable:

     The seed is the word of God. Those along the wayside are people who hear it, but immediately the devil comes and takes the word from their minds, for he doesn't want them to believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are people who receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe for a while and give way in time of trial. Among the thorns are people who hear the word but as they go their way, are choked by worries, riches, and the pleasures of life; they bring no fruit to maturity. The good soil, instead, are people who receive the word and keep it in a gentle and generous mind, and persevering patiently, they bear fruit.

Reflection:

     Jesus was a great story-teller; he made use of the common life of the people, "You have been granted to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to others it is given in the form of stories, or parables, so that seeing they may not perceive and hearing they may not understand." 

     The parable of the sower and the seed tells us how the word of God is received by people, comparing the reception and response of people to the way seeds sown on various soils and environments prospered or died.

     Obviously all of us wish to be like the seed which fell on good soil, grew and produced fruit a hundred-fold. Our Lord explained that "the good soil are people who receive the word and keep it in a gentle and generous mind, and persevering patiently, they bear fruit."

     Are we people like those who our Lord said bore good and plentiful fruit?

     Or are we people, like the wayside, who do not even have the patience to listen to God's word or like rocky ground "who receive the word . . .  but they have no root, they believe for a while and give way in time of trial" or, like among thorns, "who hear the word but as they go their way, are choked by worries, riches, and the pleasures of life; they bring no fruit to maturity." 

We hear God's word in many ways: in Church and at various talks and gatherings, in our own reading and study of the Scriptures, in private prayer and through the Spirit in the silence of our own hearts, in our dealings with and from the example of others. May we hear it, cherish it and live it with patience and perseverance. 

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     HENRY TANG

     PACITA P. YU (AUG 31, 1947 – SEP 19, 2011)

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.  

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