DAILY- HOMILY

September 24, 2015 THURSDAY, 25th Week in Ordinary Time       

Green      

Hg 1:1 – 8 / Lk 9:7 - 9

Reading: Hg 1:1 – 8 

     In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, a word of Yahweh was directed to the prophet Haggai for the benefit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.

      "So says Yahweh of hosts: This people claim that the time to rebuild the House of Yahweh has not yet come. Well now, hear what I have to say through the prophet Haggai: Is this the time for you to live in your well-built houses while this House is a heap of ruins? Think about your ways: you have sown much but harvested little, you eat and drink but are not satisfied, you clothe yourselves but still feel cold, and the laborer puts the money he earned in a tattered purse.

     Now think about what you must do: go to the mountain and look for wood to rebuild the House. This will make me happy and I will feel deeply honored, says Yahweh. 

Gospel: Lk 9:7 - 9      

     King Herod heard of all this and did not know what to think, for people said, "This is John, raised from the dead." Others believed that Elijah or one of the ancient prophets had come back to life. As for Herod, he said, "I had John beheaded; who is this man about whom I hear such wonders?" And he was anxious to see him.

Reflection:

     We live in an age where information is power. We are able to make decisions on how to act, think and even feel based on the knowledge that we have. The more information we have, the more empowered we feel to act because we know that we have adequate data for our decisions. 

     In the Gospel reading today, this was what Herod wanted:  information.  Herod, who had already ordered John the Baptist to be beheaded, asked his minions to tell him about the other man who acted as if he were John risen from the dead. Herod did not know that he was inquiring about Jesus of Nazareth. He did not know that, even though John had died, there was one far greater that John who could continue to challenge his ways and the ways of his world.  Herod did not know of the plan of God, and the role that John had played in it.  He would meet Jesus at a later date when Pilate the Roman Procurator would Jesus to him when he heard he was from Galilee.  By then, it would be already too late for Herod to change his ways. And Herod was not about to change his ways.

     In our daily lives, we have to ask ourselves: Are we like the curious Herod? What do we know about Jesus of Nazareth from our education? From the homilies we hear at Mass? From our own readings and reflection? From our own life and experience?

     What do we know about the Good News which continues to be preached even today? How much time do we give to reflect on what we have heard, read and learned about our Lord?

     Our Lord is not some historical figure of the past: our Lord is the living Son of God made man at the right hand of the Father. We ask that we may believe, though we have not seen. 

     We ask that that Father may reveal to us as he did to Peter9who Jesus really is, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." (Mt 16: 16)

     We ask for the grace of faith to believe and affirm, with the once-doubting Thomas, "You are my Lord and my God." (Jn 20: 28)

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     DINNA A. RAMOS

     NENA

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

     JUANITO & STELLA DY'

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For the thanksgiving and special intentions of Beny Chua.

For the special intentions of Mary Wong for her son Lawrence.

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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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

   |  distributed free and for personal use only.  

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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!

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

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.  

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