DAILY- HOMILY

September 27, 2015 - 26th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 

Cycle B, Green   

Nm 11:25 – 29 / Jas 5: 1 – 6 / Mk 9: 38 - 43, 45, 47 - 48 

First Reading: Nm 11:25 – 29

     Yahweh came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit that was upon him and put it on the seventy elders. Now when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But this they did not do again.

     Two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad, the name of the other Medad. However, the spirit came on them for they were among those who were registered though they had not gone out to the Tent. As they prophesied inside the camp, a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." Joshua, the son of Nun, who ministered to Moses from his youth said, "My lord Moses, stop them!"

     But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous on my behalf? Would that all Yahweh's people were prophets and that Yahweh would send his spirit upon them!" 

Second Reading: Jas 5:1 – 6  

     So, now for what concerns the rich! Cry and weep for the misfortunes that are coming upon you. Your riches are rotting and your clothes eaten up by the moths. Your silver and gold have rusted and their rust grows into a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire, for having piled up riches in these the last days.

     You deceived the workers who harvested your fields but now their wages cry out to the heavens. The reapers' complaints have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You lived in luxury and pleasure in this world thus fattening yourselves for the day of slaughter. You have easily condemned and killed the innocent since they offered no resistance.

Gospel: Mk 9:38 - 43, 45, 47 - 48

     John said to him, "Master, we saw someone who drove out demons by calling upon your name, and we tried to forbid him because he does not belong to our group." Jesus answered, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in my name can soon after speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.  For if anyone gives you a drink of water because you belong to Christ and bear his name, truly, I say to you, he will not go without reward.  

     "If anyone should cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble and sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a great millstone around his neck. If your hand makes you fall into sin, cut it off!  It is better for you to enter life without a hand than with two hands to go to hell, to the fire that never goes out. And if your foot makes you fall into sin, cut it off!  It is better for you to enter life without a foot than with both feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye makes you fall into sin, tear it out!  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than, keeping both eyes, to be thrown into hell where the worms that eat them never die, and the fire never goes out."

Reflection:

     What is the cost of discipleship? Discipleship needs the willingness to undergo any sacrifice in the following of the master and for the sake of the master. It is to be ready to lose or give up one's life for the master.

     Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle John had been a Christian for 88 years. When the pro-consul ordered him to deny his Christian faith, he replied, "Eighty-eight years I have served him, and he has done me no harm. Why should I forsake him now?"

     The pro-consul then threatened to burn him at the stake. Even that failed to move him. Polycarp responded, "You threaten me with fire which burns only for a moment, but you are ignorant of the fire of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. . . you take a life from me that I cannot keep, but you bestow a life upon me that I cannot lose."

     Polycarp's story illustrates Jesus' words, "If your hand makes you lose your faith, cut it off! . .  If your foot makes you lose your faith, cut it off! . . . If you eye makes you lose your faith, take it out! It is better for you to enter the kingdom of heaven with only one eye that to keep both eyes and be thrown into hell."

     Jesus' point is clear: if you wish to be his follower, you should be willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary to keep you from sinning and from separating yourself from Jesus.  You should be willing to sacrifice and give up even what is most precious to you to enter the kingdom of God. This may mean sacrificing one's life.

     Today's Gospel reading invites us to ask ourselves: how vigilant are we in avoiding sin for love of God?

     We know for certain that no sin can enter our lives except with our deliberate consent. The essence of sin is our refusal to recognize that we are accountable to God in all things. And like ripples on a peaceful pond which reach the farthest shores, our sins affect those close to us, and many others.

     How vigilant are we in guarding ourselves against anything which may cause us to sin and lose God?

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     ROSARIO B. NAÑAGAS

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     MENILO UY (JUL 22, 1929 – SEP 27, 1991)

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.  

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

September 26, 2015 SATURDAY, 25th Week in Ordinary Time 

Sts. Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs                              

Green          

Zec 2:5 – 9, 14 - 15a / Lk 9:43b – 45

[Sts. Cosmas and Damian (d. 303) were brothers known for their medical  skills and were martyred under Diocletian.]

Reading: Zec 2:5 – 9, 14 - 15a

     Raising my eyes again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, "Where are you going?" He answered, "I'm going to measure Jerusalem, to find its width and its length." As the angel who spoke to me came forward, another angel met him and said, "Run and tell this to that young man: 'Jerusalem will remain unwalled because of its multitude of people and livestock.' For this is the word of Yahweh: I myself will be around her like a wall of fire, and also within her in Glory."

     "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you," says Yahweh. On that day, many nations will join Yahweh and be my people."

Gospel: Lk 9:43b - 45 

     While all were amazed at everything Jesus did, he said to his disciples, "Listen and remember what I tell you now: The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands." But the disciples did not understand this saying; something prevented them from grasping what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

Reflection:

     There was a television program in the 60's when television was still black and white entitled "Lost in Space" depicting a family marooned in a planet somewhere in space. Among the characters was a robot who would blurt out the phrase "It does not compute. It does not compute" in its robotic monotone whenever the robot was presented with situations it did not understand. 

     Today, the robot or computer would say or flash on the monitor the error message  'insufficient data' and the program or app would not proceed. The robot is like the disciples who could not comprehend why "the Son of Man must suffer many things . . . be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and put to death. . .after three days he will be raised to life" (Lk 9: 22)

     How and why would this happen to such a wonderful teacher, a powerful miracle worker and a faithful friend?  How and why would this happen to one with so many followers and admirers?

     But being a retired IT Specialist, this writer knows that many things or instances 'do not compute' because of insufficient data. It would take an infinite amount of understanding even to grasp a glimpse of God's mind, and we know that we possess only minute understanding and  'insufficient data.' 

     The disciples who could not understand did not put in data or did not have enough data on God's infinite and great love for us. 

     After Christ's death and resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the Spirit's continuing presence in the Church, we have been grace and faith to believe in the Paschal mystery of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection for our salvation. 

     Hopefully with faith and grace we have, unlike the disciples in today's Gospel reading, enough data to believe and understand, even if we do not completely comprehend how much God loves us. Hopefully, unlike the robot who stops because "It does not compute" or the computer which stops to function because of 'insufficient data,' we can move on with our lives with great love and gratitude to our good and loving God.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     FR. THOMAS H. O'GORMAN, SJ

     MARILYN SUNG LU

PRAYER INTENTION

     BONIFACE HTWAI AUNG

     REFORM IN MYANMAR

     RELIEF WORK IN LAPUTTA, MYAUNGMYA

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

     DRA. ROSALID SIA & DR. JOHN LIM

     NONOY & SHIRLEY PANGANIBAN, M.D.

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     CIPRIANO LU

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.  

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