DAILY- HOMILY

11 November 2016

Wednesday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time

Cycle C.   Violet.   Rev 4:1-11           Ps 150             Lk 19:11-28

Reading: Rev 4:1-11  

After this, I looked up to the wall of the sky and saw an open door. The voice which I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here and I will show you what will come in the future." Immediately I was seized by the

Spirit. There, in heaven, was a throne and one sitting on it.  He who sat there looked like jasper and carnelian and round the throne was a rainbow resembling an emerald.  In a circle around the throne are twenty-four thrones and seated on these are twenty-four elders, dressed in white clothes, with golden crowns

on their heads.  Flashes of lightning come forth from the throne, with voices and thunderclaps. Seven flaming torches burn before the throne; these are the seven spirits of God.  Before the throne there is a platform, transparent like crystal. Around and beside the throne stand four living creatures, full of eyes, both in front and behind.  The first living creature is like a lion, the second like a bull, the third has the face of a man and the fourth looks like a flying eagle.  Each of the four living creatures has six wings full of eyes, all around as well as within; day and night they sing with out ceasing, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, master of the universe, who was, and is and is to come. Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to the One on the throne, he who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him and worship the One who lives for ever and ever.

They lay their crowns in front of the throne and say,  Our Lord and God, worthy are you to receive glory, honor and power! For you have created all things; by your will they came to be and were made.

Gospel : Lk 19:11-38 

Jesus was now near Jerusalem, and the people with him thought that God's reign was about to appear. So as they were listening to him, Jesus went on to tell them a parable. He said, "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to assume regal authority, after which he planned to return home.  Before he left, he summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds of silver. He said, 'Put this money to work until I get back.'  But his compatriots, who disliked him, sent a delegation after him with this message, 'We do not want this man to be our king.'  He returned, however, appointed as king. At once he sent for the servants, to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came in, and reported, 'Sir, your pound of silver has earned ten more pounds of silver.'  The master replied, 'Well done, my good servant! Since you have proved yourself faithful in a small matter, I can trust you to take charge of ten cities.'  The second reported, 'Sir, your pound of silver earned five more pounds of silver.'  The master replied, 'And you, take charge of five cities!' The third came in, and said, 'Sir, here is your money, which I hid for safekeeping.  I was afraid of you, for you are an exacting person: you take up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.'  The master replied, 'You worthless servant, I will judge you by your own words! So you knew I was an exacting person, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow?  Why, then, did you not put my money on loan, so that, when I got back, I could have collected it with interest?'  Then the master said to those standing by, 'Take from him that pound, and give it to the one with ten pounds.'  But they objected, 'Sir, he already has ten pounds!'  The master replied, 'I tell you, everyone who has will be given more; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.  As for my enemies, who did not want me to be their king, bring them in, and execute them right here in front of me!'" 

So Jesus spoke, and then he passed on ahead of them, on his way to Jerusalem.   When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, close to the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples with these instructions, "Go to the village opposite; and, as you enter it, you will find a colt tied up, that no one has yet ridden. Untie it, and bring it here. And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you untying this colt?' You shall give this answer, 'The Master needs it.'" So the two disciples went and found things just as Jesus had said. As they were untying the colt, the owner said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" And they answered, "The Master needs it." So they brought it to Jesus and, throwing their cloaks on the colt, they mounted Jesus on it. And as he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When Jesus came near Jerusalem, to the place where the road slopes down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice, and to praise God with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen; and they cried out, "Blessed is he who comes as king in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heavens."

Reflection

Our gospel today taken from Luke must have been based on a parable of our Lord from which Matthew also derived his parable of the talents. As in the first gospel, the servants were entrusted with certain resources which they were expected to invest and use wisely for a greater yield. What are the main lessons of these two parables for us? We can easily see that in both parables, the master or nobleman represents God who is the source or giver of all we have. Everything we have, our talents or wealth, whether material or spiritual, are given to us. They are given to us for a purpose and we shall account to God in due time for how we develop and use them. 

All of us are gifted differently. More is expected from those who are given more. None of us receive nothing. Whatever we happen to have and offer can be used for the greater purpose which God has planned for all of us from all eternity. As shown in the parable, even the one with a lesser yield is commended. However, as the parable also teaches, if we neglect to develop or share what we have, even the little, we will lose what we have. 

Many of us have taken the gift of faith and our personal relationship with the Lord for granted. Do we put time and effort for their development and growth? Or are we contented with a minimalist attitude of just going along with the external rituals without cultivating our understanding of our faith relationship with the Lord thereby risk losing the treasure we are gifted with?  If we are truly serious in our relationship with the Lord and desire to follow him, we must ask ourselves, what are we uniquely gifted with by the Lord? What can we do with these gifts? Finally, are we also willing to share these gifts with others?

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     Selena Dator

     Jose Carlos P. Marin

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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