DAILY- HOMILY

04 February 2016 

Thursday, 4th Week in Ordinary Time

St. John de Brito, Priest and Martyr / 

Bl. Rudolf Acquaviva, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

Memorial. Red.   

1 Kgs 2:1–4, 10-12 / Mk 6:7–13.     

St. John de Brito (1647 – 1693), Portuguese Jesuit missionary, was martyred in India.

Bl. Rudolf Acquaviva (1550 – 1583), Italian Jesuit missionary, was martyred with four others near Goa.

From the 1st Reading: 1 Kgs 2:1 – 3

When David was about to die, he gave his son Solomon this instruction.  "I am about to go the way of all creatures.  Be strong and show yourself a man. Keep the commandments of Yahweh your God and walk in his ways.  Keep his statutes, his commands, his ordinances and declarations written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do and wherever you go."

From the Gospel Reading: Mk 6:7- 9 

Jesus called the Twelve to him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over evil spirits.  And he ordered them to take nothing for the journey except a staff; no food, no bag, no money in their belts.  They were to wear sandals and were not to take an extra tunic.

Reflection

According to Travel Guidebook authors, "The measure of a good traveler is how light he/she travels." When you travel light, you spend less on your airfare and you have a real edge on mobility.  

In the Gospel reading today, Jesus tells his disciples to take nothing for their preaching journeys except the bare essentials:  a staff and sandals; only one tunic; but neither money nor bread nor bag. The modern traveler would find Jesus a tightfisted and un-generous traveler given our world today where cell phones and cameras seem to be necessities.

But why does Jesus insist that his disciples travel very light?  Jesus was teaching them the importance of "poverty in spirit."  He wanted them free from greed and preoccupation with materials possessions to make room for God.  

In our fast-changing and increasingly consumer-oriented world today, it is so easy for us to be attached to materials possessions: newer models of smartphones and other gadgets flood our markets.   People spend so much time with computers and smartphones for real-time information and updates on what is happening, on what they are eating, on where they are going, on what is going on wherever.  Unconsciously we fall into the temptation to need and accumulate more.

The Gospel reading today reminds us to be rooted in God, to be dependent n him and not on ourselves.  We have to remind ourselves that we are just travelers in this world.  We are in this world but should not be of this world: hence, we are to travel light.  

What things preoccupy us most these days?  How do these preoccupations affect our relationship with God?    

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     Annie Montano

     Catherine M. Porte

     Jaykob Phoenix Sy

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For the successful heart bypass procedure of Leticia Embile-Manzano.

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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