DAILY- HOMILY

23 February 2016

Tuesday, 2nd Week of Lent / 

St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr

Violet.         

Is 1:10, 16 – 20 / Mt 23: 1 -12

A disciple of St. John, the Apostle and Evangelist, St. Polycarp (d 155), Bishop of Smyrna (now Izmir in Turkey), was martyred by burning at the stake by the Roman pro-consul.

1st Reading: Is 1: 10, 16 – 20

Hear the warning of Yahweh, rulers of Sodom.  Listen to the word of God, people of Gomorrah. 

"Wash and make yourselves clean.  Remove from my sight the evil of your deeds.  Put an end to your wickedness and learn to do good.  Seek justice and keep in line the abusers; give the fatherless their rights and defend the widow."

"Come," says the Lord, "let us reason together.  Though your sins be like scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they be as crimson red, they will be white as wool.   If you will obey me, you will eat the goods of the earth; but if you resist and rebel, the sword will eat you instead."  Truly the Lord has spoken.

Reflection

In this passage from the prophet Isaiah, God exhorts us to repent for our sins:  "Wash yourselves clean!  Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good."  He invites us to do acts of justice for the disadvantaged – the abused, the fatherless, and the widow, reminding us of God's special love for the lowly and the powerless, and teaching us the greatest kind of love that He himself showed by the example of His life.

The second part of this reading is a promise of God's forgiveness. If we do works of compassion and justice, God's mercy waits for us on the other side. "Come," he says, "let us reason together. Though your sins be scarlet, they will be white as snow. If you will obey me, you will eat the goods of the earth." How wonderful to receive this message of God's unfailing mercy. He is not an unreasonable God, but rather, a God of justice who values our good works, while at the same time understanding our human weakness. Because just as importantly, he is a God of mercy, willing to look beyond our sins and to wash us clean again as we constantly strive to grow in faith and love. Let us take heart in this two-pronged message of justice and mercy.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     Arleth Mendoza

     Harris Javier T. Ngo

     Rev. Fr. Caloy Reyes

     Ronald Cuadro

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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