DAILY- HOMILY

27 February 2016 

Saturday, 2nd Week of Lent

Violet.        

Mi 7:14– 15, 18 – 20 / Lk 15:1- 3, 11 – 32.

From the Gospel Reading: Lk 15:11 - 32  

Jesus continued, "There was a man with two sons. The younger said to his father: 'Give me my share of the estate.' So the father divided his property between them.

"Some days later, the younger son gathered all his belongings and started off for a distant land where he squandered his wealth in loose living. Having spent everything, he was hard pressed when a severe famine broke out in that land. So he hired himself out to a well-to-do citizen of that place and was sent to work on a pig farm.  So famished was he that he longed to fill his stomach even with the food given to the pigs, but no one offered him anything.

"Finally coming to his senses, he said: 'How many of my father's hired workers have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will get up and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against God and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son. Treat me then as one of your hired servants.' With that thought in mind he set off for his father's house.

"He was still a long way off when his father caught sight of him. His father was so deeply moved with compassion that he ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. The son said: 'Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son…'

"But the father turned to his servants: 'Quick! Bring out the finest robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and kill it. We shall celebrate and have a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost and is found.' And the celebration began.

"Meanwhile, the elder son had been working in the fields. As he returned and was near the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what it was all about. The servant answered: 'Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father is so happy about it that he has ordered this celebration and killed the fattened calf.'

"The elder son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and pleaded with him. The indignant son said: 'Look, I have slaved for you all these years. Never have I disobeyed your orders. Yet you have never given me even a young goat to celebrate with my friends.  Then when this son of yours returns after squandering your property with loose women, you kill the fattened calf for him.'

"The father said: 'My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But this brother of yours was dead, and has come back to life. He was lost and is found. And for that we had to rejoice and be glad.'"

Reflection

The parable of the prodigal son can also be called the parable of the forgiving father.  We see in the gospel a son who has strayed from the right path in life but has truly repented and was ready to be punished for his wrongdoings.  But lo and behold, his father welcomes him back with open arms and forgiving heart. The father understood and saw the painful experience his son had gone through and even described his son's return as one who comes back from the dead.

When we commit sin, we die and separate ourselves from the love of God.  But when we repent and are truly sorry, God welcomes us with open arms.  God's mercy is everlasting.  He wants us to live and not die in our sins.  Pope Francis once said, "The Lord God never tires of forgiving our sins.  We forget to ask His forgiveness."  

Do we forgive others this way; totally and unconditionally forgiving them?  Forgetting the wrongs done to us?  In order to do this, we must love the wrongdoer and see him/her as a weak person in need of forgiveness and understanding.  Let us love like Jesus, let us forgive like Jesus.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     Violeta Sia

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     Domingo Siao Tan

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.  

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

26 February 2016                                                                                        

Friday, 2nd Week of Lent                                                                  

Violet.         

Gn 37:3 - 4, 12 - 13a, 17b - 28a / Mt 21:33 - 43, 45 – 46.  

Gospel Reading: Mt 21:33 - 43, 45 - 46 

Jesus Said, "Listen to another example: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a hole for the winepress, built a watchtower, leased the vineyard to tenants and then went to a distant country. When harvest time came, the landowner sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the harvest.  But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another and stoned another.

"Again the owner sent more servants, but they were treated in the same way.

"Finally, he sent his son, thinking: 'They will respect my son.'  But when the tenants saw the son, they thought: 'This is the one who is to inherit the vineyard. Let us kill him and his inheritance will be ours.' So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

"Now, what will the owner of the vineyard do with the tenants when he comes?"  They said to him, "He will bring those evil to an evil end, and lease the vineyard to others who will pay him in due time."

And Jesus replied, "Have you never read what the Scriptures say? The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing; and we marvel at it. Therefore I say to you: the kingdom of heaven will be taken from you and given to a people who will yield a harvest."

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard these parables, they realized that Jesus was referring to them. They would have arrested him, but they were afraid of the crowd who regarded him as a prophet.

Reflection

In the first reading, Joseph is sold by his brothers to some Ishmaelites going down to Egypt. Inside the well where he was held captive, he prefigures Jesus Christ who was mistreated and "sold" to the Romans to be crucified.

In the Gospel, the son of the landowner thrown out of the vineyard and killed by the tenants also refers to Jesus who was crucified outside of Jerusalem.

How great is the Paschal Mystery of Jesus!  In God's incomprehensible wisdom, He sends His Son to save us by his death on the cross.  His death brings us life because it erased the ill-effects of the sin of Adam and brings us hope of new life by his resurrection from the dead.  

We must realize how our sins nailed Jesus on the cross.  We must realize that sin leads to death.  We must be aware that sin kills us and others too.  In fact our sins killed Jesus, or should I say, Jesus allowed our sins to kill him in order to save us.  

During this Lenten season, let us truly repent for our sins and contemplate the sacrifice Jesus has offered for us.                

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     Angela Dy Tan

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For the eternal repose of the souls of Lito Yamsuan, Mely Javier and Ben Tan.

For the healing & recovery of Genie Manzana.

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.