DAILY- HOMILY

11 March 2016  

Friday, 4th Week of Lent 

Violet.        

Wis 2:1a, 12–22 / Jn 7:1- 2, 10, 25 – 30

From the 1st Reading: Wis 2:12 - 15

Let us set a trap for the righteous, for he annoys us and opposes our way of life;  he reproaches us for our breaches of the Law and accuses us of being false to our upbringing. He claims knowledge of God and calls himself son of the Lord.  He has become a reproach to our way of thinking; even to meet him is burdensome to us.  He does not live like others and behaves strangely.

From the Gospel Reading: Jn 7:25 - 30   

Some of the people of Jerusalem said, "Is this not the man they want to kill? And here he is speaking freely, and they don't say a word to him? Can it be that the rulers know that this is really the Christ? Yet we know where this man comes from; but when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from."

So Jesus announced in a loud voice in the Temple court where he was teaching, "You say that you know me and know where I come from! I have not come of myself; I was sent by the One who is true, and you don't know him. I know him for I come from him and he sent me."

They would have arrested him, but no one laid hands on him because his time had not yet come.

Reflection

In both readings, there are people who question the virtuous. They voice out their doubts about the righteous, challenging their authenticity.  In Jesus' time, there were many who were slow to believe in Christ as the Messiah.  Confused about the signs Jesus manifested, they were waiting for the authorities to make the final verdict.  

The first reading is fulfilled in Jesus Christ who was persecuted, mocked and finally condemned to a shameful death.  Where do you find yourself today?  Are you the one doubting or are you the target of people's criticisms?

If we are called to be Christians, we will undoubtedly be persecuted by the world because Christ's way of thinking and acting are opposed to that of the world.  Often by the mere fact that a Christian acts virtuously, people who are far from the Church feel threatened because they know they are not capable of doing the same.  They feel uncomfortable when they see someone acting differently from them; more so when they are corrected by the other.  Not realizing that they are being offered the right path, they feel that someone is imposing his will on them.  

Day by day, we are faced with the challenge of being a witness to Christ even if this means being misunderstood or having enemies.  Often we need to choose between being faithful to Christ and being loved by the world.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     Karen A. Pe Benito

     Atty. Marianne Reyna C. Lina-Cruz

     Gio C. Ventura

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     Natividad L. Chuakay

     Saw Cen

     Normita Siaco (Jun 3, 1959 – Mar 11, 2012)

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.  

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

12 March 2016                       

Saturday, 4th Week of Lent

Violet.        

Jer 11:18 – 20 / Jn 7:40 – 53

From the 1st Reading: Jer 11:19 - 20

But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter.  I did not know it was against me that they were plotting.  "Let us feed him with trials and remove him from the land of the living and let his name never be mentioned again."

Yahweh, God of hosts, you who judge with justice and know everyone in his heart and in his intentions let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause.

From the Gospel Reading: Jn 7:40 – 52

Many who had been listening to these words began to say, "This is the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Christ." But some wondered, "Would the Christ come from Galilee?  Doesn't Scripture say that the Christ is a descendant of David and from Bethlehem, the city of David?" The crowd was divided over him. Some wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

The officers of the Temple went back to the chief priests who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him?" The officers answered, "No one ever spoke like this man." The Pharisees then said, "So you, too, have been led astray! Have any of the rulers or any of the Pharisees believed in him?  Only these cursed people, who have no knowledge of the Law!"

Yet one of them, Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier, spoke out, "Does our law condemn people without first hearing them and knowing the facts?" They replied, "Do you, too, come from Galilee? Look it up and see for yourself that no prophet is to come from Galilee."

Reflection

In the first reading, Jeremiah who was campaigning for the reform of the Jewish liturgical practices, was being plotted against by his own townsmen.  They were trying to bring him down, especially since some of them had vested interests that will be affected by the reform.  This is the world we live in - a world of intrigues, jealousies, plotting, violence, etc.  And often times evil triumphs over good.

The same thing happens in the gospel.  Jesus was so popular among the people that the chief priests and Pharisees wanted to find a reason to have him arrested.  Imagine that Jesus who was calling the people to understand the spirit of the Law and not focus on its rituals and regulations being plotted against by the religious authorities.  

The Bible says that all or most of the prophets were persecuted because they advocated reform.  How hard it is to be a prophet!  Yet we should also heed this same call to say the truth to others even if we may be ridiculed, rejected or simply ignored.  We should correct others out of love, out of the desire to help them change for the better.  Sometimes we must correct others to protect those who are maltreated by them.      

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     Luy Kim Guan

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.  

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