Saturday, May 21, 2016
Friday, 7th Week in Ordinary Time
20 May 2016
Friday, 7th Week in Ordinary Time
St. Bernardine of Siena, Priest
Green.
Jas 5:9 – 12 / Mk 10:1– 12
St. Bernardine of Siena (1380 – 1444), of the Franciscan Order, spread devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus.
Gospel Reading: Mk 10:1 - 12
Jesus then left that place and went to the province of Judea, beyond the Jordan River. Once more crowds gathered around him and once more he taught them, as he always did. Some (Pharisees came and) put him to the test with this question, "Is it right for a husband to divorce his wife?" He replied, "What law did Moses give you?" They answered, "Moses allowed us to write a certificate of dismissal in order to divorce."
Then Jesus said to them, "Moses wrote this law for you, because you are stubborn. But in the beginning of creation God made them male and female, and because of this, man has to leave father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body. So they are no longer two but one body. Therefore let no one separate what God has joined."
When they were indoors at home, the disciples again asked him about this and he told them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against his wife, and the woman who divorces her husband and marries another also commits adultery."
Reflection
Why is Christian marriage indissoluble? Why can't spouses divorce? There seems to be many justifiable grounds for couples to divorce, but why does the Catholic Church not allow it?
Marriage is a sacrament because the union of husband and wife signifies a deeper reality. It is not merely a human covenant between two people or a pledge of undying love for one another. The honeymoon stage is short lived when differences appear. As time passes, terms of endearment between the couple become rare. Human chemistry fades and so what happens when the spouse becomes an irritant, or even the enemy? The world offers a quick remedy – separation or divorce.
But not for the Christian couple because the sacrament is not limited to human love alone but it signifies most specially a divine love, which is the love of Jesus Christ for us. He loves us unconditionally and this love cannot be destroyed by defects, weaknesses and even infidelities. Forgiveness and reconciliation renew the broken relationship between spouses. The vows exchanged by the couple is not what they can achieve with their own strength but what Christ can fulfill in them. That is why they stay married until death separates them. The spouses can hurdle any test if Christ is with them in their marriage.
WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:
THANKSGIVING
Cecilia Lim Yu
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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Saturday, 7th Week in Ordinary Time
21 May 2016
Saturday, 7th Week in Ordinary Time
Sts. Cristobal Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Green.
Jas 5:13 – 20 / Mk 10:13 – 16
St. Cristobal Magallanes (1869 – 1927), a Mexican priest, were martyred together with 21 diocesan priests and three lay people during the anti-Catholic years in Mexico in the 1920s-1930s.
From the 1st Reading: Jas 5: 13 – 15
Are any among you discouraged? They should pray. Are any of you happy? They should sing songs to God. If anyone is sick, let him call on the elders of the Church. They shall pray for him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer said in faith will save the sick person; the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed an sins, he will be forgiven.
Gospel Reading: Mk 10: 13 – 16
People were bringing their little children to him to have him touch them, and the disciples rebuked them for this.
When Jesus noticed it, he was very angry and said, "Let the children come to me and don't stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Then he took the children in his arms and laying his hands on them, blessed them.
Reflection
The first reading teaches us about the powerful effect of prayer, healing of the sick and necessity of helping fellow Christians to leave their sins and vices behind. We are not Christians for ourselves alone. We cannot say, "I am so holy. I do everything right. I am okay na." No, we are Christians for the other. We are called to be concerned for others, to pray for others, to guide the wayward, to correct the stubborn and those falling into serious sins. We are Christians not for ourselves but for others.
In the Gospel, we are told to be like little children welcoming the kingdom of God. This means to be always seeking God and trying to please Him as a child looks for his parents and wants always to be in their good graces. To be a child of God, we must love God, talk to Him every day, pray to Him, ask for His advice, say thank you to Him for our blessings, etc.
In a word, we must love Him with all our heart, all our mind and all our strength. Then to show how much we love our Father, we must love our neighbor because this is what God wants us to do. If we want to be like our Father, we will endeavor to be a loving person who is responsible, generous, takes care of family members, helps the poor and downtrodden, fights the arrogant with kindness and firmness, etc. If we do all these, Jesus will surely bless all our undertakings.
WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:
BIRTHDAY
Bea Yeh Tan
Dada M. Del Carmen
Lofreda M. Del Carmen
Carl Joseph Dy Siy
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
George & Evelyn Wong
Nam & Cecille J. Le
IN MEMORIAM (+)
Go Kun Ong
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:
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Thursday, 7th Week in Ordinary Time
19 May 2016
Thursday, 7th Week in Ordinary Time
White.
Jas 5:1 – 6 / Mk 9: 41 – 50
From the Gospel Reading: Mk 9:41- 49
Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone gives you a drink of water because you belong to Christ and bear his name, truly, I say to you, he will not go without reward.
"If anyone should cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble and sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a great millstone around his neck. If our hand makes you fall into sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a hand than with two hands to go to hell, to the fire that never goes out. And if your foot makes you fall into sin, cut if off! It is better for you to enter life without a foot than with both feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye makes you fall into sin, tear it out! It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than, keeping both eyes, to be thrown into hell, where the worms that eat them ever die, and the fire never goes out. The fire itself will preserve them."
Reflection
In today's modern and busy world, few people have time to sit down, be quiet and reflect. In today's Gospel reading the Lord reminds us to reflect on our lives: which aspects of my life truly contribute to my being a good Christian, a good follower of Christ? What are my habits and hobbies? Do these make me a better neighbor to others and, in doing so, do they make me a better Christian?
Jesus says, "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off." Of course, we know that Jesus does not wish us to take his words literally. His goal is to stress his point and emphasize the importance of living lives free of sin. His saying tells us, whatever it is in your life which causes you to sin, cut it off; get rid of it.
This is also a reflection on the true meaning of our life. We busy ourselves with many things and at times (often?) fail to realize that many or most of our concerns do not really matter. We are reminded that our life is be lived not only for ourselves but also for others. And in living lives for others, we effectively live lives for God, lives filled with generosity, kindness and genuine care for others.
WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:
BIRTHDAY
Gregorio A. Kaw
IN MEMORIAM (+)
Bob Artadi
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:
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Monday, 7TH Week in Ordinary Time
16 May 2016
Monday, 7TH Week in Ordinary Time
St. Andrew Bobola, Priest and Martyr
Memorial. Red.
Jas 3:13 –18 / Mk 9:14 – 29
St. Andrew Bobola (1591 – 1657), a Jesuit traveling missionary, was viciously murdered by Cossacks in Poland.
From the Gospel Reading: Mk 9: 16 - 29
Jesus asked, "What are you arguing about with them?" A man answered him from the crowd, "Master, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit, deaf and mute. Whenever the spirit seizes him, it throws him down and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth and becomes stiff all over. I asked your disciples to drive the spirit out, but they could not."
Jesus replied, "You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him.
As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it shook and convulsed the boy, who fell on the ground and began rolling about, foaming at the mouth. Then Jesus asked the father, "How long has this been happening to him?" He replied, "From childhood. And it has often thrown him into the fire and into the water to destroy him. If you can do anything, have pity on us and help us."
Jesus said to him, "Why do you say, 'If you can?' All things are possible for one who believes." Immediately the father of the boy cried out, "I do believe, but help the little faith I have."
Jesus saw that the crowd was increasing rapidly, so he ordered the evil spirit, "Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you: Leave the boy and never enter him again." The evil spirit shook and convulsed the boy and with a terrible shriek came out. The boy lay like a corpse and people said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him and the boy stood up.
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive out the spirit?" And he answered, "Only prayer can drive out this kind, nothing else."
Reflection
Today's Gospel account of the healing of a boy possessed by an unclean spirit teaches us two very important truths.
The first is that faith is not just a one-time decision or event. In the case of the boy's father, his little faith had to grow into total trust in Jesus. He must have known of the healing miracles performed by our Lord. That was the reason he brought his son to him. However, the words he used in his initial request to Jesus showed that he was not very sure that Jesus could heal his son. Acknowledging his little faith, he also asked for the grace of a deeper faith that Jesus could heal his son.
Do we pray with full expectation that the Lord who knows and always wants to give what is best for us will surely answer our prayers?
The second reality is that all healing has its origin in God. All of us are merely instruments of the healing love of God. When Jesus told his disciples that only prayer could drive out the unclean spirit, he was reminding them that in their ministry to the sick, they were just instruments of the healing power of God. For those of us called to the health-care profession or healing ministry, using our God-given talents and learned skills or knowledge in ministering to the sick, are we always aware of this reality?
WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:
BIRTHDAY
Lida P. Garcia
Wilfredo E. Rodriguez Jr
IN MEMORIAM (+)
Franklin Roger L. Sun
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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Wednesday, 7th Week in Ordinary Time
18 May 2016
Wednesday, 7th Week in Ordinary Time
St. John I, Pope and Martyr
Green.
Jas 4:1–17 / Mk 9:38– 40
St. John I (d 526), elected Pope in 523, was the first Pontiff to visit Constantinople; he worked to restore unity in the Church after the Acacian Schism (482 – 519).
From the 1st Reading: Jas 4: 11
Brothers and sisters, do not criticize one another, anyone who speaks against or condemns another, speaks against the Law and condemns the Law. If, however, you condemn the Law, you are no longer an observer of the Law but a judge of it. There is only one lawgiver and one judge: he has the power to save or condemn. So you, who are you to judge your neighbor?
Gospel Reading: Mk 9: 38 – 40
John said to him, "Master, we saw someone who drove out demons by calling upon your name, and we tried to forbid him because he does not belong to our group." Jesus answered, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in my name can soon after speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us."
Reflection
In the Gospel reading, Jesus confirms the power of our faith in his Name. Yes, even if there may be various standards and other ways to do it, in the end, our overall goal draws us toward Jesus and to honor his Name.
In some sense, like preparing for a marathon or a race, an athlete has many options available and can choose his specific training plan for the race. Today, athletes that are given this buffet of training plans must decide on a certain path. Whatever is chosen, the preparedness for that race must be pursued.
In whatever way we discern to follow in his Name, we need to also adhere to the training plan he has given to us so that we all can finish the race set before us. We need to be prepared by his grace. Others may have their own way, but our common goal is that we all race to bring honor to his name.
Jesus, we thank you for the abundance of blessings and teachings we receive each day and we are glad everything is for the glory of your Name. Keep us strong and help us finish the mission you have planned out for our lives. May we always run and live for your greater glory, O Lord.
WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:
BIRTHDAY
Marian Araneta
IN MEMORIAM (+)
Dionisio Chua Kang Hay (May 15, 1928 – May 18, 2011)
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:
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| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
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Tuesday, 7th Week in Ordinary Time
17 May 2016
Tuesday, 7th Week in Ordinary Time
Green.
Jas 4:1 – 10 / Mk 9: 30 – 37
From the 1st Reading: Jas 4: 6 – 10
God has something better to give, and Scripture also says, God opposes the proud but he gives his favor to the humble. Give in, then, to God; resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw close to God and he will come close to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubters. Recognize your distress, be miserable and weep. Turn your laughter into tears and your joy into sadness. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will raise you up.
From the Gospel Reading: Mk 9: 30 - 37
After leaving that place, they made their way through Galilee; but Jesus did not want people to know where he was because he was teaching his disciples. And he told them, "The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him, but three days after he has been killed, he will rise." The disciples, however, did not understand these words and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they did not answer because they had been arguing about who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, "If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all." Then he took a little child, placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, "Whoever welcomes a child such as this in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me but the One who sent me."
Reflection
"Welcome!" The most beautiful word for anyone to hear when he/she comes to a new place. The experience of being welcome is not limited to being allowed into someone's home or physical space but includes being accepted at various levels. It is a great gift to be accepted for who we are, regardless of color, social status, sex or religion.
It is a blessing to give this welcome, this gift of warm acceptance of another as a boost to the other's self-esteem. Think of the welcome enjoyed by guests and visitors to our homes. Think how important such welcome is for the many refugees now seeking better lives in Europe from war-torn northern Africa and the Middle East.
Lord, teach us to be welcoming to others because each human being is our brother or sister, your brother and sister redeemed by your Cross and death, our fellow-children of the loving heavenly Father.
WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:
BIRTHDAY
Johann Stanley Dy Co
IN MEMORIAM (+)
Wei Han William Chu
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:
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| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
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