DAILY- HOMILY

June 5, 2017 – MONDAY, 9TH Week in Ordinary Time

St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr

Memorial, White

Tb 1:3; 2:1a- 8 / Mk 12:1 – 12

     St. Boniface (680- 754), a Benedictine monk born in England, was consecrated the first Bishop in Germany (Mainz). Martyred with thirty companions in Frisia, he is known as the Apostle of Germany.

FROM THE 1ST READING:     Tb 1: 3

     I, Tobit, have walked in the ways of truth and justice all the days of my life; I have given many alms to my brethren and to those of my countrymen who were deported with me to Nineveh, a city in the country of the Assyrians.

GOSPEL READING:     Mk 12:1-12

     Using parables Jesus went on to say, "A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press and built a watch tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenants and went abroad.

     "In due time he sent a servant to receive from the tenants his share of the fruit. But they seized the servant, struck him and sent him back empty-handed. Again the man sent another servant. They also struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent another and they killed him. In the same way they treated many others; some they struck and others they killed.

     "One was still left, his beloved son. And so, last of all, he sent him to the tenants; for he said, 'They will respect my son.'

     "But those tenants said to one another: 'This is the one who will inherit the vineyard. Let's kill him and the property will be ours.' So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. Now, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others."

     And Jesus added, "Have you not read this text of the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the keystone. This was the Lord's doing; and we marvel at it."

     They wanted to arrest him for they realized that Jesus meant this parable for them; but they were afraid of the crowd. So they left him and went away.

REFLECTION

     Our Christian vocation may be summed up very simply, "to love." As St. Augustine of Hippo said, "Love and do whatever you wish."

     The first reading speaks of Tobit who was very helpful and charitable to others, despite many problems and difficulties. He was rewarded by having his sight restored.

     The Gospel reading gives us a parable on how God's love and trust are not appreciated but are in fact rejected, even to maltreating and killing his messengers and son.

     lgnatian spirituality speaks of "gratuitous love." The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius begins with the exercitant recognizing God's gratuitous love for him/her shown by his creative love, redeeming love in his Son, and never-ending forgiving love and mercy. How else can one respond except by showing him similar gratuitous love?

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     AYISHA ROGALSKI

     BONIFACE HTWAI AUNG

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY 

     ERIC & CYNTHIA GALE

     WILSON LIM & ESTELA GO LIM

THANKSGIVING

     ANIE, LEANNE, MIKE, ARIEL, & LENIE

     PHILIPPINE BRITISH ASSURANCE COMPANY, INC.

IN MEMORIAM (†)

     EMMANUEL LUY

     WILLIAM SIOCO LUY (JUN. 18,1954 -JUN. 5, 1995)

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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June 6, 2017 – TUESDAY, 9th Week in Ordinary Time 

St. Norbert, Bishop and Religious Founder 

St. Marcellin Champagnat, Priest and Religious Founder

Green

Tb 2: 9- 14 / Mk 12: 13- 17

     St. Norbert (1080 - 1134), born in Germany, was consecrated Archbishop of Magdeburg; he preached religious and moral reforms.

     A French priest, St. Marcellin Champgnat (1789 - 1840) founded the Marist Brothers (FMS) for the education of the youth in 1817. Beatified in 1955, he was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 1999.

FROM THE 1ST READING:     Tb 2: 10b- 12, 14b

     Finally I became totally blind. I suffered from blindness for four years. All my brothers were burdened because of me.

     My wife Anna worked hard at a woman's task, weaving. On the seventh day of the month of March she cut the cloth and delivered it to her employers. They paid her wages and gave her, over and above, a young goat for food. When she returned home the kid began to cry. I said to her, "Where does this little kid come from? Did you steal it? Return it to its owners for we are not allowed to eat anything that is stolen." ...

     She replied, "What about your own almsgiving and your good deeds? I have to put up with all this from you."

GOSPEL READING:           Mk 12: 13- 17

     They sent to Jesus some Pharisees with members of Herod's party, with the purpose of trapping him in his own words. They came and said to Jesus, "Master, we know that you are true; you are not influenced by anyone and your answers do not vary according to who is listening to you but you truly teach God's way. Tell us, is it against the Law to pay taxes to Caesar? Should we pay them or not?"

     But Jesus saw through their trick and answered, "Why are you testing me? Bring me a silver coin and let me see it." They brought him one and Jesus asked, "Whose head is this, and whose name?" They answered, "Caesar's." Then Jesus said, "Return to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." And they were greatly astonished.

REFLECTION

     In the first reading, Tobit, a righteous and God-fearing Jew, becomes blind from birds' droppings. His wife, Anna, had to work for them to live. She rebukes Tobit, "What about your own almsgiving and your good deeds? I have to put up with all this from you."

     "Why do bad things happen to good people?" many ask. A simple answer could be, "Why not!" The Lord Jesus did many good things and yet the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews had him crucified.

     In the Gospel reading, Jesus acknowledges the world of Caesar and God's. Of course, an unjust government could also tax unjustly. Churches do a lot of good for people and thus in many countries they are given various privileges.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     DR. EVELYN GONZAGA

     TIMOTHY GOTAMCO TAN

     VICTOR 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!

**************************************************

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.  

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June 7, 2017 – WEDNESDAY, 9th Week in Ordinary Time

Green

Tb 3:1 - lla, 16- 17a / Mk 12:18- 27

FROM THE 1ST READING:     Tb 3: 16- 17a

     The Lord in his glory heard the prayer of Tobit and of Sara and he sent Raphael to heal them both - to give back his sight to Tobit and to give Sara, the daughter of Ragouel, to Tobit's son Tobias as his wife. Also, Raphael would enchain the wicked demon Asmodeus so that Sara would be the wife of Tobias.

GOSPEL READING:     Mk 12: 18- 27

     The Sadducees also came to Jesus. Since they claim that there is no resurrection, they questioned him in this way, "Master, in the Scriptures Moses gave us this law: 'If anyone dies and leaves a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife and give her a child who will be considered the child of his deceased brother. Now, there were seven brothers. The first married a wife, but he died without leaving any children. The second took the wife and he, too, died leaving no children. The same happened to the third. Finally the seventh died leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. Now in the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife? For the seven had her as wife."

     Jesus replied, "You could be wrong in this regard because you understand neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. When they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry but are like the angels in heaven.

     "Now, about the resurrection of the dead, have you never reflected on the chapter of the burning bush in the book of Moses? God said to him: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now, he is the God, not of the dead but of the living. You are totally wrong."

REFLECTION

     In the Gospel reading the Sadducees present to Jesus the question about a woman who had been married to seven brothers, each of whom died without any children with her, "Now in the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife? For the seven had her as wife."

     Jesus answers their question, "When they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry but are like the angels in heaven."

     The first reading from the book of Tobit recounts the story of Sara and her seven husbands and how God showed his mercy by sending the angel Raphael to restore the sight of Tobit and to give Sara as wife to his son Tobias, after having enchained her wicked tormentor-demon.

     Hopefully we would be unlike the Sadducees who questioned Jesus in the Gospel reading. Unlike them we do believe and hope in our participation in the resurrection of the risen Christ: that somehow, in God's infinite power and mercy, we would be raised body and soul to glory forever in

Christ. This is our hope: for this we live and die.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 

     ATTY. JUNI HO GOTAMCO

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

     TIMOTHY JAMESON & LORRAINE PHILIPPS CHAN

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For the recovery and complete healing of Renan Lacida.

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.  

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

June 10, 2017 – SATURDAY, 9th Week in Ordinary Time

Green

Tb 12: 1, 5- 15, 20 / Mt 12: 38- 44

FROM THE 1ST READING:     Tb 12: 6b- 9a

     The angel took Tobit and Tobias to one side and said to them, "Bless God, return thanks to him, proclaim his glory and render him thanks before all the living for all he has done for you...

     "Do the works of God. Do good, and evil will not harm you. It is a good thing to accompany prayer with fasting, almsgiving and justice. It is better to do a little with honor than much with injustice. It is better to give alms than to treasure up gold. Almsgiving preserves from death; it purifies from all sin."

GOSPEL READING:           Mt 12: 38- 42

     Then some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." Jesus answered them, "An evil and unfaithful people want a sign, but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. In the same way that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the monster fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the depths of the earth.

     "At the judgment, the people of Nineveh will rise with this generation and condemn it, because they reformed their lives at the preaching of Jonah, and here is greater than Jonah. At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you. She came from the ends of the earth to listen to the Wisdom of Solomon, and here there is greater than Solomon."

REFLECTION

     "Do good, and evil will not harm you." (Tb 12:7)

     In the first reading the angel Raphael reminds Tobit and Tobias to acknowledge the many good things the Lord had done for them. Raphael stresses that "it is better to give alms than to treasure up gold" (Tb 12: 8) for "Almsgiving preserves from death; it purifies from all sin." (Tb 12: 9)

     In the Gospel reading Jesus castigates the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law for their refusal to listen and reform, unlike the Ninevites at the preaching of Jonah and the Queen of the South listening to Solomon where "here [there] is greater than Jonah" and "here [there] is greater than Solomon."

     Knowledge of the Law alone does not bring salvation; good works and generosity do. Like the poor widow at the Temple who gave all she had, to give until it hurts has always been a constant calling and challenge to all.

     May we develop the capacity to see truth and wisdom. May we develop the generosity to give, even if the recipient is undeserving, and receive the grace to see Christ with and among our neighbors, especially the poor and in need.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY 

     NICK ALEXANDER & GERALDINE GAZO

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.