DAILY- HOMILY

September 28, 2017 – THURSDAY, 25TH Week in Ordinary Time

Sts. Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila and Companions, Martyrs 

St. Wenceslaus, Martyr Memorial, Red

Hg 1:1 - 8 /Lk 9: 7- 9

     San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila (d. 1630) was a Filipino layman martyred in Japan together with fifteen others. They were beatified in Manila (1981) by Pope St. John Paul II in the first ever beatification ceremony done outside Rome and canonized (1987) by the same Pope. He is the first Filipino canonized saint.

     St. Wenceslaus (907- 929), Duke of Bohemia, was murdered by his brother for political and religious reasons.

FROM THE 1ST READING:             Hg 1: 4 - 8

     Is this the time for you to live in your well-built houses while this House is a heap of ruins? Think about your ways: you have sown much but harvested little, you eat and drink but are not satisfied, you clothe yourselves but still feel cold, and the laborer puts the money he earned in a tattered purse.

     Now think about what you must do: go to the mountain and look for wood to rebuild the House. This will make me happy and I will feel deeply honored, says Yahweh.

GOSPEL READING:           Lk 9: 7- 9

     King Herod heard of all this and did not know what to think, for people said, "This is John raised from the dead." Others believed that Elijah or one of the ancient prophets had come back to life.

     As for Herod, he said, "I had John beheaded; who is this man about whom I hear such wonders?" And he was anxious to see him.

REFLECTION

     In the first reading the post-exilic prophet Haggai speaks about the rebuilding of the nation, beginning with the rebuilding of the Temple, where God dwells. Their growth and development as a nation will depend upon their faithfulness to their covenant with Yahweh. From the destruction of their Temple and nation and the shame, defeat and desolation of exile, God's chosen people hoped to rise again. Has the exile formed a chastened and renewed people?

     In the Gospel reading King Herod wonders who this Jesus miracle-worker is: one of the prophets come back to life, Elijah-come-back, or John the Baptist raised to life? Though Herod respected John as "an upright and holy man" and "liked listening to him, although he became very disturbed whenever he heard him (Mk 6: 20), he had John beheaded at the request of the daughter of Herodias his consort.

     We know that Herod wanted to meet Jesus. He finally met him when Pilate sent Jesus to him at his trial. But he got no reply from Jesus. (Lk 23: 6 -12)

     Like Herod, we are asked the same question? Who is this Jesus of Nazareth? And, more important, what is he to us now? When Jesus asked his disciples at Caesarea Philippi, "Who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Messiah." What is our answer?

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 

     ARCHBISHOP SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS DD

     ANGELA LAUCHENGCO

     DRA. ROSALINDA HORTALEZA

     REBECCA CHUA 

     LIM SIU CHENG

     ROLLY DELA ROSA 

     TERENCE CHRISTOPHER ANG

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

     BENJAMIN & MICHELLE LYNETTE YU JONES

     JEFFREY & ROSE LALAIN TING

IN MEMORIAM (†) 

     ANDREW NG (BIRTH ANNIVERSARY)

     FELICIDAD CUA-LIM,MD

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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