DAILY- HOMILY

December 30, 2017 – SATURDAY, Christmas Weekday

White

[Rizal Day]

1 Jn 2: 12 - 17 / Lk 2: 36 - 40

FROM THE FIRST READING:          1 Jn 2: 12 -13, 17

     My dear children, I write this to you: you have already received the forgiveness of your sins through the Name of Jesus.. Fathers, I write this to you: you know him who is from the beginning. Young men, I write this to you: you have overcome the Evil One. My dear children, I write to you because you already know the Father....

     The world passes away with all its craving but those who do the will of God remain for ever.

GOSPEL READING:           Lk 2: 36 - 40

     There was also a prophetess named Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. After leaving her father's home, she had been seven years with her husband, and since then she had been continually about the Temple, serving God as a widow night and day in fasting and prayer. She was now eighty-four. Coming up at that time, she gave praise to God and spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the

deliverance of Jerusalem.

     When the parents had fulfilled all that was required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their town, Nazareth in Galilee. There the child grew in stature and strength and was filled with wisdom: the grace of God was upon him.

REFLECTION

     Who would know better about the passing away than a Jewish widow? Anna, now eighty-four years of age, had been married for only seven years before she was widowed. Jewish widows had a very difficult life with no source of livelihood.

     Since she became a widow, Anna "had been continually about the Temple, serving God as a widow night and day in fasting and prayer." She was especially blessed by the appearance in the Temple of the Child Jesus: "she gave praise to God

and spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem."

     William James, an American philosopher and intellectual, had written, "The great use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts us." Anna spent her life in fasting and prayer at the Temple, awaiting the child who would deliver humankind from sin.

     As we end another year we could ask how have we spent the past year? Has our past year been spent "for something that outlasts us," for really worthwhile pursuits? And how do we plan to spend the New Year?

     Wisely St. John had written, "The world passes away with all its craving but those who do the will of God remain for ever."

Amen, we say and pray.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     ALLAN N. GARCIA RIZALITO R. REYES

     VICKY LIAO

THANKSGIVING

     CHRISTOPHER & MARY & FAMILY

IN MEMORIAM (†)

     LUY TAN BAN

     PEGGY LIM FURUKAWA (JAN. 4,1941 ·DEC. 30, 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: 

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

   |  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.  

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