DAILY- HOMILY

January 21, 2018 - 3rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Jon 3: 1 - 5, 10 / 1 Cor 7: 29- 31 / Mk 1:14- 20

1ST READING: Jon 3: 1 - 5
The word of Yahweh came to Jonah a second time: "Go to Nineveh, the great city, and announce to them the message I give you." In obedience to the word of Yahweh, Jonah went to Nineveh. It was a very large city, and it took three days just to cross it. So Jonah walked a single day's journey and began proclaiming, "Forty days more and Nineveh will be destroyed."

The people of the city believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth...

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened upon them.

GOSPEL READING: Mk 1: 14 - 20
After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began proclaiming the Good News of God.. He said, "The time has come: the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe in the Good News."

As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." At once, they left their nets and followed him. Jesus went a little farther and saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they were in their boat mending their nets. Immediately, Jesus called them and they followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men

REFLECTION
The first reading speaks of the call of God to Jonah to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh and how the Ninevites repented and put on sackcloth: in response God did not carry out their destruction.

In the Gospel reading we see how the first disciples of Jesus, fishermen Peter and his brother Andrew, and fellow fishermen James and his brother John, responded so generously and spontaneously to Christ's call, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.." At Christ's call, they left their boats and livelihood, their families for a life with Jesus.

Jesus attracted his followers with his gentleness and sincerity. John the Baptist had pointed him out to them as the "Lamb of God." They had enjoyed his company and easy friendship. To fish for people is to bring people closer to God through repentance and the experience of God's healing mercy and love.

In his words to the Society of Jesus at its 36th General Congregation, Pope Francis stressed God's mercy as the healing force in our lives: "to be able to lose our fear of allowing to be moved by the immense suffering of our brothers and sisters so as to go out and walk patiently with our peoples, learning from them the best way to help and serve them."

Let us pray for this grace as well, to experience God's healing mercy in our lives so that we may all the more clearly hear his call and more readily follow him in helping and serving our neighbor. God's power is expressed most perfectly in his mercy and love for us. May we be filled with this love so that we too may be empowered to share his mercy and love to others.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 
Patricia Anne C. Inocencio

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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| 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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