DAILY- HOMILY

March 9, 2018 – FRIDAY, 3rd Week of Lent 

St. Frances of Rome, Widow and Religious Founder

Violet.

Hos 14: 2- 10 I Mk 12: 28- 34

St. Frances of Rome (1384 - 1440) , a widow, founded an order of oblates committed to serving the poorest of the poor.

FROM THE 1ST READING:             Hos 14: 2- 3, 5

Return to your God Yahweh, 0 Israel! Your sins have caused your downfall. Return to Yahweh with humble words. Say to him, "Oh you who show compassion to the fatherless, forgive our debt, be appeased. Instead of bulls and sacrifices, accept the praise from our lips." ... I will heal their wavering and love them with all my heart, for my anger has turned from them.

GOSPEL READING:           Mk 12: 28- 34

A teacher of the Law had been listening to this discussion and admired how Jesus answered them. So he came up and asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?"

Jesus answered, "The first is: Hear; Israel! The Lord, our God, is One Lord; and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And after this comes another one: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two.."

The teacher of the Law said to him, "Well spoken, Master; you are right when you say that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all our heart, with all our understanding and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves is more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice."

Jesus approved this answer and said, "You are not far from the kingdom of

God." But after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

REFLECTION

In the first reading we are invited to return to Yahweh. We must return to Yahweh, though we have sinned against him. We return to Yahweh in humility, the creature to his Creator. We return to God by praising him for his compassion and forgiveness.. And we resolve that our only God is Yahweh, not any of the many false gods. And Yahweh promises to love us in return.

In the Gospel reading Jesus re-affirms the commandments, "The first is: Hear; Israel! The Lord, our God, is One Lord; and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And after this comes another one: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two." (Mk 12: 29- 31)

God is a jealous God: he cannot allow other gods. Love of neighbor is a necessary extension of love of God: after all, love is simply putting others before ourselves and the readiness to give ourselves for the good of others.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     Timothy Jameson Chan

     Jeanoe! G. Endaya

     John Lloyd Pasarin

     Catherine A. Villanueva

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY 

     Nanny & Cristie Zialcita 

IN MEMORIAM {+} 

     Eliezer delos Santos Bil!anes

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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