DAILY- HOMILY

March 22, THURSDAY, 5th Week of Lent

Violet

Gn 17: 3 - 9 / Jn 8: 51- 59

FROM THE 1ST READING:             Gn 17: 3 - 7

Abram fell face down and God said to him, "This is my covenant with you; you will be the father of a multitude of nations.. No longer will you be called Abram, but Abraham, because I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you more and more famous; I will multiply your descendants; nations shall spring from you, kings shall be among your descendants.

"And I will establish a covenant, an everlasting covenant between myself and you and your descendants after you; from now on I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you, for generations to come."

GOSPEL READING:           Jn 8: 51 - 59

Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never experience death." The Jews replied, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died and the prophets as well, but you say, 'Whoever keeps my word will never experience death.' Who do you claim to be? Do you claim to be greater than our father Abraham who died? The prophets also died."

Then Jesus said, "If I were to praise myself, it would count for nothing. But he who gives glory to me is the Father, the very one you claim as your God, although you do not know him. I know him and if I were to say that I don't know him, I would be a liar like you. But I know him and I keep his word.

"As for Abraham, your ancestor, he looked forward to the day when I would come, and he rejoiced when he saw it."

The Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?" And Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." They then picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the temple.

REFLECTION

The first reading where God sealed a covenant with Abraham provides a background why the Jews consider Abraham their father. The Jews found Jesus' claim, "I say to you, before Abraham was, I am," to be blasphemy and "they picked up stones to throw at him."

The Jews claimed they knew their God: Jesus told them their knowledge of God was nothing compared to his knowledge of God his Father: "I know him and if I were to say that I don't know him, I would be a liar like you. But I know him and I keep his word."

Are we like the Jews who claimed they knew God yet refused to listen to Jesus and to recognize the signs he gave them that he was indeed from God? As Jesus said, "I know him and keep his word": if we really knew God we will also keep his word.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 

     Tim Bautista

     Maria Sy Choa

     Dennis Cuyegkeng

     Fr. Aristotle C. Dy S.J.

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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