DAILY- HOMILY

October 1, 2019 – TUESDAY, 27TH Week in Ordinary Time
St. Therese of Lisieux, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Memorial. White.

Zec 8: 20 – 23 / Lk 9: 51 – 56

Born in Alercon, France, St. Therese of Lisieux (St. Therese of the Child Jesus, 1873 – 1897), "the Little Flower," joined the Carmelites at the age of 15 and was known for her humility and complete abandonment to God. She was declared a Doctor of the Church, Patron of the Missions and Patron of France.  Her parents, Sts. Louis Martin (1823 – 1894) and Marie Zelie Guerin (1831 – 1877) were beatified in 2008 and canonized by Pope Francis on 18 October 2015.

FROM THE 1ST READING: Zec 8: 20 – 22
Yahweh, the God of hosts, speaks, "People will come from other nations, people from great cities. The inhabitants of one town will talk to those of another and say, 'Come, let us go and implore the favor of Yahweh, and I, too, will seek Yahweh. Many great peoples and powerful nations will come seeking Yahweh, God of hosts, in Jerusalem and pray to him."

GOSPEL READING: Lk 9: 51 – 56
As the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. He had sent ahead of him some messengers who entered a Samaritan village to prepare lodging for him. But the people would not receive him because he was on his way to Jerusalem.

Seeing this, James and John, his disciples, said, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to reduce them to ashes?" Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went on to another village.

REFLECTION
In the first reading the prophet says that "many great peoples and powerful nations will come seeking Yahweh, God of hosts, in Jerusalem and pray to him." They will come because they have "heard that God is with you."

Before Jesus returned to heaven in his Ascension, he commissioned his disciples to "go and make disciples from all nations." (Mt 28: 19) Jesus wishes that the salvation he gained be brought to and be enjoyed by all humankind, similar to the prophet's words that many peoples and nations will come to worship Yahweh, the one true God of hosts and of Israel.

In the Gospel reading the apostles James and John wished to call down fire and thunder from the heavens to destroy the Samaritan village which refused to receive them: thus, Jesus called them Boanerges, "men of thunder.." Though the Samaritans did not receive them (Jews and Samaritans did not like one another and indeed hated one another!) they also knew Jesus and his disciples were headed for the Jewish center Jerusalem. Jesus rebuked James and John for their evil wishes on the Samaritan village.

Despite two millennia of Christianity, the great majority of our world today do not know Christ; there are many who know of him and hate those who believe in him.

May we strengthen our faith in Christ. May we be witnesses of Christ to others that they may say, "We, too, want to go with you for we have heard that God is with you."

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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