DAILY- HOMILY

March 29, 2019 – FRIDAY, 3rd Week of Lent

Violet.

Hos 14: 2 – 10 / Mk 12: 28 – 34

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

Return to your God Yahweh, O 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 a second commandment: 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

Indeed it is very difficult to  love  our  neighbor,  when  so  many  seem unlovable.. How do we follow and live out such a comprehensive commandment?

This is exactly what God teaches us through Jesus: "to love your neighbor as yourself": to support the grumpy relative, to look after the irresponsible drugged-up brother, to be concerned for the office associate who has wronged us, to leave no one in our love, to be concerned for the very least  of Christ's brethren.

This is not easy on our own power. Let us continue to pray to learn to love and serve our neighbor as we should and could. When we are well-fed, may no one feel hunger; may the sick and advanced in years have the care they need; may those grieving and distressed be consoled.

May we learn to be like the good Samaritan to the traveler who had fallen to robbers. And on judgment day may we receive the reward promised by Jesus: "Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world." (Mt 25: 34)

FINALLY, WE PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ASKED OUR PRAYERS AND FOR THOSE WHO NEED OUR PRAYERS THE MOST. 

BIRTHDAY 

     Joseph Ferrer

     Jerome F. Mamano

     Maricris B. Arrogancia

     Aldus F. Alvarado

IN MEMORIAM ( +) 

     Augusto D. Lao

     Asela So Sy (Dec. 7, 1920 – Mar. 29, 2005)

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

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