October 10, 2013
by
Rev. Fr. Benjo Fajota, Vice Rector, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of
Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)
5:30PM Mass at the EDSA Shrine
5:30PM Mass at the EDSA Shrine
You have defied me in word, says the LORD, yet you ask, “What
have we spoken against you?” You have said, “It is vain to serve God, and what
do we profit by keeping his command, And going about in penitential dress in
awe of the LORD of hosts? Rather must we call the proud blessed; for indeed
evildoers prosper, and even tempt God with impunity.” Then they who fear the
LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened attentively; And a record
book was written before him of those who fear the LORD and trust in his name. And
they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my own special possession, on the
day I take action. And I will have compassion on them, as a man has compassion
on his son who serves him. Then you will again see the distinction between the
just and the wicked; Between the one who serves God, and the one who does not
serve him. For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud
and all evildoers will be stubble, And the day that is coming will set them on
fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you
who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.
R. (Ps 40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Jesus said to his disciples: “Suppose one of you has a
friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of
bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have
nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the
door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot
get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the
loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he
needs because of his persistence.
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
HOMILY
Yesterday, we were told how to pray to the Father, with the disposition of a child to his Father. And now, we see another picture of God - that of a friend, who will give us anything because of our persistence.
There was one who asked the late Pope John Paul II when he was still alive, 'How does the Pope pray?' And the Pope answered, 'The Pope prays as much as the Holy Spirit allows him to pray.' Basically, prayer is a relationship. We cannot go directly to God. That is why we have to ask the grace of the Holy Spirit for us to be able to communicate to God. And it is only upon being filled by the Holy Spirit that we can understand what God is telling us. The problem with us is we do not want God to be God. We demand much from Him. We do not allow Him to be ruling in our lives, to be reigning supreme in our hearts. We demand from Him a lot of our petitions, our supplications, but we do not want to listen, if God is telling us 'not yet', or 'I don't want to give that to you yet', or 'I will give you the best, more than what you are asking for'.
Basically, prayer is a relationship - a relationship between God and man. But when we talk to God in prayer, it is about God and God. It is the Holy Spirit in us talking to God, and it is by the grace of the Holy Spirit in us, that we listen to God's words, and are able to accept His will for our lives. Let us, from here on, allow God to be God. Amen.
Yesterday, we were told how to pray to the Father, with the disposition of a child to his Father. And now, we see another picture of God - that of a friend, who will give us anything because of our persistence.
There was one who asked the late Pope John Paul II when he was still alive, 'How does the Pope pray?' And the Pope answered, 'The Pope prays as much as the Holy Spirit allows him to pray.' Basically, prayer is a relationship. We cannot go directly to God. That is why we have to ask the grace of the Holy Spirit for us to be able to communicate to God. And it is only upon being filled by the Holy Spirit that we can understand what God is telling us. The problem with us is we do not want God to be God. We demand much from Him. We do not allow Him to be ruling in our lives, to be reigning supreme in our hearts. We demand from Him a lot of our petitions, our supplications, but we do not want to listen, if God is telling us 'not yet', or 'I don't want to give that to you yet', or 'I will give you the best, more than what you are asking for'.
Basically, prayer is a relationship - a relationship between God and man. But when we talk to God in prayer, it is about God and God. It is the Holy Spirit in us talking to God, and it is by the grace of the Holy Spirit in us, that we listen to God's words, and are able to accept His will for our lives. Let us, from here on, allow God to be God. Amen.
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