Tuesday, June 21, 2005
WEDNESDAY 12TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
WEDNESDAY 12TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - YR I
JUNE 22, 2005
GENESIS 15:1-12, 17-18
The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram! I
am your shield; I will make your reward very great." But Abram
said, "O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be, if I keep on being
childless and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?"
Abram continued, "See, you have given me no offspring, and so one of
my servants will be my heir." Then the word of the LORD came to
him: "No, that one shall not be your heir; your own issue shall be
your heir." He took him outside and said: "Look up at the sky and
count the stars, if you can. Just so," he added, "shall your
descendants be." Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to
him as an act of righteousness. He then said to him, "I am the LORD
who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as a
possession." "O Lord GOD," he asked, "how am I to know that I shall
possess it?" He answered him, "Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a
three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a
young pigeon." Abram brought him all these, split them in two, and
placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram stayed with
them. As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a
deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him. When the sun had set and it
was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces. It was on that occasion that the
LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I give
this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River the Euphrates."
MATTHEW 7:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples: "Beware of false prophets, who come to
you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their
fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or
figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a
rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor
can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good
fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits
you will know them."
REFLECTION
When Abram was still at his home in Haran, God urged him to leave his
father's house and "go to the land that I will show you." God
promised to make a great nation of Abram, to bless him, and to make
him a blessing for all communities on earth. Abram did as God
directed. At the age of 75 he set out on a journey to the land that
God would show him.
As time went on Abram felt pangs of discouragement. The reality
argued that the fulfillment of God's promises was totally unfeasible.
His age and the age of his wife. Their years of childless marriage.
Abram brings his pain and his anxiety and puts them before God.
God reassures Abram that he will have a son, through whom his
descendants will become as numerous as the stars in the sky. Assured
by God, Abram puts his faith in the Lord and God "credited it to him
as righteousness."
"Faith" here means that Abram so put his trust in God that he was
incapable of doubting that the Lord would keep his promises. It's
true, Abram could not see into the future. But God was so real to
him, so caring and so concerned, so trustworthy, that Abram could not
but trust that the future would bring about the fulfillment of God's
promises.
How did Abram develop so intimate and so strong a faith in God? We
really don't know. The Bible simply says that the Lord God once made
a promise to him and he believed. Luke says that the angel spoke to
Mary and she believed, and appeared to Joseph in dreams, and he
believed. God manifested himself dramatically to Saul on the road to
Damascus, and he believed. God undoubtedly speaks to all men and
women, to them all in a multitude of voices. The initiative however
is always God's. Faith is a gift freely offered, freely granted,
never earned. Yet the person to whom God speaks must keep himself
open to the Lord, lest he or she fail to recognize his voice.
Abram, our father in faith, quite obviously was constantly open to
the Lord. May we be as open was he was.
PRAYER
"Lord, may I bear good fruit for your sake. Help me to reject
whatever will produce evil fruit. And help me grow in faith, hope,
love, sound judgment, justice, courage, and self control."
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for Pacita Lo, who is in coma and for the strength and comfort
needed by her husband, children and her entire family at this time.
- for better health and healing of Maribeth Malvar.
- For the special intentions of Jojo and Sheila.
- For peace and harmony for all families.
- For the food health of Papa Fabio, Papa Raul.
- For the speedy recovery of Mr. Fredo Olol.
- For the birthdays of: Clara Isabel Autor, Lilian Capuchino-Vergara,
Jorel Mateo, Annlyn Faustino.
- For the eternal repose of the souls of Remberto, Florence and
Danilo. May perpetual light shine upon them.
- Personal intentions of JP.
- Personal intentions of Lydia and family.
- Birthday blessings for Jasmin.
- For healing of Maria Alyssa Martina Balingit.
- For the eternal repose of the soul of Jaime Cardinal Sin, D.D.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Mary Wong Lim
- Birthday: Maria Socorro Lim
- In Memoriam: Pablo R. Roman
- In Memoriam: Jose Antonio Carvajal
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
================================
In return of a free service please visit our sponsors here:
http://biblereflection.blogspot.com/
----------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to DAILY-HOMILY, a Catholic-based Scripture and Homily
Reflections. 'Daily Homily' is a great source for scripture readings,
homilies and reflections for Weekdays, (Year I & II) Sundays and
Holydays of Obligation (Cycle A, B & C). Subscribe to this list and you
will receive a free, informed, down to earth and illustrated homilies
focusing on the readings on Weekday & Sunday Masses, Liturgical
Services or personal reflection. And best of all it's a FREE service.
If you do not have access to the web, you can use these email addresses
- To Subscribe or unsubscribe send email to: dailyhomily@gmail.com
Website: http://homily.dailyfoodforthought.org/
As Ministers of the Word of God we have been called to proclaim the
Good News. It is a free gift given to us by God. We in turn may give
this gift back to God's children. Any donations for this Internet
Ministry would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made online at
www.paypal.com ; address payments to rickpen16@earthlink.net.
PRAYER FOR ENLIGHTENMENT BEFORE MEDITATING ON GOD'S WORD:
www.marythequeen.org/
A free service from Mary the Queen Parish, Manila and Fr. Rick
Feel free to forward this to your friends, family and associates!
Have a nice day!
2005 Daily-Homily (c)
