Monday, June 27, 2005
TUESDAY 13TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
JUNE 28, 2005
TUESDAY 13TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - YEAR I
GENESIS 19:15-29
As dawn was breaking, the angels urged Lot on, saying, "On your way!
Take with you your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you
will be swept away in the punishment of Sodom." When he hesitated,
the men, by the LORD's mercy, seized his hand and the hands of his
wife and his two daughters and led them to safety outside the city.
As soon as they had been brought outside, he was told: "Flee for your
life! Don't look back or stop anywhere on the Plain. Get off to the
hills at once, or you will be swept away." "Oh, no, my lord!" Lot
replied, "You have already thought enough of your servant to do me
the great kindness of intervening to save my life. But I cannot flee
to the hills to keep the disaster from overtaking me, and so I shall
die. Look, this town ahead is near enough to escape to. It's only a
small place. Let me flee there-it's a small place, is it not?- that
my life may be saved." "Well, then," he replied, "I will also grant
you the favor you now ask. I will not overthrow the town you speak
of. Hurry, escape there! I cannot do anything until you arrive
there." That is why the town is called Zoar. The sun was just rising
over the earth as Lot arrived in Zoar; at the same time the LORD
rained down sulphurous fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah from the LORD out
of heaven. He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain, together
with the inhabitants of the cities and the produce of the soil. But
Lot's wife looked back, and she was turned into a pillar of salt.
Early the next morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood
in the LORD's presence. As he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah
and the whole region of the Plain, he saw dense smoke over the land
rising like fumes from a furnace. Thus it came to pass: when God
destroyed the Cities of the Plain, he was mindful of Abraham by
sending Lot away from the upheaval by which God overthrew the cities
where Lot had been living.
MATTHEW 8:23-27
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a
violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped
by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, "Lord,
save us! We are perishing!" He said to them, "Why are you terrified,
O you of little faith?" Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the
sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, "What
sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?"
REFLECTION
It was nearly nightfall when Jesus, together with disciples, were in
a boat heading across the Sea of Galilee. Shortly after they sailed,
Jesus fell asleep. Out of nowhere the storm suddenly hit. First, the
disciples thought that they could handle the situation because Jesus
needed rest. But later, despite their all efforts to maneuver their
boat out from the stormy sea, they found themselves in fear of
sinking. Through all this, Jesus was sleeping soundly, despite the
turbulent sea and the raging storm.
The Gospel today talks about Jesus' humanity. Like every human,
Jesus gets tired after a day's work and falls asleep even through a
storm. His deep sleep can signify that he trusted his life totally
to God even through the storm. He abandoned his life to the Father's
loving care. However, his loving relations with the Father spill
over to others as well. Jesus slept through the storm but not
through the cries of his disciples. He reacted with human compassion
to save his friends in need. Indeed, the miracle lies not in the
stilling of the storm but in the suddenness with which Jesus was able
to respond to it.
Today's gospel reminds us to examine our faith in relation to our
fears. D. A. Carson once said, "Faith drives out fear and fear drives
out faith." Although we all believe that Jesus is God, we need to ask
ourselves: Do we live each day with the belief that Jesus is truly in
control of every situation? How many times have we been calling on
the Lord for help in times of trouble and every time we said "Jesus,
where are you when I needed you most"? Don't you think we should
rather seek Him in calm assurance and not with terrifying fears that
He does not care? When we face difficulties, we need be reminded to
have faith in God's goodness and God's control.
PRAYER
"Lord, may I always recognize your abiding presence with me. And in
times of trouble or fear may I find courage and strength to respond
as you would. Help me to rely upon you in all circumstances and to
trust in your help both in adversity and in temptation".
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
- for the eternal repose of the soul of Jaime Cardinal Sin, D.D.
Eternal rest grant unto him and may perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.
- for the speedy recovery of Felicitas (Embi) Simeon.
- for the special intentions of Veronica Adriano, Noel Tanjeco,
Ernesto Tanjeco.
- In thanksgiving for the healing of Maria Alyssa Martina Balingit.
- for the eternal repose of the souls of Cristina, Rosvie & Aljohn.
Eternal rest grant unto them and may perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
- for the special intention of Genesis P. Uichanco.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Penny Cham
- Birthday: Peter Lim, Jr (+)
- In Memoriam: Peter Lim Sr. ( 1903-1993)
- In Memoriam: James Yap Kek Kiong
- 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.
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