Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Thursday 10th Week in Ordinary Time
June 15, 2006
Thursday 10th Week in Ordinary Time - Yr II
1 KINGS 18:41-46
Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a
heavy rain." So Ahab went up to eat and drink, while Elijah climbed to
the top of Carmel, crouched down to the earth, and put his head between
his knees. "Climb up and look out to sea," he directed his servant, who
went up and looked, but reported, "There is nothing." Seven times he
said, "Go, look again!" And the seventh time the youth reported, "There
is a cloud as small as a man's hand rising from the sea." Elijah said,
"Go and say to Ahab, 'Harness up and leave the mountain before the rain
stops you.'" In a trice the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a
heavy rain fell. Ahab mounted his chariot and made for Jezreel. But the
hand of the LORD was on Elijah, who girded up his clothing and ran
before Ahab as far as the approaches to Jezreel.
MATTHEW 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, unless your righteousness
surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into
the Kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to your
ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to
judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be
liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, 'Raqa,' will be
answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be
liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the
altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with
your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your
opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your
opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you
over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to
you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."
REFLECTION
We have always been told to put God first in our lives. But sometimes
it seems that even in scripture, God comes second. Notice the order of
things? Jesus said that before you make your offering to God, first be
reconciled with someone who has something against you. That seems a bit
odd. We have always been taught that God come first in a Christian's
life. We do not give God the leftovers and scraps of our crops or
flocks or money or time.
When it comes to worship, our heart, mind, and soul should be focused
only on God and on giving God honor and glory. God comes first,
especially in worship. But Jesus is saying that there is at least one
circumstance, even during worship, when God comes second. The
circumstance is simple. When anger drives a wedge between you and
someone else, it is more important for you to be reconciled with that
person than for you to present your offering to God. Jesus says that
reconciliation is more important than any offering.
But what if we are the injured party? It works the same way. Either
way, reconciliation between two people who are at odds with each other
is more important to God than any amount of offering because
reconciliation cuts off the path that leads to bitter anger and
violence. This should not really surprise us. God is all about
reconciliation and so is Jesus.
So, when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that
your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift
before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister,
and then come and offer your gift. This is when God comes second.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
- for the special intentions of Jasmin
- good health, safety and blessings for the Pe Family
- for the personal intentions of Jennette
- for the speedy recovery of Ding Vidanes.
- for the eternal repose of the soul of Jesus Milla. Eternal rest
grant unto him and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he and
all the souls of the dearly departed rest in peace.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Wedding Anniversary: Luis & Josie Ong
- for the personal intentions of Corrie
- 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.
Have a good day!
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "DAILY-HOMILY" group.
To subscribe email: dailyhomily@gmail.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to Daily_Homily-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Daily_Homily
HOME: http://www.stjosephkingston.org/
Feel free to forward this to your frie nds, family and associates!
� 2006 Daily-Homily
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
