DAILY- HOMILY

July 5, 2007
Thursday 13th Week in Ordinary Time - Year I

GENESIS 22:1-19
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I
am," he replied. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac,
whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as
a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." Early
the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with
him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood
for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him
about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the
distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I
and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back
to you." Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on
his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the
two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father
Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood
are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt
offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. When they
reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there
and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on
the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took
the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him
from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay
a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know
that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son,
your only son." Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram
caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it
as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place
The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of
the LORD it will be provided." The angel of the LORD called to Abraham
from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the
LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son,
your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as
numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your
descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and
through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because
you have obeyed me." Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they
set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

MATTHEW 9:1-8
Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some
men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their
faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are
forgiven." At this, some of the teachers of the law said to
themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" Knowing their thoughts,
Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which
is easier: to say, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Get up and
walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on
earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up,
take your mat and go home." And the man got up and went home. When the
crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who
had given such authority to men.

REFLECTION
The Gospels reveal that Jesus is unable to work any miracles in his
own hometown of Nazareth precisely because of their lack of faith. But
in today's story we seem to have a miracle occurring almost
independently of the man being cured. His sins are forgiven and he is
cured specifically because of the faith of the friends who brought him
to Jesus. These friends let nothing hinder them from bringing the
paralytic to Jesus. That is what faith means in this story. What we
have here then is a form of faith that we sometimes forget about, and
yet it plays an important role in our lives. When my faith is weak, I
need your faith to support me. When your faith is weak, you need my
faith to support you.

We never know what far-reaching effects our faith will have on others.
But we do know from this Gospel story that Jesus uses the faith of
other people to touch the life of an individual whose faith may be
weak. All of us have received similar graces because of the faith of
our parents, teachers, co-workers and companions.

Are we ourselves instruments of faith to our fellowmen, to those
around us, to all those we encounter each day? How often is our faith
a source of grace for them when they are in doubt or distress? Maybe
today the Lord is telling us, not to pick up our own mat, but to pick
up with faith someone else's mat and carry him or her into his
presence.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
.. for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
.. for the strength, healing and speedy recovery of:
- Dodo
- Ely
- Stef
- Tolentino A. Sandoval
- Salvador L. Mallari
- Julie Manzon
- Delly David
- Amileta Quinto
- Glenn Bisco
- Josie Ureta
- Charlie Castro
.. for the personal intentions and guidance of:
- Jasmin
- Lydia and family
- Guevara family
- Pauline
- Emilio and Engracia C.
.. for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Jerry Guevara
- Domingo Barayoga, Sr.
- Lourdes Vergara Barayo
- Allan Manzanilla
Eternal rest grant unto them and perpetual light shine upon them. May
they and all the dearly departed rest in peace.
.. for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Laura Guevarra
- Birthday: Pacensia Siy
- Birthday: Philip Sy
- Thanksgiving:Doris T. Tan & Family
- Wedding Anniversary: Arsenio & Mary
.. 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!

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