DAILY- HOMILY

JULY 4, 2009
MEMORIAL, ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL, HOLY WOMAN
SATURDAY 13TH WEEK ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

GENESIS 27:1-5, 15-29
When Isaac was so old that his eyesight had failed him, he called his
older son Esau and said to him, "Son!" "Yes father!" he replied. Isaac
then said, "As you can see, I am so old that I may now die at any
time. Take your gear, therefore–your quiver and bow– and go out into
the country to hunt some game for me. With your catch prepare an
appetizing dish for me, such as I like, and bring it to me to eat, so
that I may give you my special blessing before I die." Rebekah had
been listening while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau. So, when Esau
went out into the country to hunt some game for his father, Rebekah
[then] took the best clothes of her older son Esau that she had in the
house, and gave them to her younger son Jacob to wear; and with the
skins of the kids she covered up his hands and the hairless parts of
his neck. Then she handed her son Jacob the appetizing dish and the
bread she had prepared. Bringing them to his father, Jacob said,
"Father!" "Yes?" replied Isaac. "Which of my sons are you?" Jacob
answered his father: "I am Esau, your first-born. I did as you told
me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me
your special blessing." But Isaac asked, "How did you succeed so
quickly, son?" He answered, "The Lord, your God, let things turn out
well with me." Isaac then said to Jacob, "Come closer, son, that I may
feel you, to learn whether you really are my son Esau or not." So
Jacob moved up closer to his father. When Isaac felt him, he said,
"Although the voice is Jacob's, the hands are Esau's." (He failed to
identify him because his hands were hairy, like those of his brother
Esau; so in the end he gave him his blessing.) Again he asked Jacob,
"Are you really my son Esau?" "Certainly," Jacob replied. Then Isaac
said, "Serve me your game, son, that I may eat of it and then give you
my blessing." Jacob served it to him, and Isaac ate; he brought him
wine, and he drank. Finally his father Isaac said to Jacob, "Come
closer, son, and kiss me." As Jacob went up and kissed him, Isaac
smelled the fragrance of his clothes. With that, he blessed him
saying, "Ah, the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field
that the Lord has blessed! "May God give to you of the dew of the
heavens And of the fertility of the earth abundance of grain and wine.
"Let peoples serve you, and nations pay you homage; Be master of your
brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be those
who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you."

MATTHEW 9:14-17
The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, "Why do we and the
Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered
them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with
them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast. No one patches an old cloak with a piece of
unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the
tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are
ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are
preserved."

REFLECTION
Jesus disassociated himself from the Pharisees and the others when he
likened the coming of his reign to a wedding feast where he is the
bridegroom. Jesus is all about the joyous news of God's reign of a
love and forgiveness that cannot be imagined. The Pharisees were all
about judgment, complacency and legalism.

Today's Gospel reading has both serious and joyous implications. On
the serious side we need to be vigilant. The Pharisees of today's
Gospel are all of us. Who among us has never been legalistic,
complacent or judgmental? We all need to keep our eyes fixed on the
bridegroom, Jesus. He is our model of unbounded love and forgiveness.
That is the joy in today's Gospel reading.

We are invited to a wedding. There is plenty of new wine. Perhaps it
is the wine of compassion. We need to focus on Jesus minute by minute
throughout the day. Are we open to and accepting of God's reign of
love? Are we willing to put on the wedding garment of patience,
kindness, forgiveness and faithfulness? If we are, then let us
celebrate and dance for joy that we can be new wineskins ready to
receive God's grace.

Let us celebrate, for Jesus, the bridegroom has invited us to the
wedding feast of God's love which goes on without end.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Lisa
- Mary Abajon
- Fr. Peter Chuang, SJ
… for the special intentions: San Juan de Dios Hospital
… for the personal intentions:
- Veronica Yap
- Hernane B. Suede
- Lina Magcamit
- Charmaine
- Med Villanueva
… for the strength and healing of
- Arnold Cabatingan
- Cory Aquino
… for the eternal repose of the soul of Ms. Lolly Chua. Eternal rest
grant unto her and may perpetual light shine upon her. May she and all
the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Philip G. Sy
- Birthday: Pasencia Siy
- Birthday: Laura Guevarra
- Thanksgiving: Doris Tan & Family
- Wedding Anniversary: Arsenio & Mary Chua
- In Memoriam (+): Matthew Patrick Sy
… for the healing and peace of all families

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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