DAILY- HOMILY

AUGUST 1, 2009
MEMORIAL, ALPHONSUS MARY DE LIGUORI, BISHOP
SATURDAY 17TH WEEK ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

LEVITICUS 25:1, 8-17
The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, "Seven weeks of years shall you
count–seven times seven years– so that the seven cycles amount to
forty-nine years. Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, let the
trumpet resound; on this, the Day of Atonement, the trumpet blast
shall re-echo throughout your land. This fiftieth year you shall make
sacred by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It
shall be a jubilee for you, when every one of you shall return to his
own property, every one to his own family estate. In this fiftieth
year, your year of jubilee, you shall not sow, nor shall you reap the
after growth or pick the grapes from the untrimmed vines. Since this
is the jubilee, which shall be sacred for you, you may not eat of its
produce, except as taken directly from the field. "In this year of
jubilee, then, every one of you shall return to his own property.
Therefore, when you sell any land to your neighbor or buy any from
him, do not deal unfairly. On the basis of the number of years since
the last jubilee shall you purchase the land from your neighbor; and
so also, on the basis of the number of years for crops, shall he sell
it to you. When the years are many, the price shall be so much the
more; when the years are few, the price shall be so much the less. For
it is really the number of crops that he sells you. Do not deal
unfairly, then; but stand in fear of your God. I, the LORD, am your
God."

MATTHEW 14:1-12
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his
servants, "This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the
dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him." Now Herod had
arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of
Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him,
"It is not lawful for you to have her." Although he wanted to kill
him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. But at
a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a
dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to
give her whatever she might ask for. Prompted by her mother, she said,
"Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was
distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took
it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the corpse and
buried him; and they went and told Jesus.

REFLECTION
How are we, as children of the modern world, to interpret today's
Gospel reading? One way is to recognize that within each one of us is
the heart of a Herod and also the heart of a Baptist. A spiritual
struggle is being waged daily in our hearts and in our minds. The
moment of challenge comes, will we, like Herod, take the easy path of
passively agreeing to the demand or will we, like John the Baptist, be
willing to stand up for the truth, whatever the cost to our personal
lives? Someone has said: "Cowardice asks the question: Is it safe?
Vanity asks: Is it popular? But conscience asks: Is it right?"

The genius Albert Einstein once said: "Never do anything against
conscience even if the state demands it." As believers in Jesus
Christ, we will find ourselves in situations in which we are called
upon to stand up for what is right, just as John the Baptist did.
Although it will probably not cost us our lives, it will nevertheless
be a costly stand to take.

As today's Gospel illustrates, it is impossible to uphold the light of
the Gospel and hold firm to conscience and not be considered unwise.
However, this is a small price to pay for we know that God the Father
is delighted when his children take a firm stand for the Gospel of
hope and life. As St. Augustine said: "A good conscience is the palace
of Christ; the temple of the Holy Spirit; the paradise of delight."

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the special intentions:
- R.
- Pauline
… for the strength and healing of:
- Cory Aquino
- KK
- Tony
- Tessa
- Cristina Daland
- Brenda Domingo-Solis
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Tara Santileces, Victor Risma, Jr.
- Christine Marie Bernardo
- Justice Emilio A. Gancayco
Eternal rest grant unto them and may 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: Wendlyn T. Ligo
- Birthday: Esther Dee
- Birthday: Consuelo Rualo
- Birthday: Marcela Sim
- Wedding Anniversary: Lizabeth & Benson Tan
- Wedding Anniversary: Francisco & Fe Dizon
… 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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