DAILY- HOMILY

AUGUST 1, 2011
MEMORIAL, ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, BISHOP & DOCTOR
MONDAY 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

Nm 11:4-15 / Ps 81:12-13, 14-15, 16-17 / Mt 14:13-21

NUMBERS 11:4-15
Now the rabble that was among them had greedy desires and even the
Israelites wept and said, "Who will give us meat to eat? We remember
the fish we ate without cost in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the
leeks, the onions and garlic. Now our appetite is gone; there's
nothing to look at, nothing but manna." Now the manna was like
coriander seed and had the appearance of bedellium. The people went
about gathering it up and then ground it between millstones or pounded
it in a mortar. They boiled it in a pot and made cakes with it which
tasted like cakes made with oil. As soon as dew fell at night in the
camp, the manna came with it. Moses heard the people crying, family by
family at the entrance to their tent and Yahweh became very angry.
This displeased Moses. Then Moses said to Yahweh, "Why have you
treated your servant so badly? Is it because you do not love me that
you burdened me with this people? Did I conceive all these people and
did I give them birth? And now you want me to carry them in my bosom
as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to
their fathers? Where would I get meat for all these people, when they
cry to me saying: `Give us meat that we may eat?' I cannot, myself
alone, carry all these people; the burden is too heavy for me. Kill me
rather than treat me like this, I beg of you, if you look kindly on
me, and let me not see your anger."

MATTHEW 14:13-21
On hearing this, Jesus set out secretly by boat for a secluded place.
But the people heard of it, and they followed him on foot from their
towns. When Jesus went ashore, he saw the crowd gathered there and he
had compassion on them. And he healed their sick. Late in the
afternoon, his disciples came to him and said, "We are in a lonely
place and it is now late. You should send these people away, so they
can go to the villages and buy something for themselves to eat." But
Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away; you give them something
to eat." They answered, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two
fishes." Jesus said to them, "Bring them here to me." Then he made
everyone sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two
fishes, raised his eyes to heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the
loaves and handed them to the disciples to distribute to the people.
And they all ate, and everyone had enough; then the disciples gathered
up the leftovers, filling twelve baskets. About five thousand men had
eaten there besides women and children.

REFLECTION
In today's Gospel, Matthew is relating to us much more than another
miracle. Through this event, he shows that Jesus gives spiritual food
that satisfies spiritual hunger. The Gospel today reminds us that in
Jesus we have the fullness of spiritual life and through him our
physical hunger can be satisfied as well.

This subtle but important point makes us reflect whether world hunger
is the result of an inadequate food supply or inadequate distribution
arrangements. Would the problem be found in the insufficiency of our
planet or from the selfishness of the human heart? Should we expect
God to deliver more food from heaven to feed the starving or should He
move human hearts to share what they have? In the Gospel reading,
Jesus tells his disciples "You give them food to eat." He wants them
to do something themselves to alleviate the hunger of the people. God
works through human initiative, intelligence, and concern.

To mobilize our energies to alleviate human suffering requires a
change within ourselves which Jesus has demonstrated to us.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- G, Ben, Pam, Maria, Delores, Kristin, John C, Frank, Gene,Eugene R
- Jo Marcelo
- Jun Lee
- Jonathan Salazar
- Mon Torres
- Wally Torres
… for the personal intentions of
- Pauline
- Julie and Glenn Manzon
- Estileta & Salvador Escamilla
- Ma. Fe and Florante De Castro
- Fe Edralyn & Domingo Barayoga Jr.
- Mary Ann Castro
- Joy and Noli Caparid
- Melinda Sarmiento
- Imelda & Edwin Bacolod
- John & Glenn Dale Manzon
… Birthday: Richard V. Condor
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Marcus Victor Yao Co Say
- Birthday: Lyn Tan
- Birthday: Norin Gener
- Birthday: Consolacion Rualo
- Birthday: Esther Rosca
- Birthday: Teresa Chan
- Birthday: Marcela Sim
- Thanksgiving: Elizabeth & Benson Tan
- In Memoriam (+): Anastasia Thobin Pe (1901- 1944)+
- In Memoriam (+): President Corazon Aquino
- In Memoriam (+): Josefa D. Lim
… for families who are in need of healing
… 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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