DAILY- HOMILY

JUNE 27, 2011
MEMORIAL, ST. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, BISHOP & DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
MONDAY 13TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

Gn 18:16-33 / Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 10-11 / Mt 8:18-22

GENESIS 18:16-33
The men went away and turned towards Sodom. Abraham walked with them
to set them on their way. And Yahweh said, "Can I conceal from Abraham
what I am about to do? Abraham, in fact, is going to become a great
and powerful nation and through him all the nations of the earth will
be blessed, for I have chosen him to command his sons and his
household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right
and just, so that Yahweh may bring about for Abraham what he has
promised him." Then Yahweh said, "How great is the cry for justice
against Sodom and Gomorrah! And how grievous is their sin! I am going
down to see if they have done all that they are charged with in the
outcry that has reached me. If it is not so, I will know." The men
with him turned away and went towards Sodom, but Yahweh remained
standing before Abraham. Abraham went forward and said, "Will you
really let the just perish with the wicked? Perhaps there are fifty
good people in the town. Are you really going to let them perish?
Would you not spare the place for the sake of these fifty righteous
people? It would not be at all like you to do such a thing and you
can't let the good perish with the wicked, nor treat the good and the
wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the judge of all the earth
be just?" Yahweh said, "If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I will
spare the whole place for their sake." Abraham spoke up again, "I know
that I am very bold to speak like this to my Lord, I who am only dust
and ashes! But perhaps the number of the good is five less than fifty.
Will you destroy the town because of five?" Yahweh replied, "I will
not destroy the town if I find forty-five good people there." Again
Abraham said to him, "Perhaps there will be only forty." He answered,
"For the sake of forty I will not do it." Abraham went on, saying,
"May my Lord not be angry, but let me speak. Maybe only thirty good
people will be found in the town." Yahweh answered, "I will not
destroy it if I find thirty there." Abraham said, "Now that I have
been so bold as to speak to my Lord, what if only twenty can be
found?" He said, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy the
place." But Abraham insisted, "May my Lord not be angry, but let me
speak just once more. What if only ten can be found?" And Yahweh
answered, "For the sake of ten good people, I will not destroy Sodom."
When Yahweh had finished speaking with Abraham, he left and Abraham
went home.

MATTHEW 8:18-22
When he saw the crowd press around him, Jesus gave orders to cross to
the other shore. A teacher of the Law approached him and said,
"Master, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus said to him, "Foxes
have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay
his head." Another disciple said to him, "Lord, let me go and bury my
father first." But Jesus answered him, "Follow me, and let the dead
bury their own dead."

REFLECTION
The incident described in the first reading could come right out of
the Divisoria Market. Abraham is bargaining with God. "For the sake of
fifty good people, will you spare Sodom and Gomorrah? O.K., then. What
about for fort y-five? Or forty?" When God agrees to spare the cities
if only ten good people are found there, he abruptly leaves Abraham,
cuts off any further bargaining as though he's afraid that Abraham
will try to push the price lower.

The story says something about God's closeness to His people. He's not
aloof, not far distant. So close that the human can accuse Him of
injustice: "Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? Should
not the judge of the world act with justice?" He even says to God,
"See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, although I am just dust
and ashes." And Abraham is persistent with his bargaining, even though
he's fearful the Lord is getting impatient with him.

Many people think they are being disrespectful to God, that their
faith is weak, if they complain about the mess He's making of this
world, and particularly of their lives. Reading through the lives of
the saints, we find that they were totally honest with God. If they
were angry with God, they'd let it show in prayer. If hurt,
disappointed or frustrated, they didn't hide it.

To tell God how we feel about Him is to be honest with Him. To deny
feelings in prayer is to lie to God. To be open is the only way to
pray sincerely. To be open with God however means that we must be open
to Him, that we must listen to what He thinks and feels about us. If
we want Him to listen to us, we have to listen to Him as He tells us
what He thinks and feels about us and about what He wants us to be and
to do.

Prayer is honest and open dialogue.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Wally Torres, Francis Torres, Ditas dela Paz
- Pat, Gene, Frank, Maria, Pam, John C, Scott R & Mrs B
- Fr. Luis Sierra, OP
- Ely Lara
- Eden Batuto
- Rita P. Cuerva
… for the personal intentions of
- Tess Mendoza
- Titong Villacorta
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Jed Matthew T. Sarte
- Birthday: Helena Z. Benitez
- Wedding Anniversary: Ricky & Lizanne Castillo
- Wedding Anniversary: Marcelo & Emily Lee
- Thanksgiving: Elsa & Paolo
- In Memoriam (+): Bayani Mendiola Castillo
… 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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