Sunday, July 03, 2011

 

MONDAY 14TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

JULY 4, 2011
MEMORIAL, ST. ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL, HOLY WOMAN
MONDAY 14TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

Gn 28:10-22 / Ps 91:1-2, 3-4, 14-15 / Mt 9:18-26

GENESIS 28:10-22
Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he reached a certain
place the sun had set and he spent the night there. He took one of the
stones that were there and using it as a pillow, he lay down to sleep.
While Jacob was sleeping, he had a dream in which a ladder stood on
the earth with its top reaching to heaven and on it were angels of God
going up and coming down. And Yahweh was standing there near him and
said, "I am Yahweh, the God of your father, Abraham, and the God of
Isaac. The land on which you sleep, I give to you and your
descendants. Your descendants will be numerous like the specks of dust
of the earth and you will spread out to the west and the east, to the
north and the south. Through you and your descendants all the nations
of the earth will be blessed. See, I am with you and I will keep you
safe wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land and not leave
you until I have done what I promised." Jacob woke from his dream and
said, "Truly Yahweh was in this place and I was not aware of it." He
was afraid and said, "How full of awe is this place! It is nothing
less than a House of God; it is the Gate to Heaven!" Then Jacob rose
early and took the stone he had put under his head and set it up as a
pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He named that place Bethel
although before that it was called Luz. Then Jacob made a vow, "If
Yahweh will be with me and keep me safe during this journey I am
making, if he gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear, and if I
return in peace to my father's house, then Yahweh will be my God. This
stone which I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all
that you give me, I will give back a tenth."

MATTHEW 9:18-26
While Jesus was speaking to them, an official of the synagogue came up
to him, bowed before him and said, "My daughter has just died, but
come and place your hands on her, and she will live." Jesus stood up
and followed him with his disciples. Then a woman who had suffered
from a severe bleeding for twelve years came up from behind and
touched the edge of his cloak. For she thought, "If I only touch his
cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned, saw her and said, "Courage, my
daughter, your faith has saved you." And from that moment the woman
was cured. When Jesus arrived at the official's house and saw the
flute players and the excited crowd, he said, "Get out of here! The
girl is not dead. She is only sleeping!" And they laughed at him. But
once the crowd had been turned out, Jesus went in and took the girl by
the hand, and she stood up. The news of this spread through the whole
area.

REFLECTION
In today's first reading, Jacob, urged on by his mother, deceives his
father Isaac. Through a very clever ruse, he receives Isaac's
blessing, which Isaac thought he was giving to his first-born, Esau.
Now Jacob has to flee because Esau, quite naturally, is furious and
threatens to kill him. One night during his flight he lies down in a
lonely place far from home, with a stone as a pillow. During the night
he has a dream, perhaps a vision. In his dream he sees angels going up
and down a ladder or a staircase between earth and heaven.

Jacob needed this vision. He realized how guilty he was because he had
deceived his father and cheated his older brother. He's alone in a
wilderness, burdened by his guilt, separated from his home and his
family. At what was probably the lowest point in his life, he is
granted a vision of God. It comforted him, convincing him that he was
not alone, that in spite of the evil he had done and the depression he
was suffering the way to God was open.

Doesn't the narration sound like it's recounting how God often deals
with us? At our lowest, when we are alone, cut off from those we love,
perhaps rejected by them, heavy with guilt, God penetrates the wall of
shame and fear and speaks to us. It may not be a comforting vision. It
may be simply a word a stranger mutters, or the beauty of our
surroundings; it may be a fearsome storm pummeling us, or a gentle
breeze caressing us. Whatever the means He chooses, God speaks to us
and lifts us out of the slough. Not because of any good within us, but
simply because He is a loving and merciful Father.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
-Gary Morillo
-Fr. Luis Sierra, OP
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
-Aladino Dasas, Jr.
-Arturo Dy+
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: Philip Go Sy
-Birthday: Pasencia Siy Tan
-Thanksgiving: Doris Tan & Family
-In Memoriam (+): Geminiano Ong Acero
-In Memoriam (+): Matthew Patrick Sy
… 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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14TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – A

JULY 3, 2011
14TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – A

Zech 9:9-10 / Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14 / Rom 8:9, 11-13 / Mt
11:25-30

ZECHARIAH 9:9-10
Thus says the Lord: Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout for joy,
daughter of Jerusalem! For your king is coming, just and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. No
more chariots in Ephraim, no more horses in Jerusalem, for he will do
away with them. The warrior's bow shall be broken when he dictates
peace to the nations. He will reign from sea to sea, and from the
River to the ends of the ear th.

ROMANS 8:9, 11-13
Brothers and sisters, your existence is not in the flesh, but in the
spirit, because the Spirit of God is within you. If you did not have
the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to him. And if the Spirit
of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is within you, He who raised
Jesus Christ from among the dead will also give life to your mortal
bodies. Yes, he will do it through his Spirit who dwells within you.
Then, brothers, let us leave the flesh and no longer live according to
it. If not, we will die. Rather, walking in the Spirit, let us put to
death the body's deeds so that we may live.

MATTHEW 11:25-30
On one occasion Jesus said, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I
praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and
learned and revealed them to simple people. Yes, Father, this is what
pleased you. "Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one
knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except
the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. "Come to me,
all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh
you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and
humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my
burden is light."

REFLECTION
If there is anything that seems so elusive to us yet is something we
all deeply desire, it is none other than peace of mind, heart, and
soul. For in achieving such state, everything else becomes secondary
in importance and significance. One way to realize this dream is to be
rooted in Christ for we know that the peace that he gives is simply
his abiding presence in our lives.

In this regard, the image of the yoke as presented in the Gospel is
indeed apt and fitting. Jesus invites us to go to him and take our
rest in him for his yoke is easy and his burden light. When we think
of a yoke, what comes to mind is a heavy, burdensome and probably
painful piece of wood laid on the shoulders of an ox. Yet, the effect
of such yoke is that this facilitates the work of the ox since it
pulls the weight of the cart behind it more easily. It is then both a
burden and a help. Moreover, another way to understand the image of
the yoke is to consider it as a double yoke, where two oxen can work
together better. This, then, presents a partnership where Jesus and we
yoke together, pulling together. "Shoulder our yoke" then becomes
"Share our yoke." Where we go, he goes along with us, pulling together
with us and making it all the easier.

There are times and events in life when we undergo crises that many
questions are raised with no clear answers. How do we explain such
incidents especially when this is tragic and altogether absurd? Yet,
amidst such trials, the pain and suffering are somehow eased with the
loving support and presence of our loved ones. In some mysterious way,
we are given the strength to pick up the pieces and move on.

In this regard, the second reading from the letter of Paul to the
Romans makes sense. It is the Spirit of Jesus that dwells within us
and gives us life. On our own efforts, we will not be able to cope
well with such trying experiences in life. The Spirit is the only one
that can get us out of our grief and depression and to continue to
believe that Jesus will never forsake and abandon us.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Rolando Madrona
- Julie Manzon
- Estelita Escamilla
- Ditas dela Paz
- Jo Marcelo
- Wally Torres
- Gary Morillo
- Fr. Luis Sierra, OP
… for the personal intentions of
- Julie and Glenn Manzon
- Glenn Bisco
- Estelita Escamilla
- Ma. Fe De Castro
- Mary Ann Castro
- Domingo Barayoga Jr.
- Churchill Barayoga
- Edwin and Jeremy Victorino
- Marites Pinon
…In Thanksgiving: Manzon and Barayoga Family
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Domingo Barayoga Sr., Lourdes Barayoga, Charlie Castro, Ms. Fely
Dumaran
- Aladino Dasas, Jr.
- Arturo Dy+
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: Billie Gan
- Wedding Anniversary: Patrick & Jershanale Sy
- In Memoriam (+): Douglas L. Abadco (1955-2007)
- In Memoriam (+): Joanna Choa (Oct 29,1914 - July 3, 2008)
… 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!

**************************************************

These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only.
Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends,
colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the
following:

+================================================+

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GoogleGroup Address: http://groups.google.com/group/daily_homily
To subscribe from this free mailing service, send email to: dailyhomily@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe: daily_homily-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com

© 2011 Daily-Homily


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