DAILY- HOMILY

JULY 7, 2011
THURSDAY 14TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

Gn 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5 / Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21 / Mt 10:7-15

GENESIS 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5
Judah then went forward and said, "My lord, allow your servant to
speak. Do not be angry with your servant, although you are equal to
Pharaoh himself. The last time you questioned your servants saying:
`Have you a father or a brother?' We said to my lord: `We have an aged
father who had a child in his old age. His brother is dead and he is
the only one left of his mother's children. And his father loves him.'
Then you said to us: `Bring him down so that I can see him for
myself.' You then told us that if our youngest brother did not come
with us, we would not be admitted to your presence. All this we said
to our father on returning there. So when he told us to come back and
buy a little food, we said: `We cannot go down again unless our
youngest brother is with us. We shall not be admitted to the lord's
presence unless our brother is with us.' Then my father said: `You
know that my wife had two children. One went away from me and has
surely been torn to pieces since I have not seen him anymore. If you
take this one from me and something happens to him you will bring my
gray hair in sorrow to the grave.' Now Joseph could no longer control
his feelings in the presence of all those standing by and he called
out, "Leave my presence, every one!" And only his brothers were with
him when Joseph made himself known to them. He wept so loudly that the
Egyptians heard and the news spread through Pharaoh's house. Joseph
said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" And his
brothers could not answer because they were terrified at seeing him.
Joseph said, "Come closer," and they drew nearer. "I am Joseph your
brother, yes, it's me, the one you sold to the Egyptians. Now don't
grieve and reproach yourselves for selling me, because God has sent me
before you to save your lives.

MATTHEW 10:7-15
Jesus said to his disciples, "Go and proclaim this message: The
kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life,
cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. You received this as a gift,
so give it as a gift. Do not carry any gold, silver or copper in your
purses. Do not carry a traveler's bag, or an extra shirt, or sandals,
or walking stick: workers deserve their living. "When you come to a
town or a village, look for a worthy person and stay there until you
leave. "As you enter the house, wish it peace. If the people in the
house deserve it, your peace will be on them; if they do not deserve
it, your blessing will come back to you. "And if you are not welcomed
and your words are not listened to, leave that house or that town and
shake the dust off your feet. I assure you, it will go easier for the
people of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than it will for
the people of that town."

REFLECTION
Jesus asks us to do what he told the apostles to do: "cure the sick,
raise the dead, cleanse those suffering from virulent skin diseases,
drive out devils." What exactly does Jesus want us to do today? Like
most of Jesus' teachings, these words may not be taken literally. But
as we live, let us not forget other human beings who need our help.

Living in a third-world country, we have many opportunities to be of
help to others. There is always something of ourselves that we can
share or we can do for others. On the other hand, we also need help
from others. As sinners, we are always in need of God's grace that we
may do what he wants to do through us. In this gospel passage, he
reminds us to be of help to one another but, of course, with him. He
reminds us of his continued love to the extent of commanding his
apostles not to bring provisions, money and clothes for their mission.
Is this viable today for a missionary? Are Jesus' words, "the laborer
deserves his keep" applicable? We are living in a culture of material
abundance or material want. What actually do we understand by his
words? How is the word of God brought to us and received by us? How do
we react to the statement, "…and if anyone does not welcome you or
listen to what you have to say, walk out and shake the dust from your
feet." We may take this literally and figuratively, but these are
words of advice. Let us listen to and live Jesus' words of life.

Are we generous hosts or deaf listeners?

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
- GH
- G, Loren, Frank, Gene, Eugene R, Ben, Maria, John C
- Ong Chong Chong
- Ditas dela Paz
- Jo Marcelo
- Wally Torres
- Jun Lee
- Rita P. Cuerva
- Manuel A
- Fr. Luis Sierra, OP
… for the personal intentions of
- Grace
- Pauline
- Titong Villacorta
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Arturo Dy+
- David Tanamor
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: Thelma N. Velarde
- Birthday: Sis. Marie Francisco, OSA
- Birthday: Lourdes S. Recto
… 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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