DAILY- HOMILY

JULY 11, 2011
MEMORIAL, ST. BENEDICT, ABBOT
MONDAY 15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

Ex 1:8-14, 22 / Ps 124:1-3, 4-6, 7-8 / Mt 10:34—11:1

EXODUS 1:8-14, 22
Then a new king who had not known Joseph came to power and said to his
people, "The Israelites are more numerous and stronger than we are.
Let us deal warily with them lest they increase still more and, in
case of war, side with our enemy, fight against us and escape from the
land." So they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced
labor. In that way they built the storage towns of Pithom and Rameses.
But the more they oppressed the Hebrews the more they increased and
spread, until the Egyptians dreaded the Israelites and became ruthless
in making them work. They made life bitter for them in hard labor with
bricks and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields. In all
their work the Egyptians treated them harshly. Pharaoh then gave this
order to all the people: "Every infant boy born to the Hebrews must be
thrown into the Nile, but every girl may live."

MATTHEW 10:34-11:1
Jesus said to his apostles, "Do not think that I have come to
establish peace on earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father and daughter against
her mother; a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Each one will
have as enemies those of one's own family. Whoever loves father or
mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take
up his cross and come after me is not worthy of me. One who wants to
benefit from his life will lose it; one who loses his life for my sake
will find it. Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes
me welcomes him who sent me. The one who welcomes a prophet as a
prophet will receive the reward of a prophet; the one who welcomes a
just man because he is a just man will receive the reward of a just
man. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these lit
tle ones, because he is a disciple of mine, I assure you, he will not
go unrewarded. When Jesus had finished giving his twelve disciples
these instructions, he went on from there to teach and to proclaim his
message in their towns.

REFLECTION
Not too long before Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt, a Semitic
people from Canaan and Syria had invaded the country and had taken
control of its northern portion. The Egyptians fled to the south. So
when Joseph arrived there the Pharaoh was a Semite. Perhaps this
explains how a Hebrew slave could rise so quickly to so high a post
and hold such great power.

Joseph brought his family to Egypt and settled them in Goshen in the
eastern portion of the Nile's delta. During the next few hundred
years, the original family multiplied until they were a large
population. Meanwhile the Egyptians had returned and had driven out
the Semitic invaders. Soon there was a Pharaoh on the throne, "who did
not know Joseph." The new Pharaoh felt uncomfortable with such a large
gathering of Semites in the delta area of the Nile. But he saw he
could make use of them. He was building two new cities and he needed
slaves for cheap labor. Because he needed slave labor, he kept them
there. Because he feared them, he drove them brutally in their work
and ordered that all their male babies be drowned.

Where was God as all this evil was being imposed on Joseph's
descendants? Is not this the question we ask often today when evil
besets us? The answer is the same. The compassionate heart of the God
of life is with us in our suffering, willing that we have life in its
fullness.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Amy Trice
- G, Pat, KD,Kristin,Maria, Ben,Pam,Eugene R,Gene & Frank
- Ong Chong Chong
- Fr. Luis Sierra, OP
… for the personal intentions of Fr. Ted Gonzales, SJ
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Lal Manalo
- Birthday: Andrea Nicole Syling
- Wedding Anniversary: Edmund & Millie Dy
… 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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