DAILY- HOMILY

JULY 21, 2011
MEMORIAL, LAWRENCE OF BRINDISI, PRIEST, DOCTOR
THURSDAY 16TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

Ex 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20 / Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 / Mt 13:10-17

EXODUS 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20
Exactly two months after the Israelites had left Egypt, they arrived
at the wilderness of Sinai. They arrived there coming from Rephidim
and camped in the wilderness of Sinai. Yahweh spoke to Moses, "I am
going to come to you in a dense cloud so that the people may hear me
speaking with you and trust you always." Then Moses related to Yahweh
what the people had said. Again Yahweh spoke to Moses, "Go to the
people and have them sanctified today and tomorrow; let them wash
their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day
Yahweh will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning and a
dense cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast was
heard. All the people in the camp trembled. Moses then made the people
leave the camp to meet God and stand at the foot of the mountain.
Mount Sinai was completely covered in smoke because Yahweh had come
down in fire, and the smoke rose as from a furnace. The whole mountain
shook violently, while the blast of the trumpet became louder and
louder. Moses spoke and God replied in thunder. When Yahweh had come
down to the summit of Mount Sinai, God called Moses who went to the
summit

MATTHEW 13:10-17
Jesus' disciples came to him with the question, "Why do you speak to
them in parables?" Jesus answered, "To you it has been given to know
the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these people. For the
one who has, will be given more and he will have in abundance. But the
one who does not have will be deprived of even what he has. That is
why I speak to them in parables, because they look and do not see;
they hear, but they do not listen or understand. "In them the words of
the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled: Much as you hear, you do not
understand; much as you see, you do not perceive. "For the hear t of
this people has grown dull. Their ears hardly hear and their eyes dare
not see. If they were to see with their eyes, hear with their ears and
understand with their hear t, they would turn back and I would heal
them. "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears,
because they hear. "For I tell you that many prophets and upright
people would have longed to see the things you see, but they did not,
and to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear it."

REFLECTION
The Gospel speaks of the disciples questioning why Jesus has to speak
in parables to the people he was teaching. What are parables that it
bothered Jesus' friends? According to the dictionary it is a
fictitious story that explains a moral attitude or a religious
principle by using analogy. Jesus' answer, "They look without seeing
and listen without hearing." The people in Jesus' time did not want to
understand Jesus and his message. They simply did not believe him
because his words were not their words and his actions were not
acceptable to them.

Do we compare ourselves with the apostles asking the same question? We
are at an advantage having learned of the passion, death and
resurrection of Jesus, but it seems we are quite far from him. He
still remains the missionary of the Father bringing to us the message
of love, forgiveness and humility.

Do we still have the Old Testament attitude? Is it not easier for us
to hear the message of Jesus in the many events that are happening to
us these days? We speak not of parables but of miracles, the bread
becoming the Body of Christ and the wine becoming his Blood in the
celebration of the Mass. Are we that hard-hearted not to listen to
him? "Be you perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect".

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Jo Marcelo
- Jun Lee
- Jonathan Salazar
- Mon Torres
- Judy
- Wendy McClintock
… for the personal intentions of Josheil Dapo
… In Thanksgiving: Manuel Alapide
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Apollo U. Jimenez
- Birthday: Victor C. Filart Jr.
- Birthday: Susan Dee Chua
- In Memoriam (+): Rosa L. De Jesus
… 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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