DAILY- HOMILY

AUGUST 5, 2011
DEDICATION OF THE BASILICA OF ST. MARY MAJOR IN ROME
FRIDAY 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR I

Dt 4:32-40 / Ps 77:12-13, 14-15, 16, 21 / Mt 16:24-28

DEUTERONOMY 4:32-40
Ask of the times past. Inquire from the day when God created man on
earth. Ask from one end of the world to the other: Has there ever been
anything as extraordinary as this? Has anything like this been heard
of before? Has there ever been a people who remained alive after
hearing as you did the voice of the living God from the midst of the
fire? Never has there been a God who went out to look for a people and
take them out from among the other nations by the strength of trials
and signs, by wonders and by war, with a firm hand and an outstretched
arm. Never has there been any deed as tremendous as those done for you
by Yahweh in Egypt, which you saw with your own eyes. You saw this
that you might know that Yahweh is God and that there is no other
besides him. He let you hear his voice from heaven that you might fear
him; on earth he let you see his blazing fire and from the midst of
the fire you heard his word. Because of the love he had for your
fathers, he chose their descendants after them, and he him - self made
you leave Egypt with his great power. He expelled before you peoples
more numerous and stronger than you, and he has made you occupy their
land: today he has given this to you as an inheritance. Therefore, try
to be convinced that Yahweh is the only God of heaven and earth, and
that there is no other. Observe the laws and the commandments that I
command you today, and everything will be well with you and your
children after you. So you will live long in the land which Yahweh,
your God, gives you forever."

MATTHEW 16:24-28
Jesus said to his disciples, "If you want to follow me, deny yourself,
take up your cross and follow me. For whoever chooses to save his life
will lose it, but the one who loses his life for my sake will find it.
What will one gain by winning the whole world if he destroys himself?
There is nothing you can give to recover your own self. "Know that the
Son of Man will come in the Glory of his Father with the holy angels,
and he will reward each one according to his deeds. Truly, I tell you,
there are some here who will not die before they see the Son of Man
coming as king."

REFLECTION
In the first reading, we are reminded of the divine election of Israel
as the People of God. God chose Israel out of all the nations on earth
to experience firsthand his saving power. He often spoke to Israel
through intermediaries like Moses and Aaron. Israel experienced
liberation from the tyranny of the Egyptians and received the ten
commandments from God Himself. Then she conquered the seven pagan
nations in Canaan and occupied the Promised Land. All these happened
through divine intervention and Israel understood ver y well that God
was real and very powerful.

How many of us have experienced a strong intervention from God in
which we were saved, such as a serious situation like drug addiction,
alcoholism or a possible marital breakup? For sure we cannot forget
God because of his saving power in our lives. The name Jesus means
`God saves.' So we often say that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.

In the Gospel, we are told what the cost of discipleship is: that
whoever wants to follow Jesus must take up his cross. To be saved by
Jesus is the first experience, the next one is to accept to carry
one's cross in order to help Jesus save others. To be a disciple of
Jesus is a serious matter and it takes a lot of courage to desire to
be one. But often God saves us so that we may also save others. Even
though a disciple's life may be difficult, the rewards are infinitely
great: eternal life, love and harmony in the family, kindness and
generosity, etc. Are you willing to endure and suffer many things for
Christ for the joys that will come after?

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Anna Limpe McAvoy
- Antonio Evangelista
- Rita P. Cuerva
- Eden Batuto
- Bert Villacorta
- Ely Lara
- Jo Marcelo
- Jun Lee
- Jonathan Salazar
- Wally Torres
- Mon Torres
- Tito Torres
- Ditas dela Paz
… for the personal intentions of
- Angeli
- Titong
- Frances Marie Gonzalez
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Sean Kester Go
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: Missy Padlan
- Birthday: Dr. Isabelita "Sabsy" Palanca
- In Memoriam (+): Theresa Yang
… 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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