Sunday, July 22, 2012

 

MONDAY 16TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR II

JULY 23, 2012
MONDAY 16TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR II
MEMORIAL, ST BRIDGET OF SWEDEN

Mi 6:1-4, 6-8 / Mt 12:38-42

MICAH 6:1-4, 6-8
Listen to what Yahweh said to me, "Stand up, let the mountains hear your claim, and the hills listen to your plea." Hear, O mountains, Yahweh's complaint! Foundations of the earth, pay attention! For Yahweh has a case against his people, and will argue it with Israel. "O my people, what have I done to you? In what way have I been a burden to you? Answer me. I brought you out of Egypt; I rescued you from the land of bondage; I sent Moses, Aaron and Miriam to lead you. "What shall I bring when I come to Yahweh and bow down before God the most high? Shall I come with burnt offerings, with sacrifices of yearling calves? Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams, with an overabundance of oil libations? Should I offer my first-born for my sins, the fruit of my body for my wrongdoing?" "You have been told, O man, what is good and what Yahweh requires of you: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

MATTHEW 12:38-42
Then some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." Jesus answered them, "An evil and unfaithful people want a sign, but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. In the same way that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the depths of the earth. At the judgment, the people of Nineveh will rise with this generation and condemn it, because they reformed their lives at the preaching of Jonah, and here there is greater than Jonah. At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you. She came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and here there is greater than Solomon.

REFLECTION
The prophet Micah shows how the Lord desires to speak to us. God spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai. God spoke to Elijah on Mt. Horeb. In the reading the Lord invites us to speak and listen to Him upon the hills and mountains. He speaks of how he brought the people out of Egypt and released them from slavery. No amount of sacrifices and worship will appease the Lord if they are not accompanied by righteousness and justice, love and mercy, humility and compassion.

Micah 6:8 tells us what the Lord asks of us—"to live justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God." All these can be translated into our everyday lives. Today, God speaks to us on our personal hills and mountains. Can we identify the places where we are able to encounter God and listen to His words? Do we treat people fairly, especially those whom we employ or our subordinates? Are we kind and gracious to others, especially those we do not know? Do we acknowledge with gratitude that everything we have is God's gift to us?

Today's reading reminds us how to lead a life according to God's plan. St. Ignatius, in his Spiritual Exercises, clearly says that "love ought to manifest itself more by deeds than by words." Are we living a life of justice, of love, and of humility?

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Fr. Ismael Zuloaga, SJ
- Samson Merced
- Zosima Merced
- Mon Torres
- Ditas dela Paz
- Tito Oreta
… for the personal intentions of Josheil Dapo
… for the eternal repose of the soul of Fr. Bijoy. Eternal rest grant unto him and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he and all the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Betsy T. Go
… 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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