DAILY- HOMILY

AUGUST 3, 2013
SATURDAY 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YR I

Lev 25:1,8-17 / Ps 67: 2-3. 5. 7-8 / Mt 14:1-12

Leviticus 25:1,8-17
Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai: When seven sabbaths of years have passed, that is, seven times seven years, there shall be the time of the seven weeks of years, that is forty-nine years. Then on the tenth day of the seventh month sound the trumpet loudly. On this Day of Atonement sound the trumpet all through the land. Keep holy the fiftieth year and proclaim freedom for all the inhabitants of the land. It shall be a jubilation year for you when each one shall recover his property and go back to his family. In this fiftieth year, your year of Jubilee, you shall neither sow nor reap the after- growth, nor gather the grapes from the uncultivated vines. This Jubilee year shall be holy for you, and you shall eat what the field yields of itself without cultivation. In this year of Jubilee each of you shall recover his own property. When you sell something to your neighbor or buy something from him, do not wrong one another. According to the number of years after the Jubilee, you shall buy it from your neighbor and according to the number of years left for harvesting crops he shall sell to you. When the years are many the price shall be greater and when the years are few the price shall be less, for it is the number of crops that he is selling to you. 17 So you shall not wrong one another but you shall fear your God, for I am Yahweh, your God.

Matthew 14:1-12
At that time the news about Jesus reached king Herod. And he said to his servants, "This man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him." Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison, because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to Herod, "It is not right for you to have her as your wife." Herod wanted to kill John but he did not dare, because he feared the people, who regarded John as a prophet. On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced among the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked for. The girl, following the advice of her mother, said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a dish." The king was very displeased, but because he had made this promise under oath in the presence of his guests, he ordered it to be given to her. So he had John beheaded in prison, and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother. Then John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went away to bring the news to Jesus.

REFLECTION
Most, if not all, of God's prophets suffer persecution or death. In a world that rejects the truth of God's Word, it is not uncommon that bearers of the Word are hated. Our gospel today presents us with the beheading of John the Baptist, a cruel display of power abuse. Kings and queens claim a divine right conferred upon them yet they do not behave according to what they claim is a sacred trust.

Today, most people in authority are no different from those of the past. Their claims to a divine right do not reflect a respectful and proper worship of God. Even those of us who think that we have made it big in life behave and reflect a god of our own making, fashioned according to personal illusions of grandeur, righteousness, power, authority, fame, wealth, beauty, talent, knowledge, etc. How many atrocities and wrongdoings are done in the name of God? Truth is no longer absolute but made relative according to the interpretation of the one who is so involved with his own illusions. Sin is conveniently committed under various excuses to fit one's desires, avoidance of fears or denial of shame. Just gaze upon the cross and reflect in silence and we will realize that we have been redeemed with the greatest love of all. The Church continues to be built with the blood of saints and martyrs. Today, only a few like John the Baptist have the courage to stand their ground to correct what is wrong and hold the truth for others to hear and see. Are we the persecutors of these prophets or do we hear the message and follow the path to life?

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Araceli Vizcayda
- William Etchison, Etchison family, Guill family, Jimenez family
- Joy Droke
- Ditas dela Paz, Toots Monfort, Virginia Hernandez, and Fleur Torres
… for the personal intentions of
- Beny Chua
- Netta, Herb, Benny, Mary Ann M, Randy, Denise, Debbie, Jo, Delores, Jean P, Eugene R, Vita, Mary Ann R & Fr Larry
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Cesar Rabuya
- Dick Ng
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: Digna Mandigma
- Birthday: Amelia Dimaculangan
- Birthday: Joaquin Cunanan Jr.
- Birthday: Josh Ng
- In Memoriam (+): Feliciano T. Lao
- In Memoriam (+): Chuck Bonchin
… 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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