DAILY- HOMILY

Wednesday 4th Week in Ordinary Time
2 Sm 24:2, 9-17 / Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7 / Mk 6:1-6
[Memorial: Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr]

Reading: 2 Sm 24:2, 9-17   
The king said to Joab and the commanders of the army who were with him, "Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and count the people that I may know how many they are." Joab gave the total count of the people to the king: eight hundred thousand sword-wielding warriors in Israel and five hundred thousand men in Judah. But after he had the people counted, David felt remorse and said to Yahweh, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done, but now, O Yahweh, I ask you to forgive my sin for I have acted foolishly." The following day, before David awoke, Yahweh's word had come to the prophet Gad, David's seer, "Go, and give David this message: I offer you three things and I will let one of them befall you according to your own choice." So Gad went to David and asked him, "Do you want three years of famine in your land? Or do you want to be pursued for three months by your foes while you flee from them? Or do you want three days' pestilence in your land? Now, think and decide what answer I shall give him who sent me." David answered Gad, "I am greatly troubled. Let me fall into the hands of Yahweh whose mercy is abundant; but let me not fall into human hands." So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel from morning until the appointed time, causing the death of seventy thousand men from Dan to Beersheba. When the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh would punish no more and said to the angel who was causing destruction among the people, "It is enough, hold back your hand." The angel of Yahweh was already at the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. When David saw the angel striking the people, he spoke to Yahweh and said, "I have sinned and acted wickedly, but these are only the sheep; what have they done? Let your hand strike me and my father's family."   

Gospel: Mark 6:1-6
Leaving that place, Jesus returned to his own country, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath came, he began teaching in the synagogue, and most of those who heard him were astonished. They commented, "How did this come to him? What kind of wisdom has been given to him that he also performs such miracles? Who is he but the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joset and Judas and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here among us?" So they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, "Prophets are despised only in their own country, among their relatives and in their own family." And he could work no miracles there, but only healed a few sick people by laying his hands on them. Jesus himself was astounded at their unbelief

Reflection:
One of the difficulties of our generation is incredulity. We doubt too many things, and deep down, many times we doubt God. Why? Because we prefer to trust the tangible and immediate effective results that we can see and touch. We live in a fast-food, instant-communication, instant-relief, instant-solution world. Waiting is a dreaded disease and patience as a virtue is a rare commodity. We want cures, we want miracles, we want what we want. Jesus said at the end that he was amazed at their lack of faith. Because the people had no humility to wait. Jesus could work no miracle there because the hearts of the people were cold. 
     
The greatest miracle in Lourdes is not that many are cured, but rather that many are not cured, yet they continue to believe. For if the cure were the most important thing, we risk to just want to get well at all costs, to heal the limp arm, to restore the sight, to cure cancer as the ultimate goal. We would be so foolish to have human solutions, or goals that remain of this world only. In the end, this world will perish and all its monuments. What will be left? Only the people with faith will be rewarded with ETERNAL LIFE. This is what we should seek. Not the cure, but a way out of death. And Christ showed us the way - by dying on the cross and becoming victorious by rising from the dead. He entered into death instead of avoided it. He entered the cross and vanquished death forever. This is the mission of Christ - not to cure a temporary sickness and then to die into sin, but to cure the soul and gift us with Heaven and eternal life! 

Prayer Requests:
We pray ...
... for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
... for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
... for families who are in need of healing:
     * Virginia Hernandez, Toots Monfort, Ditas dela Paz and Fleur Torres
     *  Kalell de Dios
... for the special intentions of:
     *  Maricar Hernandez
... 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!

**************************************************

These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:

   +================================================+
   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
   |            http://www.marythequeen.org
   |  Distributed free and for personal use only. 
  +================================================+