DAILY- HOMILY

February 10, 2014 

Monday 5th Week in Ordinary Time

1 Kgs 8: 1-7, 9-13 / Ps 132: 6-7, 8-10 / Mk 6: 53-56 

[Memorial: St. Scholastica, virgin]

Reading: 1 Kgs 8: 1-7, 9-13

Then Solomon assembled before him in Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, as well as the leaders of the ancestral houses of the Israelites, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from the city of David, which is Zion. All the Israelites assembled near King Solomon in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. When all the elders of Israel arrived, the priests carried the ark of Yahweh and brought it up together with the Tent of Meeting and all the holy vessels that were in the tent. After the priests and Levites had brought them up, King Solomon with the entire congregation of Israel that had assembled before him and were with him before the Ark, sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could neither be counted nor numbered. Then the priests laid the ark of the covenant of Yahweh in its place in the inner sanctuary of the House - the Most Holy Place - underneath the wings of the cherubim. The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark, providing a covering above the ark and its poles. There was nothing in the ark except the two tables of stone which Moses placed there at Horeb, where Yahweh made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt. And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, such a cloud filled Yahweh's House that the priests could not continue to minister. Indeed, the glory of Yahweh filled his House. Then Solomon said, "Yahweh has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. So the House I have built you will be your House, a place for you to dwell in forever."

Gospel: Mk 6:53-56

Having crossed the lake, they came ashore at Gennesaret where they tied up the boat. As soon as they landed, people recognized Jesus and ran to spread the news throughout the countryside. Wherever he was they brought to him the sick lying on their mats. And wherever he went, to villages, towns or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplace and begged him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak. And all who touched him were cured.

Reflection:

There are many illnesses and diseases today that were not present before.  New viruses keep coming out and it is not uncommon to be diagnosed with some kind of viral infection that has not even been named by the medical world. We also hear of many kinds of psychological disorders. During Jesus' time, people believed that sickness was a punishment for one's sin. While we know that sickness is not punishment for sin, it may very well be a consequence of sin. For, is it not that we have cancer today because of the unscrupulous businesses that use toxic ingredients in their products just for profit? Is it not that many have to deal with emotional problems because of some kind of pain inflicted by their own loved ones?

The Gospel reminds us that we can find healing in Christ and assures us that "All who touched him were cured." But healing will not happen without faith. And faith is not just about believing, but also about following Christ. If we wish to rid this world of emotional pains, then we should be more loving and more forgiving. If we wish to rid this world of cancer and other diseases, businesses should never use toxic materials, and instead find ways to create products without harming the world.  If we wish never to suffer from another devastating flood like "Ondoy" then we should all work towards preserving the environment.  

Let us bring our sickness to Christ and allow him to lead us to conversion.  

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

... 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.  

  +================================================+