Tuesday, July 08, 2014

 

Wednesday 14th Week in Ordinary Time

July 9, 2014
Wednesday 14th Week in Ordinary Time

Hos 10:1-3, 7-8, 12 / Ps 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 / Mt 10: 1- 7

Reading: Hos 10:1-3, 7-8, 12
Israel was a spreading vine, rich in fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; the more his land prospered, the more he adorned his sacred stones. Their heart is divided! They shall pay for it. Their altars will be thrown down and their sacred stones broken to pieces. Now they say, "We have no king (because we have no fear of God) and what good would a king do us?" As for the king of Samaria, he has been carried off like foam on water. The idolatrous high places - the sin of Israel - will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will creep over the altars. Then they will say to the mountains: "Cover us," and to the hills: "Fall on us." Plow new ground, sow for yourselves justice and reap the harvest of kindness. It is the time to go seeking Yahweh until he comes to rain salvation on you.    

Gospel: Matthew 10:1-7
Then he called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over the unclean spirits to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon, the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, the man who would betray him. Jesus sent these twelve on mission with the instruction: "Do not visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town. Go instead to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. 

Reflection:
     St. Leo Mangin was a Jesuit missionary to China during the Boxer Revolution where many Catholics in 1898 were persecuted and killed. St. Leo's courage led him to be martyred for the faith. He died in the village of Zhujiahe while praying in the parish church with his fellow Jesuits. St. Augstine Zhao Rong on the other hand, was a Chinese soldier who was baptized and later became a diocesan priest. He was martyred in Beijing in 1815.
     It is a special grace to receive from God, this special strength and dedication to love Christ to the point of death. We are afraid of death, and therefore afraid to be martyrs.  In fact, nowadays, the word martyr has a negative connotation. We hear many who say that in this day and age, it is not fashionable to be a martyr. In fact, it is pointless, useless and stupid. And yet without the martyrdom of St. Leo and St. Augustine, many would not have the possibility of knowing Christ. If today we enjoy the company of Christ in our lives, it is because of all the martyrs who knew that death was overcome with the resurrection of Christ and therefore they chose death instead of renounce their faith. Faith is the most precious thing we could ever hope to keep until our last breath. 

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!

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