DAILY- HOMILY

August 21, 2015 FRIDAY, 20TH Week in Ordinary Time

ST. PIUS X, Pope     

Memorial, White      

Ru 1:1, 3 - 6. 14b -16. 22 / Mt 22:34 – 40

[From Venice, Pope St. Pius X (1835 – 1914) was instrumental in spreading frequent reception of Holy Communion.] 

Reading: Ru 1:1, 3 - 6. 14b -16. 22

     There was a famine in the land during the time of the Judges, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah departed with his wife and two sons to sojourn in the country of Moab. Naomi's husband Elimelech died. She was left with her two sons, who married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth.

     After living in Moab for about ten years, Mahlon and Chilion also died and Naomi was left bereft of husband and two sons. Having heard that Yahweh had come to help his people by giving them food, Naomi prepared to return home. 

     Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law returns to her people and her gods. You too must return. Go after her."

     Ruth replied, "Don't ask me to leave you. For I will go where you go and stay where you stay. Your people will be my people and your god, my God. 

     Thus it was that Naomi returned from Moab with her Moabite daughter-in-law and arrived in Bethlehem as the barley harvest began.

Gospel: Mt 22:34 - 40 

     When the Pharisees heard how Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. One of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to test him with this question, "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the Law?"

     Jesus answered, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the most important of the commandments. But after this there is another one very similar to it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole Law and the Prophets are founded on these two commandments."

Reflection:

     The Ten Commandments give us prescriptions in our relationships with God and our neighbor: honoring God, his name and his day and respecting ourselves and our neighbor, honoring our parents, respecting life, property, truth and rights of others.

     In today's Gospel reading Jesus summarizes the Commandments in love of God and love of neighbor.

     We have various  "formulations" of the same Commandments and the moral law: "Do good and avoid evil" would probably be the most general.  One who loves God and neighbor is one who does good and avoids evil. The primary dictate of our consciences is to do good and avoid evil.

     St. Augustine wrote, "Love God and do whatever you please, for a soul trained in love of God will do nothing to offend the One who is the Beloved."

     In his letters St. John the beloved Apostle stressed love of God: "If you say, 'I love God,' while you hate your brother or sister, you are a liar. How can you love God whom you do not see, if you do no love your brother whom you see? We received from him this commandment: let those who love God also love their brothers." (1 Jn 4: 20)

     Jesus gave a most graphic description of love of God in his account of the Last Judgment in Matthew's Gospel (Mt 25: 31 – 46): "The King will say to those on his right: 'Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me . . . I was naked and you clothed . . .' the good people will ask him: 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food . . . or naked and clothe you?' . . . The King will answer, 'Truly, I say to you: whenever you did this to these little ones who are my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.'"

     Do I love God such that I could do as I please?

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     CATHERINE THERESE EDEN M. CHUA

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     CARIDAD D. EXCONDE, MD

     CARMEN TAN SIO TY NGO (1932 – 1977)

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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