DAILY- HOMILY

February 14, 2015 SATURDAY, 5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Bishops

Memorial, White

Gn 3: 9–24 / Mk 8:1–10

[Sts. Cyril (d. 869) and his brother Methodius (d. 885) were bishops who evangelized Eastern Europe. Together with St. Benedict, St. Pope John Paul II proclaimed them Patrons of Europe.]

Reading: Gn 3: 9–24

     Yahweh God called the man saying to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid." God said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree I ordered you not to eat?" The man answered, "The woman you put with me gave me fruit from the tree and I ate it." God said to the woman, "What have you done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me and I ate."

     Yahweh God said to the serpent, "Since you have done that, be cursed among all the cattle and wild beasts! You will crawl on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. I will make you enemies, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head and you will strike his heel."

     To the woman, God said, "I will increase your suffering in childbearing, and you will give birth to your children in pain. You will be dependent on your husband and he will lord it over you."

     To the man, He said, "Because you have listened to your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I forbade you to eat, cursed be the soil because of you! In suffering you will provide food for yourself from it, all the days of your life. It will produce thorn and thistle for you and you will eat the plants of the field. With sweat on your face you will eat your bread, until you return to clay, since it was from clay that you were taken, for you are dust and to dust you shall return."

     The man called his wife by the name of Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. Yahweh God made garments of skin for the man and his wife, and with these he clothed them.

     Then Yahweh God said, "Man has now become like one of us, making himself judge of good and evil. Let him not stretch out his hand to take and eat from the tree of Life as well, and live forever." So God cast him from the garden of Eden to till the soil from which he had been made. And after having driven the man out, God posted cherubim and a flaming sword that kept turning at the east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of Life.

Gospel: Mk 8: 1-10

     Soon afterwards Jesus was in the midst of another large crowd that obviously had nothing to eat. So he called his disciples and said to them, "I feel sorry for these people, because they have been with me for three days and now have nothing to eat. If I send them to their homes hungry, they will faint on the way; some of them have come a long way."

     His disciples replied, "Where in a deserted place like this, could we get enough bread to feed these people?" He asked them, "How many loaves have you?" And they answered, "Seven."

     Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves and giving thanks, he broke them, and handed them to his disciples to distribute. And they distributed them among the people. They also had some small fish, so Jesus said a blessing, and asked that these be shared as well.

     The people ate and were satisfied. The broken pieces were collected, seven wicker baskets full of leftovers. Now those who had eaten were about four thousand in number. Jesus sent them away,and immediately got into the boat with his disciples, and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

Reflection:

     The incident in today's gospel is the second of two incidents of multiplication of bread and fish in Mark's Gospel. Both stories contain similar elements and show the great compassion of our Lord for the hungry multitudes resulting in the miracles described. But of much importance for us is the way the Lord performed these miracles. He did not just create the loaves of bread and fishes out of nothing. He multiplied what was available to them. By these two incidents, Mark wanted readers, which include us, to realize that in seemingly hopeless situations, God can work wonders if only we do our part.

     This message is indeed still very appropriate for us living in the 3rd millennium. Hunger and poverty have not disappeared throughout the centuries as humanity struggled with its sinful nature. We face immense poverty and hunger in own country as do people in many parts of the world despite advances in agricultural production. Due to human greed, resulting in flawed societal structures, resources are not evenly distributed which results in wastage for some but lack for many others. However, the reality is that the resources are sufficient for all if only they are shared among all as shown to us in the gospel.

     As we reflect on today's gospel in relation to the problems of modern society, what kind of response can we give if the Lord asks each one of us "How many loaves do you have?"

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     CLAIRE S. DIOKNO

     ROGELIO VICENCIO

     BARBARA ANN L. YOUNG

     ALLAN RAMOS

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

     TONY & JENNIFER GOTAMCO TAN

     DR. TONY & DIDING EVIDENTE (30TH WA)

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     STEPHEN NG LIM (APRIL 25, 1956 - FEB 14, 1957)

     SALUD NUQUI INOCENTES (FEB.14, 1911 - OCT23,1978)

     EDUARDO YU CHUI KHUE (MAY 27, 1923 - FEB 14, 2009)

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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