DAILY- HOMILY

July 2, 2015 THURSDAY, 13TH Week in Ordinary Time

Sts. Bernardine Realino, John Francis Regis, and Francis de Geronimo,

Bl. Julian Maunoir and Anthony Baldinucci, Priests

Memorial, White 

Gn 22:1b-19 / Mt 9:1-8

[Today's Memorial is of Jesuit saints and blessed in Europe: Sts. Bernardine Realino, Italian (1530-1616), John Francis Regis, French (1597-1640), and Francis de Geronimo, Italian (1642-1716); Bl. Julian Maunoir, French (1606-1683) and Anthony Baldinucci, Italian (1665-1717). All were engaged in missions and pastoral work in various parts of Europe.]

Reading: Gn 22: 1b-19

     Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he answered, "Here I am." Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I shall point out to you."

     Abraham rose early next morning and saddled his donkey and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He chopped wood for the burnt offering and set out for the place to which God had directed him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance, and he said to the young men, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship and then we will come back to you."

     Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He carried in his hand the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke to Abraham, his father, "Father!" And Abraham replied, "Yes, my son?" Isaac said, "The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?" Abraham replied, "God himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice." 

     They went on, the two of them together, until they came to the place to which God had directed them. When Abraham had built the altar and set the wood on it, he bound his son Isaac and laid him on the wood placed on the altar. He then stretched out his hand to seize the knife and slay his son. But the Angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"

     And he said, "Here I am." "Do not lay your hand on the boy; do not harm him, for now I know that you fear God, and you have not held back from me your only son."

     Abraham looked around and saw behind him a ram caught by its horns in a bush. He offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place 'The Lord will provide.' And the saying has lasted to this day. 

     And the Angel of Yahweh called from heaven a second time, "By myself I have sworn, it is Yahweh who speaks, because you have done this and not held back your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the lands of their enemies. All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your descendants because you have obeyed me." 

     So Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba and it was there that Abraham stayed.

Gospel: Mt 9:1-8

   Jesus got back into the boat, crossed the lake again, and came to his hometown. Here they brought a paralyzed man to him, lying on a bed. Jesus saw their faith and said to the paralytic, "Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven."

   Then some teachers of the Law said to themselves, "This man insults God." Jesus was aware of what they were thinking, and said, "Why have you such evil thoughts? Which is easier to say: 'Your sins are forgiven' or 'Stand up and walk'? You must know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." He then said to the paralyzed man, "Stand up! Take your stretcher and go home." The man got up, and went home.

   When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and praised God for giving such power to human beings

Reflection:

   The first reading recounts the sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah. In obedience to God's command, Abraham is about to sacrifice his son as a holocaust when God stops him from doing so. He rewards Abraham for his obedience and faith with more blessings. Do we have this magnificent faith of Abraham? Are we ready to give up our prize possessions, our hard-earned wealth and even our successes if God wants us to? Do we love God above everything, even our own family and friends? The faith of Abraham is so great, and some traditions say that Isaac was also willing to be sacrificed. In other words, both father and son were of one mind. This self-sacrifice prefigures the Passion of our Lord who accepted to die for all men in obedience to God his Father.

   In the Gospel reading, we see the power of Jesus to cure not only the physical illnesses of men but also their spiritual ones. Which is more important for us - to be physically healthy or to be spiritually healthy? Let us desire the second kind of healing more than the first kind because it will bring us to heaven while the other cannot.

     Let us ask to be first cleansed of our sins before asking other graces from God. Jesus is the Divine Healer - we only need to approach him in sincerity and ask for his healing and he will surely heal us, both spiritually and physically

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     BEATRICE LIM LE HUN CO CHAN (DEC 23, 1928 – JUL 2, 2007)

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For the complete healing of Anita Lecaros & Peggy Velasco

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: 

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   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the

   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

   |  distributed free and for personal use only.  

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July 3, 3015 FRIDAY, 13TH Week in Ordinary Time

ST. THOMAS, Apostle                                 

Feast, Red

Eph 2:19 – 22 / Jn 20: 24 - 29  

[St. Thomas, Apostle, is the "doubting" Thomas after the Lord's resurrection.  Tradition says he preached and was martyred in India.]

Reading: Eph 2:19 – 22

     Now you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people: you are of the household of God. You are the house whose foundations are the apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus. In him the whole structure is joined together and rises to be a holy temple in the Lord. In him you too are being built to become the spiritual sanctuary of God.

Gospel: Jn 20:24 -29 

     Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  The other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he replied, "Until I have seen in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." 

     Eight days later, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."  Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands; stretch out your hand and put it into my side. Resist no longer and be a believer." 

     Thomas then said, "You are my Lord and my God." Jesus replied, "You believe because you see me, don't you? Happy are those who have not seen and believe."

Reflection:

     One of the biggest dangers in our modern world is that of incredulity. Man has been so intelligent that he starts to question everything and anything, including God. Without faith, all events seem to be man- made or by chance.   

     With this doubt, the Holy Spirit does not exist anymore, therefore all events are explained only from the human point of view. Our interpretation of all our experiences remain at the human level, without the possibility of exploring that God might have intervened.  

     Therefore, many times with this doubt, we fail to understand why things happen, that there is a reason and purpose behind all the events, especially those we do not like nor expect. The cross starts to become more heavy and meaningless when we start doubting about the resurrection of Christ. We don't see the relevance of Christ's coming to the world and our life. When that happens, we enter into gloom and darkness that the evil one envelops us with. We doubt if God is present in the midst of the problem that we are experiencing. This doubt feeds into anger and frustration. We refuse to believe and accept that God has a plan. In our heart, we start to think God does not exist. We dismiss the cross as foolish and become determined to ignore as it is useless and senseless. 

     Today's Gospel reading comes to rescue us and to strengthen our faith in the risen Christ. Christ admonishes us to "resist no longer and be a believer." Christ is calling us today to believe without even seeing. God is real. God exists! He truly cares and loves us. Christ invites us to walk by faith and not by sight!  Let us not doubt the love of God. Unlike Thomas let us believe, even though we have not seen.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     JEFFREY MARVIC CHENG

     LOUIE GIE S. MABUGAY

     PATRICK & JERSHANALE SY

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     DOUGLAS L. ABADCO

     JOANNA CHOA (OCT 29, 1914 – JUL 3, 2008)

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

   |  distributed free and for personal use only.  

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