DAILY- HOMILY

14 July 2015 TUESDAY, 15TH Week in Ordinary Time

ST. KATERI TEKAKWITHA, Virgin 

St. Camillus de Lellis, Priest

Memorial, White

Ex 2:1 – 15a / Mt 11: 20 - 24             

[St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656 – 1680), daughter of a Mohawk warrior, dedicated her life to prayer, penance and the care of the sick and the aged. She is called the "Lily of the Mohawks."]     

[St. Camillus de Lellis (1550 – 1614), of a noble Italian family, founded the Order of Ministers of the Sick (Camillians).]

Reading: Ex 2:1 – 15a

     Now a man belonging to the clan of Levi married a woman of his own tribe. She gave birth to a boy and, seeing that he was a beautiful child, she kept him hidden for three months. As she could not conceal him any longer, she made a basket out of papyrus leaves and coated it with tar and pitch. She then laid the child in the basket and placed it among the reeds near the bank of the Nile; but the sister of the child kept at a distance to see what would happen to him.            

     Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile; her attendants meanwhile walked along the bank. When she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to fetch it. She opened the basket and saw the child – a boy, and he was crying! She felt sorry for him, for she thought: "This is one of the Hebrew children."

  Then the sister of the child said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" Pharaoh's daughter agreed, and the girl went to call the mother of the child. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take the child and nurse him for me and I will pay you." So the woman took the child and nursed him and, when the child had grown, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter who adopted him as her son. And she named him Moses to recall that she had drawn him out of the water.

     After a fairly long time, Moses, by now a grown man, wanted to meet his fellow Hebrews. He noticed how heavily they were burdened and he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his own people. He looked around and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

  When he went out the next day he saw two Hebrews quarreling. Moses said to the man in the wrong, "Why are you striking a fellow countryman?" But he answered, "Who has set you prince and judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must be known."

     When Pharaoh heard about it he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. 

Gospel: Mt 11: 20 – 24

     Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which he had performed most of his miracles, because the people there did not change their ways, "Alas for you, Chorazin and Bethsaida!  If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have repented tong ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I assure you, for Tyre and Sidon it will be more bearable on the day of judgment than for you. 

     "And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven?  You will be thrown down to the place of the dead!  For if the miracles which were performed in you had taken place in Sodom, it would still be there today! But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

Reflection:

     Miracles may be often relegated to the realm of fairy tales and dreams, especially in the pragmatism that surrounds modern life. But the truth is, they do happen on a daily basis, but we have the tendency to be blind to them. More accurately, we have the tendency to remain unmoved. 

     A miracle is actually what happens when we see the hand of the Divine in our lives. But it is not a one way street. It requires not only God's intervention – it also involves us, as witnesses, as believers, as persons changed by the realization that God is ceaselessly reaching out to us through signs, big and small. 

     People say there can be no miracles without faith. But in today's Gospel reading about the public ministry of Christ, the miracles were there, but faith did not follow. To say that our Lord was frustrated would be an understatement.

     Jesus continues to work "miracles" in our lives every single day, hoping that his extravagant display of love will be enough to move us, draw us back to his love, and transform us into the best versions of ourselves. 

     We see many miracles of God's grace in the kind people around us, in the loving parents raising children, in the selfless works of charity and care of so many in the world today. We see God's love and holiness reflected in the lives of many.

     Have we opened our eyes and hearts to God's miracles in our lives today? How have we chosen to respond? Have we been thankful?

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

     JONATHAN & JOCELYN SARTE

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For the birthday and thanksgiving intentions of Beny Chua.

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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