DAILY- HOMILY

July 28, 2015 TUESDAY, 17th Week in Ordinary Time

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Ex 33: 7 - 11; 34: 5b - 9, 28 / Mt 13: 36 - 43

Reading: Ex 33: 7 - 11; 34: 5b - 9, 28

     Moses then took the Tent and pitched it for himself outside the camp, at a distance from it, and called it the Tent of Meeting. Whoever sought Yahweh would go out to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp. And when Moses went to the tent all the people would stand, each one at the entrance to his tent and keep looking towards Moses until he entered the tent.

     Now, as soon as Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance to the tent, while Yahweh spoke with Moses.

     When all the people saw the pillar of cloud at the entrance to the tent, they would arise and worship, each one at the entrance to his own tent.

     Then Yahweh would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his neighbor, and then Moses would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua, son of Nun, would not leave the tent.

     Moses called on the name of Yahweh.

     Then Yahweh passed in front of him and cried out, "Yahweh, Yahweh is a God full of pity and mercy, slow to anger and abounding in truth and loving-kindness. He shows loving-kindness to the thousandth generation and forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin; yet he does not leave the guilty without punishment, even punishing the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

     Moses hastened to bow down to the ground and worshiped. He then said, "If you really look kindly on me, my Lord, please come and walk in our midst and even though we are a stiff-necked people, pardon our wickedness and our sin and make us yours."

     Moses remained there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. He wrote on the slabs the words of the Covenant – the Ten Commandments.

Gospel: Mt 13: 36 – 43a

     Then he sent the crowds away and went into the house.  And his disciples came to him saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

     Jesus answered the, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed are the people of the Kingdom; the weeds are those who follow the evil one. The enemy who sows them is the devil; the harvest is the end of time and the workers are the angels.

     "Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will weed out of his kingdom all that is scandalous and all who do evil. And these will be thrown in the blazing furnace. . . Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

Reflection:

     Jesus speaks of the ungraspable Kingdom of God in parables. In the context of his audience, the parable of the weeds is readily understandable. In the fields where good seed is sown, weeds from whatever source grow with the plants from the good seed. Before the harvest or at the harvest, the bad weeds are separated and eventually disposed of or burned; the fruit of the good seed is harvested.

     In our world, good and bad people, all different, live together. In the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises, "those on the face of the earth, in such great diversity in dress and manner of acting. Some are white, some black' some at peace and some at war; some weeping, some laughing; some well, some sick; some coming into the world and some dying, etc." And the Holy Trinity sees this world, "They look down upon the whole surface of the earth, and behold all nations in great blindness, going down and descending into hell."

     And St. Ignatius writes that it is into this varied and confused world that the Trinity decrees to send the Second Person to save it: "They decree in Their eternity that the Second Person should become man to save the human race. So when the fullness of time had come, They send the Angel Gabriel to our Lady."

     The incarnate Second Person of the Blessed Trinity comes to bring the Good News about the Kingdom of God, chooses and invites followers, gives his life on the cross and rises from the dead, leaving his Church to continue his saving work, "Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one ho refuses to believe will be condemned." (Mk 16: 16)

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     FR. ARTURO M. BORJA, SJ

     JENNIFER GOTAMCO TAN

     MANUEL C. TAGAZA

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     AMPARO N. NAÑAGAS

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For the thanksgiving & health intentions of Beny Chua.

For the birthday intentions of Florencio Reyes Jr.

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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