DAILY- HOMILY

August 16, 2015 - 20th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Cycle B, Green

Prv 9:1 – 6 / Eph 5: 15 – 20 / Jn 6:51 - 58 

First Reading: Prv 9:1 -6

     Wisdom has built her house set upon seven pillars; she has slaughtered her beasts, prepared her wine and laid her table. Next, she sent her servants to call from the central square of the city, "Pass by here, you who are fools." To the senseless she says, "Come, eat and drink of the bread and wine I have prepared. Give up your foolishness and you will live;

Second Reading: Eph 5:15 – 20

     Pay attention to how you behave. Do not live as the unwise do, but as responsible persons. Try to make good use of the present time, because these days are evil. So do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.

     Do not get drunk: wine leads to levity; but be filled with the Holy Spirit. Gather together to pray with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and celebrate the Lord in your heart, giving thanks to God the Father in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord, always and for everything.

Gospel: Jn 6:51 - 58 

     Jesus said, "I am the living bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. The bread I shall give is my flesh and I give it for the life of the world."  

     The Jews were arguing among themselves, "How can this man give us flesh to eat?" So Jesus replied, "Truly, I say to you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives with eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day.  

     "My flesh is really food and my blood is drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me and I in them. Just as the Father, who is life, sent me and I have life from the Father, so whoever eats me will have life from me. This is the bread which came from heaven; unlike that of your ancestors, who ate and later died. Those who eat this bread will live forever."  

Reflection:

     The Jews in the time of Jesus resented his teaching that, for them to gain eternal life, they had to "eat of his flesh and drink of his blood."  Following the teaching and tradition of their ancestors, they were disgusted at Jesus' words and could not accept his proclamation. John's Gospel was written in a community which had been celebrating the thanksgiving meal in honor of the Lord Jesus for many years. In the Eucharist they believed that they partook of the Lord's gift of his body and blood in the form of bread and wine, for the life of all believers and of the world.

     We may not have the same dietary rules the Jews had; many eat raw food: sashimi, kilawin, ceviche; dinuguan, a favorite delicacy, includes pork blood.

     As devoted and good Catholics we offer and receive Christ in the Eucharist, in the midst of the Christian worshipping community. We gather joyfully for the Eucharistic celebration and many find it beautiful and meaningful.

     The Eucharist is the sacrament of Christian love and unity. From the Eucharist at our liturgies and in our daily lives, do we lovingly attend to our brothers and sisters who are with us in offering and sharing Christ in the community Eucharist?  Are we mindful of the concerns, needs and problems of those around us at the Eucharist? From the Eucharist, how do we deal with those at our homes, in our neighborhood, in our workplaces?  

     Do we really understand what it means to offer and to receive the Lord at Mass, in the midst of the Christian community? At Mass we join the Lord offering himself to the Father; at Mass we receive the Lord as a graceful gift from the Father. In the Eucharist the Lord invites us to partake of his body and blood so that we may share in his divine life: the Eucharist is the promise and foretaste of the heavenly banquet. 

     When we receive the Eucharist we become part of the Lord. As we grow in our relationship with him, our very lives and we ourselves are gradually transformed to be like the Lord Jesus Christ. Our daily lives, our words, thoughts and deeds, become like those of the Lord we receive into ourselves. When we partake of the gift of the body and blood of Christ, we become, by God's grace, what we receive. 

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     JANESSA C. BROQUIL

     MARIE CHERYILL L. LARUA

     NORMA B. VILLEGAS

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.  

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