Wednesday, June 29, 2016

 

Thursday, 13th Week in Ordinary Time

30 June 2016
Thursday, 13th Week in Ordinary Time 
First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
Green.    

Am 7:10 – 17 / Mt 9:1 – 8.     

Many early Christians in Rome gave their lives for their Faith under Emperor Nero about 64 AD.

Gospel Reading: 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 healing power of Jesus made people bring the paralytic to Jesus, and it his compassion for the sick and his admiration of the faith of the paralytic's friends which prompted Jesus to restore the paralytic to health.

However, before Jesus healed the paralytic, he forgave his sins: "Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven."  Teachers of the Law in the crowd were enraged about Jesus forgiving the sins of the paralytic, "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 up your stretcher and go home.' The man got up and went home."

The crowd was awed at the healing of the paralytic.  The Gospel did not make any mention of the crowd's reaction to Jesus forgiving the sins of the paralytic, except that the teachers of the Law reacted that Jesus was committing blasphemy: only God can forgive sins.

Every time we participate at Mass our faith tells us we are participating in a miracle, in ordinary bread and wine being transformed into the body and blood of Christ.   Do we really believe in this?  Do we feel the awesomeness of this gift of the generous God to us? And do we then truly praise and thank God every time we participate in the Eucharist?

Or are we so used to the Mass and we take it for granted?  Let us ask God to deepen our faith.     


WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
     Robin and Angel Roque

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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STS. PETER AND PAUL, Apostles

29 June 2016, Wednesday
STS. PETER AND PAUL, Apostles 
Solemnity.  Red.  

Vigil: Acts 3: 1 – 10 / Gal 1: 11–20 / Jn 21: 15 – 19

Day: Acts 12:1 – 11 / 2 Tm 4: 6 – 8, 17 – 18 / Mt 16: 13 – 19

Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, are the two pillars of the Church: St. Peter as the first Bishop of Rome and St. Paul as the Apostle to the Gentiles.  St. Peter was martyred in Rome under Nero, crucified upside down c. 64 AD and St. Paul beheaded by the sword c. 67 AD.
 
1st Reading: Acts 3:1 – 10. 
Once when Peter and John were going up to the Temple at three in the afternoon, the hour for prayer, a man crippled from birth was being carried in. Every day they would bring him and put him at the temple gate called "Beautiful": there he begged from those who entered the Temple.

When he saw Peter and John on their way into the Temple, he asked for alms.  Then Peter with John at his side looked straight at him and said, "Look at us." So he looked at them, expecting   to receive something from them.  But Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I give you:  In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, and walk!"

Then he took the beggar by his right hand and helped him up.  At once his feet and ankles became firm, and jumping up he stood on his feet and began to walk, and he went with them into the Temple walking and leaping and praising God.

All the people saw him walking and praising God; they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and they were all astonished and amazed at what had happened to him.

2nd Reading: 2 Tm 4: 6 – 8, 17 – 18
As for the time of sacrifice has arrived, and the moment of my departure has come.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.  Now there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness with which the Lord, the just judge, will reward me on that day; and not only me, but all those who have longed for his glorious coming. . . .

But the Lord was at my side, giving me strength to proclaim the Word fully, and let all the pagans hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.  The Lord will save me from all evil, bringing me to his heavenly kingdom.  Glory to him for ever and ever. Amen.
 
After that Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, "What do people say of the Son of Man?  Who do they say I am?"  They said, "For some of them you are John the Baptist, for others Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

Jesus asked them, "But you, who do you say I am?"  Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."  Jesus replied, "It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.  And now I say to you: You are Peter (or Rock) and on this rock I will build my Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven." 

Reflection
The cripple sitting at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple asks Peter and John for alms, for something material, perhaps a coin that could assuage his hunger. Peter responds, "I have neither silver nor gold." He has nothing solid and tangible, nothing highly prized by the world.

But Peter has something the cripple never dreamt of asking: "In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, walk!"   A cripple from birth, he now leaps and walks and jumps, and enters the Temple praising God.

To his great surprise the cripple receives not only vitality and life but the very Life himself, Jesus Christ.  No longer just sitting at the Temple Gate, but able to enter the Temple, the cripple also receives the unfathomable gift of faith in Jesus, he whom the letter to the Hebrews describes as the "pioneer and perfecter of our faith," the pledge and guarantee of our faith!

Like the cripple, be open to be surprised by God, And on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul who were also surprised by God, pass on the  same gift of faith to others.       
WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY
     Kenneth Y. Yao
     Ropdy G. Bagabaldo

IN MEMORIAM (+)
     National Scientist Perla D. Santos-Ocampo
     Mary Elizabeth L. Yu (Oct 30, 1998 – Jun 29, 1999)

OTHER INTENTIONS:
For the complete healing of Raul Guibani.
For the eternal repose of the souls of George M. Sandoval, Petra G. Sandoval and Stephen C. Shibler.


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.  
  +================================================+

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