DAILY- HOMILY

June 25, 2017 - 12th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Green

Jer 20: 10 -13 / Rom 5: 12 -15 / Mt 10: 26- 33

GOSPEL READING:     Mt 10: 26- 33

     Jesus said, "There is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. What I am telling you in the dark, you must speak in the light. What you hear in private, proclaim from the housetops.

     "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but have no power to kill the soul. Rather be afraid of him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. For only a few cents you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's consent. As for you, every hair of your head has been counted. So do not be afraid: you are worth much more than many sparrows.

     "Whoever acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. Whoever rejects me before others I will reject before my Father in heaven."

REFLECTION

     The message of Jesus in today's Gospel reading is, "Do not be afraid." Jesus gives us three reasons why we should not be afraid.

     First, there are many Scripture passages encouraging us not to be afraid. Psalm 27: 1 - 2 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the rampart of my life: I will not be afraid?"

     Jesus said that we should fear only one thing, the just punishment of God. To fear God is the beginning of wisdom. Fear of God is not to cringe in terror before him; fear of God is to have a loving respect for him.

     The second reason not to be afraid is because God cares for all the details of my life, if he cares enough to know the number of the hair on my head. He not only knows; he cares: "Cast all anxiety on him because he cares for you." We think at times there are issues and concerns too trivial to bring to the Lord in prayer. We are mistaken if we think there is anything too small or insignificant to bring to the Lord: he cares about every little detail of our lives.

     A third reason why I should not be afraid is that the God who cares about the fate of every sparrow will not stop loving me when I fall: "you are worth much more than many sparrows." If Jesus mentions the care of God for each and every sparrow, perhaps the most common of birds, Jesus wishes to demonstrate just how valuable each one of us before God.

     Jesus said that "not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's consent." God does not prevent sparrows from falling and perhaps dying: but he knows and cares for each of them. We at times think that we have fallen so many times and have disappointed God so much and that he no longer cares for us. Jesus assures us God knows when we fall but still continues to love and care for us. When we stumble, he grips us even more strongly and that is when we need to grip his hand even more tightly. Our God is not a sinister tyrant watching and waiting for us to fall and thus be punished; our God is a loving Father who always wishes the best for us. Just as he watches over every insignificant sparrow that falls, much more does he care and watch over each one of us.

     Many of us struggle with fear about our health, our jobs, and our financial and family problems. We would find peace with the assurance that we have a loving Father who cares about every little detail of our lives. So we should not be afraid of anything that comes our way. God knows and he cares. He will never leave or forsake us. We can leave our fears behind and say, "If he watches over each sparrow, I know he is watching over me."

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

THANKSGIVING

     WILLY, IRAH, ARIANE, MYRH & I0

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY 

     ERIC & EUNICE ROXAS

PRAYER INTENTION

     L.Y. CASTILLO

IN MEMORIAM (†)

     JUANITO F. TEJADA

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.  

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