DAILY- HOMILY

July 20, 2017 – THURSDAY, 15th Week in Ordinary Time 

St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr Green

Ex 3: 13 - 20 / Mt 11: 28- 30

     According to tradition, St. Apollinaris (d. 79), born in Antioch, was consecrated a bishop by St. Peter and sent to Ravenna during the reign of Emperor Claudius.

FROM THE FIRST READING:          Ex 3: 14- 20

     God said to Moses, "I AM WHO AM. This is what you will say to the sons of Israel: 'I AM sent me to you."' God then said to Moses, "You will say to the Israelites: 'Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Jacob, the God of Isaac, has sent me.' That will be my name forever, and by this name they shall call upon me for all generations to come."

GOSPEL READING:           Mt 11: 28- 30

     Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry burdens and

I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light."

REFLECTION

     In the first reading, in the account of the encounter of Moses with God in the burning bush, God reveals his name to Moses and his plan to liberate Israel from slavery in Egypt. In his goodness and mercy, God will bring his chosen people to the promised land, flowing with milk and honey.

     In the Gospel reading Jesus assures us that, with and in him, life is bearable and meaningful: "Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry burdens and I will refresh you." Jesus invites us to "take his yoke" and to learn from his gentleness and humility.

     Jesus reminds us that life in this world is within the context of the God who created and controls the world. God has gifted us with creation and tasked us to have dominion over the world, for our good and his greater glory. This demands our hard work but we should not forget that our work is within God's plan and work. Let us never lose trust in God's benevolent love and care for us and his creation.

     God answered the prayers of Israel as they suffered in their slavery in Egypt. In similar fashion God will answer our prayers in our lives. Let us never forget that this powerful God is our loving Father who cares for us. With him the heavy challenges and burdens of our life will always be bearable, even good and light.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

IN MEMORIAM (†)

      YAN CHING BEE 

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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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: 

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   |  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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July 21, 2017 – FRIDAY, 15th Week in Ordinary Time 

St. Lawrence of Brindisi

Priest and Doctor of the Church

Green

Ex 11:10 - 12,14 / Mt 12:1 - 8

     St. Lawrence of Brindisi (1559 - 1619), an Italian Capuchin priest, preached against Luther.

GOSPEL READING:           Mt 12: 1 - 8

     It happened that Jesus walked through the wheat fields on a sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and began to pick some heads of wheat and crush them to eat the grain. When the Pharisees noticed this, they said to Jesus, "Look at your disciples; they are doing what is prohibited on the sabbath!"

     Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry? He went into the house of God, and they ate the bread offered to God, although neither he nor his men had the right to eat it, but only the priests. And have you not read in the Law that on the sabbath the priests in the Temple break the sabbath rest, yet they are not guilty?

     "I tell you, there is greater than the Temple here. If you really knew the meaning of the words: It is mercy I want, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. Besides the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath."

REFLECTION

     The Gospel reading tells us of the continuing controversy between Jesus and the Pharisees. Walking through a wheat field on the sabbath, his disciples in their hunger picked heads of wheat to eat: the Pharisees criticized them for violating the sabbath, doing forbidden work.

     Jesus defends his disciples by reminding the Pharisees how David and his companions, when hungry, seemed to have ignored regulations by eating bread in the Temple reserved for the priests and how priests at the Temple did not violate the sabbath rest in their work.

     In the parallel passage in Mark, Jesus says, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. So the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath." (Mk

2:27)

     What was the sabbath? "Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. For six days you will labor and do your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath for Yahweh, your God. Do no work on that day, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servants, men or women, nor your animals, nor the stranger who is staying with you." (Ex 20: 8 -10)

     Jesus healed on the sabbath. At the cure of a man with a paralyzed hand, "What does the Law allow us to do on the sabbath? To do good or to do harm?" (Mk 3: 4) Curing a crippled woman, "Should she not be freed from her bonds on the sabbath?" (Lk 13: 16) At the cure of the man born blind, "How can a sinner perform such miraculous signs?" (Jn 9: 16)

     What does it mean "to keep holy the sabbath day"?

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     APOLLO U. JIMENEZ

     JJEWELLYN YANG

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.  

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