DAILY- HOMILY

July 8, 2018 – 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle B. Green.

Ez 2: 2 -5 / 2 Cor 12 : 7- 10 / Mk 6: 1 - 6

1ST READING:   Ez 2: 2- 5

"Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a people who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have sinned against me to this day. Now I am sending you to these defiant and stubborn people to tell them 'This is the Lord Yahweh's word.' So, whether they listen or not this set of rebels will know there is a prophet among them."

FROM THE 2ND READING:            2 Cor 12: 7b- 10

Lest I become proud after so many and extraordinary revelations, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a true messenger of Satan, to slap me in the face. Three times I prayed to the Lord that it may leave me, but he answered, "My grace is enough for you; my great strength is revealed in weakness."

Gladly then will I boast of my weakness that the strength of Christ may be mine. So I rejoice when I suffer infirmities, humiliations, want, persecutions: all for Christ! For when I am weak, then I am strong.

GOSPEL READING:           Mk 6: 1 - 6

Leaving that place, Jesus returned to his own country, and his disciples followed him. When the sabbath came, he began teaching in the synagogue, and most of those who heard him were astonished. They commented, "How did this come to him? What kind of wisdom has been given to him that he also performs such miracles? Who is he but the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joset and Judas and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here among us?" So they took offense at him.

And Jesus said to them, "Prophets are despised only in their own country, among their relatives and in their own family." And he could work no miracles there, but only healed a few sick people by laying his hands on them. Jesus himself was astounded at their unbelief.

REFLECTION

In tfl'first reading the Prophet Ezekiel gets his marching orders from Yahweh to speak God's word to the Israelites.

In the second reading we hear Paul's confidence in the God who had called him to preach the Good News to the Gentiles.

In the Gospel reading we see Jesus preaching at the synagogue of his native town. We are not told what Jesus told his listeners. But we are told that the people could not believe or understand what they were hearing and what they had heard about him, "Most of those who heard him were astonished.. They commented, 'How did this come to him? What kind of wisdom has been given to him that he also performs such miracles?' "

After all, "Who is he but the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joset and Judas and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here among us?"

How can we take him seriously? How can we listen to him? "So they took offense at him.."

"Astonished at their disbelief," Jesus could not perform many miracles for them. Jesus could only say, "Prophets are despised only in their own country, among their relatives and in their own family." Indeed throughout the history of Israel, prophets and messengers of God have so often been not believed and accepted by the people.

Let us pray for open minds to what others tell us, especially our religious leaders and teachers. More important let us pray for the strengthening and confirmation of the faith we received at our baptism to enable us to live as faithful followers of Christ and members of his Church.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     Omar B. Credito

     Natalie Ng Masigan

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.  

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