DAILY- HOMILY

July 7, 2018 – SATURDAY, 13th Week in Ordinary Time

Green.

Am 9: 11 - 15 / Mt 9: 14- 17

FROM THE 1ST READING:             Am 9: 14- 15

"I shall bring back the exiles of my people Israel; they will rebuild the desolate cities and dwell in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will have orchards and eat their fruit. I shall plant them in their own country and they shall never again be rooted up from the land which I have given them," says Yahweh your God.

GOSPEL READING:           Mt 9: 14- 17

Then the disciples of John came to him with the question, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast on many occasions, but not your disciples?"

Jesus answered them, "How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? Time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, then they will fast.

"No one patches an old coat with a piece of unshrunken cloth for the patch will shrink and tear an even bigger hole in the coat. Besides, you do not put new wine in old wineskins; if you do, the wineskins will burst and the wine will be spilt. No, you put new wine in fresh skins; then both will be preserved."

REFLECTION

In Uie first reading, through the prophet Amos, the prophet of social justice, God assures Israel of happy days after their deportation and exile.

In the Gospel reading the disciples of John the Baptist question Jesus why they and the Pharisees fast, but not the disciples of Christ. Jesus teaches them that, as in all things, there is a time to celebrate at feasts, and there is a time for fasting and penance. With Jesus with them, there is joy; but when Jesus goes away, they will need penance and fasting

Today there are only two days of obligatory fasting in the Church: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The Church continues to encourage us to penance and fasting to uplift the spirit and to disciple our bodies. If we do penance and fast to be closer to God, this is good for us. If we fast from food, soft drinks, cigarettes or pleasant things for the sake of being with Christ and for others who suffer from deprivation and want, we become more like Christ who became poor and suffered for our sake. To do penance and fast to conquer our sinfulness and evil inclinations are also commendable acts.

We recall what the Prophet Isaiah wrote about fasting: "See the fast that pleases me: breaking the fetters of injustice and unfastening the thongs of the yoke, setting the oppressed free and breaking every yoke. Fast by sharing your food with the hungry, bring to your house the homeless, clothe the man you see naked and do not turn away from your own kin." (Is 58: 6- 7)

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 

     Janet Manalo

     Rowell Umali

     Thelma N. Velarde

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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