DAILY- HOMILY

June 21, 2018 – THURSDAY, 11th Week in Ordinary Time

St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious

Memorial. White.

Sir 48: 1 - 14 / Mt 6: 7- 15

Born of a noble Italian family, St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568 - 1591) died as a Jesuit scholastic, with his health broken while nursing the plague-stricken.

FROM THE 1ST READING:             Sir 48: 12- 14

Such was Elijah, taken up in a whirlwind, and Elisha was filled with his spirit. During his life no leader could shake him, no one dominated him. Nothing was too difficult for him and even in death his body prophesied. In life he worked wonders; in death his deeds were amazing.

GOSPEL READING:           Mt 6: 7- 15

Jesus said to his disciples, "When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do, for they hold that the more they say, the more chances they have of being heard. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask him.

"This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, holy be your name, your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today the kind of bread we need. Forgive us our debts just as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us. Do not bring us to the test but deliver us from the evil one.

"If you forgive others their wrongs, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours; If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you either."

REFLECTION

In the first reading Ellijah the prophet is praised for his life and great deeds for God.

Our Lord has told us that our heavenly Father knows our needs even before we ask him. All he asks is that we acknowledge our needs and weaknesses before God. Even dry moments of prayer are very valuable in our relationships with our heavenly Father. They may be even more valuable and helpful to us than moments of joy and consolation.

In the Gospel reading the Lord teaches us to pray by giving us the "Our Father." In this prayer we proclaim our trust in God, ask for our "daily bread" and for God's forgiveness for our offences against him.

We pray that God's will be done not only in our lives but in all of God's world and creation. We pray that his kingdom and reign may soon prevail throughout the world.

We pray for "our daily bread," both for our bodies and our souls.

And we pray for God's forgiveness "just as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us." We cannot pray the Our Father and not mean it. We do offend others at times unwittingly, at times maliciously and deliberately.. Others similarly offend us. Just as we wish forgiveness from those we offend, we should be as ready to forgive those who have offended us.

Could we ask God to forgive us if we are unwilling to forgive others?

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 

     Ron Joseph F. Quenangan

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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