DAILY- HOMILY

July 21, 2018 – SATURDAY, 15th Week in Ordinary Time 

St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Green

Mi 2: 1- 5 / Mt 12: 14- 21

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

FROM THE 1ST READING:             Mi 2: 1 - 3

Woe to those who plot wickedness and plan evil even on their beds! When morning comes they do it, as soon as it is within their reach.

If they covet fields, they seize them. Do they like houses? They take them. They seize the owner and his household, both the man and his property.

This is why Yahweh speaks, "I am plotting evil against this whole brood, from which your necks cannot escape. No more shall you walk with head held high for it will be an evil time."

GOSPEL READING:           Mt 12: 14- 21

Then the Pharisees went out and made plans to get rid of him. As Jesus was aware of the plot, he went away from that place. Many people followed him and he cured all who were sick. Then he gave them strict orders not to make him known.

In this way Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled: "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one !love, and with whom I am pleased.. I will put my Spirit upon him and he will announce my judgment to the nations. He will not argue or shout, nor will his voice be heard in the streets. The bruised reed he will not crush, nor snuff out the smoldering wick. He will persist until justice is made victorious and in him all the nations will put their hope."

REFLECTION

In tlie first reading the prophet Micah rails against land grabbers and those who steal from and cheat others. God speaks against such greed and selfishness. We too should speak out against such injustice in our times.

The Gospel reading immediately followed Jesus' cure of a man with a withered hand on the sabbath. The Pharisees had also complained to Jesus that his disciples were violating the sabbath by picking grains of wheat and eating them on the sabbath.

In his cure of the man with the withered hand, Jesus had disputed with the Pharisees on what was allowed on the sabbath: "What if one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath? Will you not take hold of your sheep and lift it out? But a human person is much more valuable than a sheep! It is therefore permitted to do good on the Sabbath." (Mt 12: 11 -12)

The teaching and actions of Jesus showed the shallowness and hypocrisy of the Pharisees and their practices. In their annoyance and hatred for Jesus, they began to plot to get rid of Jesus.

The enemies of Jesus show us the evil and wickedness in men, unwilling to see reason and right. May we learn to carefully discern truth and right in our actions.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 

     Apollo U. Jimenez

     John Mervin Pasarin

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     Edwin Chang (1952 - 2013)

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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