DAILY- HOMILY

July 4, 2019 – THURSDAY, 13th Week in Ordinary Time
St. Elizabeth of Portugal, Widow
Green.

Gn 22: 1b – 19 / Mt 9: 1 – 8

St. Elizabeth of Portugal (1271 – 1336), a daughter of King Peter III of Aragon, showed great charity to the poor and needy. She was named after her great grandaunt, St. Elizabeth of Hungary (d. 1231).

FROM THE 1ST READING: Gn 22: 15 – 18
And the Angel of Yahweh called from heaven a second time, "By myself I have sworn, it is Yahweh who speaks, because you have done this and not held back your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the lands of their enemies. All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your descendants because you have obeyed me."

FROM THE GOSPEL READING: Mt 9: 1 – 7
Jesus got back into the boat, crossed the lake again, and came to his hometown. Here they brought a paralyzed man to him, lying on a bed. Jesus saw their faith and said to the paralytic, "Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven."

Then some teachers of the Law said to themselves, "This man insults God." Jesus was aware of what they were thinking and said, "Why do you have such evil thoughts? Which is easier to say: 'Your sins are forgiven' or 'Stand up and walk'? You must know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." He then said to the paralyzed man, "Stand up! Take up your stretcher and go home." The man got up and went home.

REFLECTION
In the first reading Abraham and his descendants are blessed abundantly because of Abraham's obedience to Yahweh, even ready to sacrifice his only son at Yahweh's bidding.

When the teachers of the Law questioned in their minds how Jesus could forgive sins, he asked them, "Why do you have such evil thoughts? Which is easier to say: 'Your sins are forgiven' or 'Stand up and walk?'"

And before they could answer, to prove himself Jesus cured the paralyzed man, "Stand up! Take up your stretcher and go home." And the man got up and went home.

The paralyzed man was brought to Jesus to be cured. Though Jesus knew this as his petition, Jesus wanted to give importance to a more important cure, a more important healing, of his relationship with God. So he began with this more important cure, "Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven. Only after that, at the query of the biased teachers of the Law, does he physically cure him, "Stand up! Take up your stretcher and go home."

Both healings are miracles of God's loving mercy: may we value God's actions in our lives, especially his forgiveness and healing of our sinfulness.

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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