DAILY- HOMILY

July 9, 2019 – TUESDAY, 14TH Week in Ordinary Time
Sts. Leon-Ignace Mangin and Augustine Zhao Rong, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs
Memorial. Red.

Gn 32: 23 – 33 / Mt 9: 32 – 38

Today is the memorial of 120 martyrs of China, 87 Chinese and 33 Western missionaries, from 1648 to 1930, canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 2000. St. Leon-Ignace Mangin (1857 – 1900) was a  French Jesuit  missionary; St. Augustine Zhao Rong (d. 1815) was a Chinese diocesan priest.

1ST READING: Gn 32: 24b – 30
Then a man wrestled with Jacob until daybreak. When the man saw that he could not get the better of Jacob, he struck him in the socket of his hip and dislocated it as he wrestled with him...

The man said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go until you have given me your blessing." The man then said, "What is your name?" "Jacob," was the reply. He answered, "You will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have been strong-with-God as you have been with men and have prevailed."

Then Jacob asked him, "What is your name?" He answered, "Why do you ask my name?" And he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Penuel, saying, "I have seen God face to face and have survived."

FROM THE GOSPEL READING: Mt 9: 32 – 33, 35 – 38
When they had just left, some people brought to Jesus a man who was dumb because he was possessed by a demon. When the demon was driven out, the dumb man began to speak. The crowds were astonished and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."

Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, and he cured every sickness and disease. When he saw the crowds he was moved with pity, for they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the workers are only few. Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest."

REFLECTION
What does it mean to "wrestle" with God? In the first reading Jacob wrestles with a man, is given a new name and receives the man's blessing. Jacob realizes he had wrestled and met with God, and lived.

We wrestle with God when we present our problems to him, when we ask God for favors and blessings, when we ask God to forgive our many failures and weaknesses. We ask God for grace and courage to accept our problems and crosses. With God we are assured we can face our problems and the world with confidence.

In the Gospel reading we see Jesus curing a man unable to speak because he was possessed by an evil spirit. We see Jesus preaching the Good News; we see Jesus moved with pity for the crowds for they were "harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd."

We hear Jesus telling his disciples to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to gather his harvest. We make the same prayer today.

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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