DAILY- HOMILY

AUGUST 17, 2019 - SATURDAY, 19th Week in Ordinary Time
Green.

Jos 24: 14 – 29 / Mt 19: 13 – 15

FROM THE 1ST READING: Jos 24: 19 – 22
Joshua asked the people, "Will you be able to serve Yahweh? He is a holy God, a jealous God who does not tolerate wickedness or faults. If you abandon Yahweh to serve other gods, he will turn against you and just as he has done you so much good, so shall he punish you and destroy you."

FROM THE GOSPEL READING: Mt 19: 13 -15
Then little children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them with a prayer. But the disciples scolded those who brought them. So Jesus then said, "Let them be! Do not stop the children from coming to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to people such as these." So Jesus laid his hands on them and went his way.

REFLECTION
In the first reading we are reminded that Yahweh "is a jealous God who does not tolerate wickedness or faults. If you abandon Yahweh to serve  other gods, he will turn against you and just as he has done you so much good, so shall he punish you and destroy you."

In the Gospel reading we see Jesus' loving care for little children. The disciples thought they were doing good for a busy Jesus by keeping away children who wished his blessing. Jesus scolds them, "Let them be! Do not stop the children from coming to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to people such as these."

As parents we love our children. Jesus teaches us to love all children because they need our love and care and are greatly loved by our heavenly Father. The key to good parenting is patient and kind love of children. Of course, we hope that these children would some day become good parents for their children.

Have we taught our children to love Jesus? Have we given our children credible witness to Gospel values as lived in daily life?

And, just as important, have we kept in our lives the key characteristics of children of freshness and innocence and of loving trust in their parents? Do we have such child-like loving trust in our heavenly Father?

Jesus tells us that we need to be like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven: "for the kingdom of heaven belongs to people such as these."

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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