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July 1, 2006 (Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19/Mt 8:5-17
Jesus marveled at the faith of the centurion, a Roman officer in charge of about one hundred soldiers. The faith of the centurion was expressed in the words that we now recite at Mass precisely when we must make a very strong act of faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist: "Lord I am not worthy that you should come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed."
The faith of the centurion is manifested in his manner of reasoning. In the same way that those below the centurion obeyed him, being a man of limited authority; so those under the power of Jesus, will obey Jesus. If the centurion was confident that Jesus had the power over death and sickness, then it meant that the centurion also believed in the divinity of Christ.
July 2, 2006 (THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME)
Readings: Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24/2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15/Mk 5:21-43 or 5:21-24, 35b-43
The gospel today presents us with two miracles. One was a spectacular one, involving a prominent person and witnessed by many people – the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus. The second one was a quiet miracle, wrought on a very shy woman who was suffering from hemorrhage and who silently touched the robe of Jesus, convinced that she could be well again. Jesus was moved by her faith and gave that timid woman a loving assurance of his support: "My daughter, your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint."
In the Eucharist, we not only touch Jesus. We even eat him. We can derive so much grace from God every time we go to communion. Let us increase our faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Let us increase our faith in the healing power of being in contact with the Eucharist.
July 3, 2006 (Saint Thomas, apostle)
Readings: Eph 2:19-22/Jn 20:24-29
The apostle Thomas is one of the most attractive characters in the gospel. Like many of us, he tended to rely a lot on his own judgment. We also see that before the passion of Christ, he was firmly committed to Christ, even ready to die for the Master. But great love can also give rise to great disappointment. His disappointment was so deep that he hesitated to believe in the resurrection of Christ. Perhaps he did not want to believe and then get hurt again.
How good Jesus is to bend to the needs of Thomas! Jesus accommodated himself to what Thomas wanted – not just to see, but to touch the wounds. And with that obstacle out of the way, the faith of Thomas would be revived in a wonderful phrase that says all: "My Lord and my God!" Whenever we find our faith wavering, let us repeat this phrase of Thomas, the doubting apostle.
July 4, 2006
July 5, 2006
July 6, 2006
July 7, 2006
July 8, 2006
July 9, 2006
July 10, 2006
July 11, 2006 (Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Hos 8:4-7, 11-13/ Mt 9:32-38
"And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd." The breadth of Jesus' heart is wide indeed. He is concerned for every single person in that crowd, just like the good shepherd, looking out for a single lost sheep.
God loves every single person in his or her uniqueness. Many spiritual writers say that Christ would have undergone all his sufferings, even to save a single person. As followers of Christ, the plight of any human being cannot be a matter of indifference. We must especially be concerned for those who are far away from God. They are not really "bad"; they are just lost or disoriented.
July 12, 2006 (Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Hos 10:1-3, 7-8, 12/ Mt 10:1-7
The gospel reading says that Jesus gave to the 12 chosen disciples (the apostles) the authority "over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness." We know that later on, this authority would extend over the Church.
The successors of the apostles are the bishops. They are there with the authority from Christ. Like the apostles, they may have their personal failings. But in the end, we must recognize that the hierarchy constitutes the legitimate authority over the Church and they have the guarantee of Christ. We should always respect the authority of the hierarchy.
July 13, 2006 (Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Hos 11:1-4, 8c-9/ Mt 10:7-15
The gospel of today's Mass narrates how Jesus urged the chosen Twelve to go forth and fulfill their apostolic task. This first assignment is a preparation for the final mission they would receive after the Resurrection, when Christ would tell them to "Go, preach the Gospel, making disciples of all nations."
The Church continues this task of the Apostles. Her Divine Founder gave her the mission of spreading the Kingdom of Christ, making all men participate in the redemption. The mission of the Church transcends all social and ideological movements. At the same time, the Church, especially through the lay persons, must be involved in all human problems, trying to orient them towards their true end in God.
July 14, 2006 (Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Hos 14:2-10/ Mt 10:16-23
"Be wise as serpents yet innocent as doves." Those who work for God cannot be naïve simpletons. They must have their feet firmly planted on the ground. The great saints and apostles, while they sometimes appeared foolish in the eyes of their contemporaries, had great common sense. That is why they were able to achieve great works.
At the same time, they should not have the so-called "prudence of the flesh." To ensure that they are "innocent as doves," they must have a pure intention. They work for the glory of God. Their wise plans are not for themselves but for God and for the service of their fellowmen.
July 15, 2006 (Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Is 6:1-8 / Mt 10:24-33
In today's gospel, Christ talks about the devil, who is known by the name of Beelzebub. Elsewhere, Christ refers to the devil as the father of all lies. Today, he also speaks about the need to love the truth since "everything that is now hidden will be made clear." We should speak out the truth. "What you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops. In a world in which lying and deceit are the habitual ways of acting of many persons, Christians ought to be persons who love the truth.
To be an advocate of truth and to reject deceit and hypocrisy in our lives however is not easy. It entails fortitude and perseverance. Thus the Lord Jesus gives us very consoling words of assurance "Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows." The providence of God covers every facet of our life. If we work for God, we must not be anxious or worried about difficulties. Contradictions should not make us lose heart. God is always in control. He never loses battles. We just have to work constantly, confident that God will derive good from any apparent evil that can beset us.
July 16, 2006 (FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME)
Readings: Am 7:12-15/Eph 1:3-14 or 1:3-10/Mk 6:7-13
Today's gospel reading talks about the mission of the apostles. Jesus sent out the twelve apostles by pairs in order to prepare the people for His own coming. We can say that Jesus did not want them to rely too much on material goods, but at the same time, they were to make use of some material means--a staff, one tunic, sandals.
An ordinary Christian needs to make use of some material things in order to fulfill his responsibilities. A husband needs to earn money in order to raise his family. A housewife has to administer funds in order to run the household. The Church herself needs to use material things in order to carry out her work of redemption and charity.
There is a proper Christian attitude towards material goods, based on the plan of God for man and the universe. Material goods have been created by God for the use of man. But he should use them as means rather than as ends in themselves. The ultimate end for which things have to be used is the glory of God. That is why saints, like the holy Curé of Ars, were quite stringent with their own personal expenses, but very magnanimous when it came to spending on things for the direct service of God, such as in liturgical items.
July 17, 2006 (Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Is 1:10-17/ Mt 10:34—11:1
The requirements of following Christ seem to be very demanding. In some translations, he talks about the need to "hate" father, mother, daughter or son. Other translations are less radical, and use the words "not to prefer". The ultimate meaning is the same. We must put God above all things, even above our natural inclinations of filial or paternal love. We must even put God above our very own life; above that strong instinct we all have for self-preservation.
That is why martyrdom, or the readiness for it, is a requirement of genuine Christian living. We must recognize that martyrs are not only in the past. There may be many more martyrs in these present times – victims of religious persecutions in the century that has just passed. Indeed, with the grace of God, we must all be ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for our faith and love of God.
July 18, 2006 (Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Is 7:1-9/ Mt 11:20-24
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you Bethsaida!...And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be exalted as high as the heaven?" So many graces and so many miracles were done in those cities yet many of their inhabitants did not change, they did not repent of their sins. In contrast to Jesus' hard words, the Psalm says, "Lord, you will not despise a humble and contrite heart."
We need to be contrite. The word contrition etymologically refers to a kind of "breaking down", like a rock that disintegrates. Contrition means the sorrow for our faults and sins, comparing the sinner's heart to hardened stone. But contrition does not make a man miserable. On the contrary, contrition gives a person special strength, it restores hope, peace and joy.
July 19, 2006 (Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Is 10:5-7, 13b-16/ Mt 11:25-27
Jesus blessed God the Father for "hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children." This passage is one of the bases for the so-called way of spiritual childhood. The Church declared St. Therese of Lisieux as a doctor of the Church precisely for promoting this path to God.
To be receptive to the lights and graces from God, we have to become like little children, in the sense of becoming aware of our absolute dependence on God, whom we should try to deal with as a loving father. To be a child, we cannot have a sense of self-sufficiency. We must strive to be humble, simple and trusting in our relationship with God.
July 20, 2006 (Thursday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Is 26:7-9, 12, 16-19/ Mt 11:28-30
"Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." What a wonderful piece of advice, especially suited to the conditions of contemporary life, where we go about rushing here and there, not finding peace of mind.
We have here three elements that will contribute to "rest for your soul." To shoulder Christ's yoke. This means to accept the will of God, especially in our duties and in the other burdens that God may want to lay upon our shoulders. The next element is to be gentle or meek. This means that we should not give in to our tendency to be angry or irritated. We must think kind thoughts. Finally, at the very heart of all these is humility. Like Jesus, we must not cling to our prerogatives and presumed privileges. Rather, we must be ready to empty ourselves, to lower ourselves, for the sake of others.
July 21, 2006 (Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Is 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8/ Mt 12:1-8
"The Son of Man is master of the sabbath." In the early Christian community, the practice of celebrating the Lord's Day (Sunday), gradually replaced the celebration of the Sabbath (Saturday). Saturday was the Jewish day of worship. When non-Jews became Christians, it did not make sense for them to observe Jewish ritual laws. Hence, Sunday became the day of worship for Christians. The apostles, with the authority of Christ, could modify the ritual aspect of the Third Commandment.
Nowadays, there is a great need to revive our sense of Sunday worship. Life is much more complex now than in ages past. Within that complexity, we must arrange our Sunday lifestyle so as to give priority to the worship of God and the appropriate rest, to be able to serve God through our duties during the rest of the week.
July 22, 2006 (Saint Mary Magdalene)
Readings: Mi 2:1-5 (394)/ Jn 20:1-2, 11-18
Today is the feast of St. Mary Magdalene. She has come down to history as the epitome of the penitent person. We do not know for sure if she was the woman who showed her repentance by anointing and then washing Jesus' feet. But we know, as the reading today says, that she was among the first to see the risen Christ. She was also at the foot of the cross, together with the Virgin Mary and St. John, at the moment of Jesus' death.
We should never be ashamed to be sorry or contrite. Out of pride, some people get sad if they have to say "I am sorry." But in fact we should rejoice. To recognize our fault means that we are now on the right track, that we are better off than we were before.
July 23, 2006 (SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME)
Readings: Jer 23:1-6/Eph 2:13-18/Mk 6:30-34
After a stint of working for the spread of the kingdom of heaven, Christ told the apostles, "You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while."
The Church encourages her workers (and this applies to all Christians, because they are all called to spread the gospel) to pause every once in a while to make sure that they do not get dissipated or "burned out." We can even say that if the apostle does not take care of his own spiritual life, he may end up doing an empty and useless work. That is why it is good to attend a recollection at least once a month and to go on a spiritual retreat about once a year.
July 24, 2006 (Monday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Mi 6:1-4, 6-8/ Mt 12:38-42
The "sign of Jonas" is the resurrection of Christ. Jonas the prophet stayed in the belly of the fish and was then brought to Nineve in order to fulfill his prophetic mission. Similarly, Jesus Christ would be buried in the belly of the earth, then rise again to complete his redemptive mission.
Our Christian faith rests on the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We do not believe in a mere historical figure. We are following, we are relating personally with, a man who is alive at present. This man is also God, the God-made-man. He is present and alive now, just as much as he was when he physically walked the streets of Palestine. By loving him, we are led to God.
July 25, 2006 (Saint James, apostle)
Readings: 2 Cor 4:7-15/Mt 20:20-28
St. James was the brother of St. John. He is the patron saint of Spain. And because of the Philippines' historical ties with that country, there is a great devotion to him here as well.
He is sometimes called St. James the Greater (in Spanish, Santiago El Mayor) in order to distinguish him from the other apostle with the same name, who is referred to as "the Lesser" (El Menor). There is an ancient tradition that links him with the evangelization of Spain, together with an encouragement from the Virgin Mary who appeared to him on top of a pillar in the city of Zaragoza. We should be grateful to this apostle for his perseverance in the evangelization of Spain. If not for him, we may not be enjoying the Catholic faith.
July 26, 2006 (Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Readings: Jer 1:1, 4-10/ Mt 13:1-9
Today we remember Sts. Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We know their names from tradition, and there are some written accounts, which we need not accept as gospel truth, which give some details of their life. We venerate them as saints, as holy persons. It is logical that God would choose very holy persons to be his grandparents.
Grandparents are wonderful! Unfortunately, in some so-called "advanced" countries, the elderly are considered a burden and relegated to an old-folks home where they can be put out of the way. There are even places where they have legalized euthanasia, the killing of the sick and elderly, for considering them as "useless" people because they are unproductive.
Our faith tells us that every person is unique and priceless. And those who are older do not lose their value -- in fact it increases. The elderly are a storehouse of wisdom and humanity. The young have so much to learn from them. They have so much to share with others. They will never be useless.
July 27, 2006 (Thursday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Jer 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13/ Mt 13:10-17
In the gospel today, Jesus explained to the apostles why he resorted to parables in order to give his message. Parables are stories taken from everyday life containing a moral or spiritual application. If we are well disposed, we can draw lessons and resolutions from the parables we hear or read.
When we listen to the word of God, we should not be merely theoretical. Since God's word is eminently salvific, it always has an application to our daily effort to get closer to God. Every time we read or hear the gospel, let us look for some concrete resolution that we can implement to improve our Christian life.
July 28, 2006 (Friday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Jer 3:14-17/Mt 13:18-23
Many Christians may identify themselves with the second category of people in the parable of the sower. The second category pertains to a person "who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once." These kinds of persons may be said to be "ningas kogon"— referring to the burning of superficial grass on the mountain that spreads very fast but immediately dies out. It is a negative trait attributed to people who begin things with enthusiasm, only to drop them unfinished for superficial reasons.
In order to be "good soil", we must avoid superficiality and frivolity. When we take up a project, especially apostolic ones, we must be ready to face trials, especially the personal and internal trial of losing our first enthusiasm. We must persevere and work even without the consolation that often comes with starting something. That is where true holiness can be found.
July 29, 2006 (Saint Martha)
Readings: Jer 7:1-11 /Jn 11:19-27* or Lk 10:38-42*
St. Martha has come down to us as the typical figure of a responsible older sister, an "ate", who does her duty and complains of the lack of responsibility of her younger sibling. Jesus' defense of Mary is not a justification for laziness. It is rather a lesson for all those who tend to fall into "activism" or what some spiritual writers called "the heresy of action."
Church workers have to be busy and active. There is a lot of work ahead. But they should never forget that the first priority is their life of prayer. Without a life of prayer, someone who works for God's vineyard will get burned out. And if they continue their activity, they will end up falling into hypocrisy because "no one can give what he does not have."
July 30, 2006 (SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME)
Readings: 2 Kgs 4:42-44/Eph 4:1-6/Jn 6:1-15
The gospel today narrates the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. We should have no doubt that this was a real miracle, not just a moral miracle of people "opening up" their "baons" and then sharing it with the rest. That interpretation has no foundation in the scriptural text.
Focusing on the loaves, this miracle is also a kind of symbol of the great miracle of the Eucharist, which is the bread of life. The body of Christ is, for us Christians, the necessary sustenance that we need for our spiritual life. This bread is multiplied whenever the Eucharist is celebrated and the real presence takes place. Christ gives himself to us abundantly. Let us correspond to his generosity by eagerly receiving his body in communion and preparing ourselves adequately through repentance.
July 31, 2006 (Monday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Jer 13:1-11/Mt 13:31-35
"The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and buried in three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened." This imagery of Jesus can be applied to the role of the Christian laity in the world or in the temporal structures of society. An ordinary Christian must influence his surroundings in a quiet but effective way.
A Christian becomes leaven or ferment for his surroundings by giving good example. To give good example means not only avoiding sin, but becoming a model of professional competence and reliability. Besides, he should take advantage of his daily dealings to impart good human and Christian values to his companions. What can I do today, in my place of work, to "leaven" my surroundings?
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