July 6 Monday (St.
Maria Goretti, Virgin, Martyr): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-maria-goretti/ Mt
9:18-26: 18 While he was thus speaking to them, behold, a ruler
came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and
lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed
him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a
hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his
garment; 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I shall be
made well.”
22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your
faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. 23 And
when Jesus came to the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd
making a tumult, 24 he said, “Depart; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.”
And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in
and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this
went through all that district. USCCB
video reflections:
The context: Today’s
Gospel is a beautiful presentation of two miracles, a healing and a
revival-and-restoration-of-life. These miracles were worked by Jesus as reward
for the trusting faith of a synagogue ruler and of a woman with a hemorrhage.
Though the ruler trusted Jesus out of desperation and the woman’s Faith may
have been a bit superstitious, even their defective faith was amply rewarded.
The ruler and the woman: The ruler of the synagogue
supported Jewish orthodoxy, and he could have despised Jesus who befriended
sinners. But he bravely approached Jesus as a last resort when all the doctors
had failed, and his daughter was dying. Since the Jews believed that one was
not actually dead until three days had passed, when word came that the child
had died, the ruler showed courage and Faith in staying with Jesus, ignoring
the ridicule of fellow-Jews. In the same way, the woman with the bleeding disease
was ritually unclean, and she was not supposed to appear in public. She had the
courage and Faith to ignore a social and religious taboo in order to approach
and touch the garment of Jesus from behind. Both the ruler’s daughter and the
sick woman were brought back to life and to the community.
Life messages: 1)
Jesus accepts us as we are. Hence, we need not wait until we have the correct
motive and strong Faith to bring our problems before Jesus. Let us bring before
him our bodily and spiritual wounds and ask for his healing touch. 2) We do our
share in Christ’s healing mission by visiting the sick, by praying for their
healing, by boosting their morale through our loving presence, words of
encouragement, and inspiration. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
July 7 Tuesday: Mt
9:32-38: 32 As they were going away, behold, a dumb demoniac was
brought to him.33 And when the demon had been cast out, the dumb man spoke; and
the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34
But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.” 35 And
Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every
infirmity. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because
they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then
he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are
few; 38 pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into
his harvest.” USCCB video
reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context:
Today’s Gospel describes the healing of a dumb man by an exorcism Jesus
performed during his preaching and healing journey. It also mentions the false
accusation by Pharisees about the source Jesus’ healing power of exorcism and
expresses Jesus’ sympathy for the leaderless people.
Jesus had a double mission, — preaching the good news of
God’s love and salvation, and liberating people from the power of sin,
illnesses, and evil spirits. The first part of today’s Gospel describes how his
liberating mission was misinterpreted by the Pharisees when Jesus healed a dumb
man by exorcism. In the second part, Jesus expresses his compassion for the
shepherdless sheep of Israel because their shepherds were more interested in
the external observance of the Law and its sacrifices than in giving people
God’s words and promoting the practice of love, mercy and justice. That is why
Jesus reminds his listeners to pray for genuine shepherds to feed them and lead
them.
Life messages: We
need to share Christ’s preaching and liberating mission. Let us remember the
words of St. Teresa of Avila: “Now Jesus has no other mouths, eyes, ears,
hands, and feet than ours.” He counts on us to continue his preaching and
liberating mission. The most effective way of preaching Christ is by leading a
transparent Christian life radiating Jesus’ love, mercy and forgiveness. But we
cannot liberate others as long as we are in chains. Hence, let us first receive
Jesus’ liberation of us from chains which bind us.
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
July 8 Wednesday: Mt
10:1-7: 1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave
them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every
disease and every infirmity. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are
these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son
of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew
the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; 4 Simon the
Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out,
charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the
Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And
preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context: Today’s
Gospel passage gives a short account of the call and mission of the apostles.
Jesus is the first missionary sent by his Father with the “Good News” that God,
his Father, is a loving, merciful, and forgiving Father Who wants to save
everyone through His Son Jesus. Today’s Gospel describes how this first
missionary selects and empowers twelve future missionaries as apostles, giving
them his own mission and sending them to Jewish towns and villages as his
heralds.
Special features: Jesus selected very ordinary people, most
of them hard-working fishermen with no social status, learning, or political
influence, because he was sure that they would be very effective instruments in
God’s hands. It was a strange mixture of people. Matthew was a hated tax
collector for a foreign power, while Simon the Cananaean was a Zealot and a
fanatical nationalist who was determined to destroy Roman rule by any means.
The others were mostly professional fishermen with a lot of good will, patience
and stamina. It was only their admiration and love for Jesus that united them.
Jesus selected them after a night of prayer and gave them his own powers of
healing and exorcism and his own mission of preaching the “kingdom of God.”
Life messages:
As Christians we have the same mission that Jesus entrusted to his apostles. We
fulfill this mission by proclaiming the word of God, primarily by our living
out of Jesus’ teachings, and by promoting and helping world-wide missionary
activities of the Church with prayer, moral support, and financial aid. (Fr.
Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
July 9 Thursday (St.
Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest & Companions Martyrs) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-augustine-zhao-rong-and-companions/; Mt 10:7-15: 7 And preach as
you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the
dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give
without pay. 9 Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts, 10 no bag
for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the laborer
deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is
worthy in it, and stay with him until you depart. 12 As you enter the house,
salute it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if
it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if any one will
not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as
you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it shall be more
tolerable on the Day of Judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for
that town. USCCB video reflections:
The context: Today’s
Gospel describes the commissioning of the twelve apostles for the apostolic
work of preparing the towns and villages for Jesus’ coming visit to them. Sent
out in pairs to preach the coming of the Kingdom of God, repentance,
forgiveness of sins, and liberation, they
were to follow Jesus’ detailed action-plan and bear witness to Jesus by their
simple lifestyle.
Jesus’ instructions and travel tips. By his instructions, it
is clear that Jesus meant his disciples to take no supplies for the road. They
were simply to trust that God, the provider, would open the hearts of believers
to take care of their needs. Jesus’ instructions also suggest that his
disciples should not be like the acquisitive priests of the day, who were
interested only in gaining riches. They should be walking examples of
God’s love and providence. The Jews supported their rabbis, and they judged
doing so a privilege as well as an obligation, because hospitality was an
important religious tradition in Palestine. The apostles are told they should
choose temporary accommodation in a reputable household, should bless the
residents with God’s peace, and should be satisfied with the food and
accommodation they received, not search for better. They were to preach “’the
Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,’ heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,
and cast out demons.”
Life messages: 1)
We have a witnessing mission: Each
Christian is called not only to be a disciple, but also to be an apostle. As
apostles, we have to evangelize the world by sharing with others, not just
words, or ideas, or doctrines, but our experience of God and His Son, Jesus. It
is through our transparent Christian lives that we must show the love, mercy,
and concern of Jesus to the people around us. 2) We also have a
liberating mission: There are many demons which can control the lives of people
around us, making them helpless slaves —the demon of nicotine, the demon of
alcohol, the demon of gambling, the demon of pornography, the demon of
promiscuous sex, the demon of materialism, and the demon of consumerism. We
need the help of Jesus to liberate ourselves and others from these things.
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
July 10 Friday: Mt
10:16-23: 16 Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the
midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.17 Beware of men;
for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, 18
and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear
testimony before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you up, do not be
anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say
will be given to you in that hour; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the
Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver up brother
to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and
have them put to death; 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But
he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town,
flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel
before the Son of Man comes. USCCB
video reflections:
The context: Matthew’s
Judeo-Christian community had experienced much persecution. Jesus’
prophetic words “You will be dragged before governors and kings”
and “brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and
children will rise and have them put to death,” were beginning to be
fulfilled. The Apostle James had been martyred by King Herod, and the lives of
other apostles were also in danger. Hence, by repeating Jesus’ warning to
his apostles, Matthew encouraged his Judeo-Christians to rely on Jesus’ promise
of the protective power of a providing God as they persevered in Faith and its
practice.
Persecutions past and present: Jesus gave his frank warning
to the apostles that their lives and their future followers’ lives were not
going to be beds of roses. Jesus foretold three types of persecution awaiting
Christians: by the Roman government, by the local Jewish synagogues, and by
their Jewish or pagan family members. The main accusations against the
first-century Christians were that they were cannibals, atheists, and
incendiaries, that they practiced immorality during worship services, that they
caused a split in their families, and that they considered slaves as equals –in
an empire with 60 million slaves!
Life message: Although
we have freedom to practice the religion of our choice, the extreme
interpretation of the “separation of Church and state” policy eliminates the
religious instruction and moral training of children in public schools,
allowing youngsters who are not given this training at home to grow up as
pagans. The secular media, run by atheists and agnostics, ridicule all religious
beliefs and practices, inflicting a type of “white martyrdom” on believers.
Hence, the duty of parents to see that their children receive religious and
moral instruction from their parishes and families becomes more important
daily. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
July 11 Saturday (St.
Benedict, Abbot)
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-benedict/; Mt
10: 24-33: 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant
above his master; 25 it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and
the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house
Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. 26 “So have
no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden
that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and
what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. 28 And do not fear those
who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy
both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not
one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will. 30 But even the
hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more
value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also
will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; 33 but whoever denies me
before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. USCCB video reflections:
The context:
Today’s Gospel passage comes from the end of Jesus’ instruction to his disciples
as he sends them forth to carry on his mission of preaching and healing. He
asks them to live simple lives and to expect opposition and rejection.
Predicting future opposition and persecution, Jesus encourages his disciples to
stand firm. Three times He urges them, and us, “Do not fear!” “Do not
be afraid!” Thus, we know that we, too, will be successful despite the
opposition we encounter.
Have no fear. Jesus gives three reasons why his apostles,
and we, should not be frightened. The first reason is that opponents will not
be able to prevent Jesus’ followers from succeeding in their mission because
God will expose their evil plans and deeds: “Nothing is covered up that will
not be uncovered.” The Lord “will bring to light the hidden things
of darkness” (1 Cor 4:5) and will vindicate the faithful. That God
will not permit evil to win is the promise of v. 26. The second reason not to
be afraid is the limited power of our opponents. They can kill the body,
which dies all too soon anyway, but have no power over the soul. The third
reason we should not be afraid is God’s compassionate love. We are more
important to God than sparrows “sold at two for a penny.” The God Who cares for
a trivial bird like the sparrow also cares about our smallest problems – even
counting the hairs on our heads. While this is an encouraging assurance, we may
find it difficult to believe in the midst of persecution.
Life message:
Be not afraid: We can suffer from many fears: (A) Fear of Loss: a) Loss of life
by illness or accident; b) Loss of dear ones – spouse, children, parents; c)
Loss of belongings and property or savings; d) Loss of job; e) Loss of good
name and reputation by slanderers (B) Baseless fears due to mental illness.
C) Fears about terrorist attack, nuclear holocaust, plagues, like
Corvic-19, war etc. When we are afraid let us remind ourselves that God cares –
we are each a dear child of His and He cares for each of us. “Don’t be
afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
