2 July 2015

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Thursday, 2 July 2015 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, we heard about how God healed and forgave the sins of the paralytic man, whom Jesus had made whole and healthy again. And yet the Pharisees and the opponents of the Lord made a lot of noise, complaining that it was blasphemy to think that someone other than God could have forgiven sins.

This was because they failed to understand the true nature of our Lord and His love. For God had loved us so much, and He is indeed Love Himself, so that He was willing to send forth His Son into the world, the one and only begotten Son, who is His Word made into flesh, taking up the appearance and substance of the human body, and yet remained fully divine, so that, by His authority and works, He might bring about healing and salvation for all of us mankind.

This is clearly matched with what had happened long ago at the time of Abraham, when God asked him to sacrifice his own son, Isaac, the one and only promised son which God had promised Abraham when he set out of his homeland to follow Him. The first reading today is actually an affirmation of God’s love, who has done even more than what He had asked of Abraham.

For in his great faith, even though knowing that he would have to kill his son, but he knows that God will certainly find a way for him. And he also knows that even if he did the terrible did, God will raise him up again, as St. Paul had pointed out in one of his epistles. God has the authority for all things, even the things that seem to be impossible for men.

God also did not hold back His only Son, just as Abraham did not hold back his son from God. And while Abraham had such a great faith in God, following and obeying the will of God completely, but God Himself is also ever faithful, to the covenant and promise which He had made with mankind, that He will not abandon us to sin and destruction because of those sins.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, have we been obedient to God, and have we been faithful to Him as Abraham had done? Or have we instead been complaining and ignoring what we all ought to do as the ones with whom God had made His everlasting covenant? This is unfortunately our bad trait, the nature which have caused so many of us to fall into sin.

God has loved us so much, that even though we sinned and disobeyed Him, He did not straight away reject us and cast us into eternal darkness, even though He was fully capable of doing so. He instead gave us new opportunity, a second chance to redeem ourselves, so that by our devotion and actions, we may be redeemed and be brought back into the grace of God.

May Almighty God awaken in all of us, the love which we ought to have for Him. May He bless us and empower us, that we shall be more devoted to the Lord, and may our faith be considered worthy by our loving God, who will then heal us from our afflictions as He had done with the paralytic man. God be with us all, now and forever. Amen.

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Thursday, 2 July 2015 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 9 : 1-8

At that time, Jesus got back into the boat, crossed the lake again, and came to His hometown. Here they brought a paralysed 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 within themselves, “This Man insults God.” Jesus was aware of what they were thinking, and said, “Why have you 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 paralysed man, “Stand up! Take your stretcher and go home.” The man got up, and went home. When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe, and praised God for giving such power to human beings.

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Thursday, 2 July 2015 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 114 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

Alleluia! I am pleased that the Lord has heard my voice in supplication, that He has not been deaf to me, the day I called on Him.

When the cords of death entangled me, the snares of the grave laid hold of me, when affliction got the better of me, I called upon the Name of the Lord : “O Lord, save my life!”

Gracious and righteous is the Lord; full of compassion is our God. The Lord protects the simple : He saved me when I was humbled.

He has freed my soul from death, my eyes from weeping, my feet from stumbling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

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Thursday, 2 July 2015 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green



Genesis 22 : 1-19

Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.” Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I shall point out to you.”

Abraham rose early next morning and saddled his donkey and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He chopped wood for the burnt offering and set out for the place to which God had directed him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance, and he said to the young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He carried in his hand the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke to Abraham, his father, “Father!” And Abraham replied, “Yes, my son?” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” Abraham replied, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice.”

They went on, the two of them together, until they came to the place to which God had directed them. When Abraham had built the altar and set the wood on it, he bound his son Isaac and laid him on the wood placed on the altar. He then stretched out his hand to seize the knife and slay his son. But the Angel of YHVH called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

And he said, “Here I am.” “Do not lay your hand on the boy; do not harm him, for now I know that you fear God, and you have not held back from Me your only son.” Abraham looked around and saw behind him a ram caught by its horns in a bush. He offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place ‘The Lord will provide.’ And the saying has lasted to this day.

And the Angel of YHVH called from heaven a second time, “By myself I have sworn, it is YHVH who speaks, because you have done this and not held back your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make 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.”

So Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba and it was there that Abraham stayed.