Thursday, August 21, 2014

 

Memorial, Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

August 22, 2014
Friday 20TH Week in Ordinary Time
[Memorial, Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary]

Ez 37: 1-14 / Ps 107: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 / Mt 22: 34-40 

Reading: Ez 37: 1-14
The hand of Yahweh was upon me. He brought me out and led me in spirit to the middle of the valley which was full of bones. He made me walk to and fro among them and I could see there was a great number of them on the ground all along the valley and that they were very dry. Yahweh said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live again?" I said, "Lord Yahweh, only you know that." He then said, "Speak on my behalf concerning these bones; say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of Yahweh! Yahweh says: I am going to put spirit in you and make you live. I shall put sinews on you and make flesh grow on you; I shall cover you with skin and give you my spirit, that you may live. And you will know that I am Yahweh." I prophesied as I had been commanded and then there was a noise and commotion; the bones joined together. I looked and saw that they had sinews, that flesh was growing on them and that he was covering them with skin. But there was no spirit in them. So Yahweh said to me, "Speak on my behalf and call on the Spirit, son of man! Say to the Spirit: This is the word of Yahweh: Spirit, come from the four winds. Breathe into these dead bones and let them live!" I prophesied as he had commanded me and breath entered them; they came alive, standing on their feet - a great, immense army! He then said to me, "Son of man, these bones are all Israel. They keep saying: 'Our bones are dry, hope has gone, it is the end of us.' So prophesy! Say to them: This is what Yahweh says: I am going to open your tombs, I shall bring you out of your tombs, my people, and lead you back to the land of Israel. You will know that I am Yahweh, O my people! when I open your graves and bring you out of your graves, when I put my spirit in you and you live. I shall settle you in your land and you will know that I, Yahweh, have done what I said I would do."    

Gospel: Matthew 22: 34-40
When the Pharisees heard how Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. One of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to test him with this question, "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the Law?" Jesus answered, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the most important of the commandments. But after this there is another one very similar to it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole Law and the Prophets are founded on these two commandments."

Reflection:
     A true disciple is one who genuinely desires to learn. Unlike the Sadducees, Pharisees and teachers of the Law who interpret it according to their limited understanding, Jesus reveals to us the Truth by means of the Wisdom of God. Jesus summarizes the essence of the Law into two: Love God and love one another. These two commandments go hand in hand because they teach the application of what is infinitely unfathomable. 
     Our Mother Mary is an example of a true disciple. She predisposes her heart in order to be receptive to the teachings in Scriptures and to be reflective in seeking to understand the situations she encounters.  We find these words about Mary in Scripture verses like:  "She kept all this in her heart" and "Do whatever he tells you to do."  
     Catholics often pray the "Hail Mary" prayer. This prayer helps us situate ourselves into the calling of Mary in the annunciation. This call is presented to all Christians and demands a similar response as hers. Her special role as Mother of God is not just limited to the historical Jesus but it extends to us as well in an eschatological sense. Whenever we celebrate with the Church the mass or the Eucharistic celebration, in a way we are being transformed into the body of Christ. In a remarkable way it fulfills the prophecy in our first reading when God declared that He will put flesh and sinews and make into living bodies the dried bones that have scattered in the fields. 
     With Mary as Queen Mother and patron of our Church, generations of disciples will be produced to bring the message of the Life of Christ into the world. 

Prayer Requests:
We pray ...
... for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn. 
... for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
... for families who are in need of healing.
... for world peace and reconciliation.
... for the birthday intentions of Rina Faustino
... for the fiesta intentions of Mary the Queen Parish

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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