Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection (Homily), 1 July 2021

Mass Readings,T Reflection - Homily for July 1, 2021

Weekday (13)
Vestment: Green
Today’s Rosary: The Luminous Mystery

Nine Day Mid-Year Prayers for Divine Healing and Restoration (Thursday 1st July – Friday 9th July)

DAY 1:
Personal Prayers and Invitation of Divine Presence (Psalm 140:1 and 13)

FIRST READING
The sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith.

A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 22: 1-19)

In those days: God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I” He said, “Take your son, your only- begotten son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; and he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only-begotten son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord will provide; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only-begotten son, I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

The word of the Lord.



RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 116:1-2.3-4.5-6.8-9(R.9)

R/. I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.
Or: Alleluia.

I love the Lord, for he has heard
my voice, my appeal;
for he has turned his ear to me whenever I call. R.

They surrounded me, the snares of death;
the anguish of the grave has found me;
anguish and sorrow I found.
I called on the name of the Lord:
“Deliver my soul, O Lord!” R.

R/. I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.
Or: Alleluia.

How gracious is the Lord, and just;
our God has compassion.
The Lord protects the simple;
I was brought low, and he saved me. R.

He has kept my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
and my feet from stumbling.
I will walk in the presence of the Lord
In the land of the living. R.



ALLELUIA 2 Corinthians 5:19
Alleluia. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Alleluia.



GOSPEL
“They glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 9:1-8)

At that time: Getting into a boat Jesus crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven, ’or to say ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, take up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection

“To err is human, to forgive, divine,” says Alexander Pope. Forgiveness is an attribute of God which flows from the abundance of his Heart’s love. Where there is forgiveness, there is love and where there is love, there is forgiveness. God who is the fountain of love cannot contain in his heart anger against his children. Christ manifested God’s forgiveness through his preaching, teaching, miracles and most of all by his supreme sacrifice on the cross. The scribes accuse him of blasphemy because he makes himself equal to God. But he unequivocally asserts that he has authority on earth to forgive sins because he is both God and human. Forgiveness is the attribute of God. And anyone who extends forgiveness is already divine with Godly virtues because ‘to forgive is divine’!

Today’s Saint and Quote: St Junipero Serra – July 1st

All my life I have wanted to be a missionary. I have wanted to carry the gospel message to those who have never heard of God and the kingdom he has prepared for them.

NINE DAY MID-YEAR PRAYERS FOR DIVINE HEALING AND RESTORATION “1 Peter 2:24”
Thursday 1st July – Friday 9th July

THURSDAY 1ST DAY 1:
PERSONAL PRAYERS AND INVITATION OF DIVINE PRESENCE (Psalm 140:1 and 13)

Opening:
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Invocation of the Holy Spirit
Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you shall renew the face of the earth.



Let us pray:
O God, who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation, Through Christ Lord. Amen.

O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore you. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do; give me your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that you desire of me and to accept all that you permit to happen to me. Let me only know your will. Amen



Prayer Points:
- O God, hear my cry, cover me with your mercy, in the name of Jesus. Micah 7:18-19

- Confess your sins and plead for God’s mercy. (1 Jn.1:8- 9),

- Father, in your mercy, visit my life and remove every obstacle standing between me and you. (Psalm 51:7-12)
- Lord, purge me of all sins and of wrong steps taken by me within the past months and years.

- Father have mercy on me and reverse every irreversible ways in my life this year. (Ezek. 37:1-12),

- Father forgive me for all my acts of unfaithfulness. (Mention areas), have mercy upon me, in the mighty name of Jesus. (Psalms 51:1)

- Show me your mercy and lead me in the right path in my business, family and office, in the name of Jesus. 1 John 1:9


Father help me to forgive all those who offended me so that I myself can receive forgiveness Matt 6:14-15, Mark 11:25, Col 3:13.
Holy Spirit; perfect your work in my life. Admonish me of sin, don’t let me be condemned with the world.

- Ask God for help from any area you PERSONALLY need help. (Ps. 108:12),

- Bless the name of the Lord for his protection over you and your family in past years, especially for this first half of the year 2021. (Ps 124)

Let us thank God for keeping us safe and not allowing the scourge of insecurity in the country to consume us.


Reflection:
- Father, please go with me in the journey of my life all through. (Exodus 33:14-19)

- Father; wherever your presence cannot be, restrain my feet from going there also.

- O my Father help me to dwell in your presence always. Psalms 91:1

- Father; let me under the covering of your shadows. Psalm 91:1

- Father; let your angel encamp around me in all my ways



Closing:

Prayer of Confirmation and trust in God

Lord, God Almighty, I thank you for protecting me from every form of evil and bringing me the gift of your divine health.
I thank you for breaking the chains of oppression and delivering me from every form of sin, sickness, disease and lie of the enemy.

I thank you for the powerful name of Jesus to which every knee shall bow.
Thank you for giving me your authority over all the power of the enemy. Nothing shall harm me.

Thank you for your full armor, your name, your most precious Blood and your Holy Spirit. No weapon formed against me shall prosper.
Thank you heavenly father for all your protection and provisions, for yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, now and forevermore.
Amen.