Monday, July 21 2014; Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 395

Reading 1
Micah 6:1-4, 6-8

Hear what the LORD says:
Arise, present your plea before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice!
Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD,
pay attention, O foundations of the earth!
For the LORD has a plea against his people,
and he enters into trial with Israel.

O my people, what have I done to you,
or how have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
from the place of slavery I released you;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.

With what shall I come before the LORD,
and bow before God most high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with myriad streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my crime,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
You have been told, O man, what is good,
and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do the right and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 50:5-6, 8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23

R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Gospel
Matthew 12:38-42

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply,
“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, 
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and there is something greater than Solomon here.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE GREATEST

"At the judgment, the citizens of Nineveh will rise with the present generation and be the ones to condemn it." –Matthew 12:41

At the Judgment Day, people who have made great commitments to mere human beings and activities will take the stand to testify against us, because they have shown more commitment in doing their thing than we have in serving Christ.

For example, the Ninevites listened to Jonah more than we may listen to Christ (Mt 12:41). The queen of Sheba came farther to see Solomon than we may come to see Jesus (Mt 12:42). Jehovah's Witnesses have been more committed to witnessing for falsehood than we have been to witnessing for Jesus, the Truth. Corporate executives are more committed to their work than we are to God's kingdom. Athletes try harder to win games than we try to win souls.

Jesus is greater than Jonah and Solomon, denominations and corporations. Jesus is greater than the U.S.A., psychology and technology, money, and sex. Jesus is Savior, Lord, and God (see Jn 20:28). Serve Jesus.

PRAYER: Jesus, at Your name may my knee bow and my tongue proclaim: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! (Phil 2:11)

PROMISE: "You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God." –Mi 6:8

PRAISE: St. Lawrence spread the seed of truth as he traveled as emissary, missionary, and peacemaker from country to country.

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