9Jun
Sun 		10th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Hos. 6:3-6
Ps. 50:1,8,12-13,14-15
Rom. 4:18-25
Mt. 9:9-13
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It is hard for us to appreciate the shock value of Jesus' habit of sharing table fellowship with tax collectors and 'sinners'. It helps to recall that in the cultures of the Ancient Near East sharing a meal was an act of greater intimacy than we accord today. Think of what it meant for Jesus to dine so readily with the outcasts of his own day. It is clear from Jesus' behaviour that His deliberate choice to violate this religious culture of excluding the outcasts of society was another Kingdom preaching and His healing ministry. Today, the Kingdom preaching is ever more needed in the Holy Land- a healing for Jews and the Palestines alike. Surely, "those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do, "(Mt 9:12). Here is the radical preaching of the Kingdom in which Jesus revealed God's tender mercy by including the discarded of society into His company. Obviously, His critics, the Pharisees, are challenged when He quotes Hosea 6:6, "Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice'," (Mt 9: 13). There is no doubt Hosea 6:6 reflects Jesus' teaching and illuminates his behaviour.

If one's worship of God is not reflected in the quality of one's relationships with other human beings, then that worship is empty.


Lord, teach me to be merciful as You are merciful, and let my worship of You be sincere.

DAILY OFFERING
Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
INTENTION
That the leaders and members of different religions may co-operate in their search for world peace, based on conversion of hearts and brotherly dialogue.
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H    

INTENTION : That the leaders and members of different religions may co-operate in their search for world peace, based on conversion of hearts and brotherly dialogue.

While respecting others' beliefs, all religions are called on to form a spiritual United Nations under the common denominator of belief in God who unites us all. We as believers are asked to place our particular faith at the service of the common human good.

This religious goal of humanism should manifest itself in healthy co-operation and not mere coexistence among all the men and women in the world. The universal criterion for achieving a basic common denominator among all the religions is moving from instinctive and sentimental dimensions to social and spiritual ones. And the influence of religions on millions of people is so deep it can be said that without religious peace there cannot be world peace. "Religion and peace go together: unleashing a war in the name of religion is an obvious contradiction". (John Paul II).

Therefore, we must neutralise our disorderly inclinations: selfishness, pride, ambition, lust for money and power, self-sufficiency, a superiority complex. We cannot be at peace with ourselves if we are not at peace with God.



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