Daily Readings - Thu Jul 06 2017

First Reading - Genesis 22.1-19

¹After these things occurred, God tested Abraham, and he said to him, "Abraham, Abraham." And he answered, "Here I am.²He said to him: "Take your only begotten son Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of vision. And there you shall offer him as a holocaust upon one of the mountains, which I will show to you.³And so Abraham, getting up in the night, harnessed his donkey, taking with him two youths, and his son Isaac. And when he had cut wood for the holocaust, he traveled toward the place, as God had instructed him⁴Then, on the third day, lifting up his eyes, he saw the place at a distance⁵And he said to his servants: "Wait here with the donkey. I and the boy will hurry further ahead to that place. After we have worshipped, will return to you.⁶He also took the wood for the holocaust, and he imposed it upon his son Isaac. And he himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. And as the two continued on together⁷Isaac said to his father, "My father." And he answered, "What do you want, son?" "Behold," he said, "fire and wood. Where is the victim for the holocaust?⁸But Abraham said, "God himself will provide the victim for the holocaust, my son." Thus they continued on together⁹And they came to the place that God had shown to him. There he built an altar, and he set the wood in order upon it. And when he had bound his son Isaac, he laid him on the altar upon the pile of wood¹⁰And he reached out his hand and took hold of the sword, in order to sacrifice his son¹¹And behold, an Angel of the Lord called out from heaven, saying, "Abraham, Abraham." And he answered, "Here I am.¹²And he said to him, "Do not extend your hand over the boy, and do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, since you have not spared your only begotten son for my sake.¹³Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw behind his back a ram among the thorns, caught by the horns, which he took and offered as a holocaust, instead of his son¹⁴And he called the name of that place: ‘The Lord Sees.’ Thus, even to this day, it is said: ‘On the mountain, the Lord will see.¹⁵Then the Angel of the Lord called out to Abraham a second time from heaven, saying¹⁶"By my own self, I have sworn, says the Lord. Because you have done this thing, and have not spared your only begotten son for my sake¹⁷I will bless you, and I will multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies¹⁸And in your offspring, all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you obeyed my voice.¹⁹Abraham returned to his servants, and they went to Beersheba together, and he lived there

Gospel - Matthew 9.1-8

Matthew

Chapter 9

¹And climbing into a boat, he crossed the sea, and he arrived at his own city²And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, "Be strengthened in faith, son; your sins are forgiven you.³And behold, some of the scribes said within themselves, "He is blaspheming.⁴And when Jesus had perceived their thoughts, he said: "Why do you think such evil in your hearts⁵Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk?⁶But, so that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins," he then said to the paralytic, "Rise up, take up your bed, and go into your house.⁷And he arose and went into his house⁸Then the crowd, seeing this, was frightened, and they glorified God, who gave such power to men

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, trust, and God's providence. The first reading from Genesis presents Abraham, a man of deep faith, who is tested by God. He is asked to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. This test pushes Abraham to the limits of human understanding, yet he obeys without hesitation, trusting in God's promise. His unwavering faith is rewarded when God provides a ram as a substitute for Isaac, confirming His faithfulness and mercy. The Gospel from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus, who encounters a paralytic brought to Him by friends. Their faith moves Jesus to first forgive the man's sins and then heal his body. This miracle not only demonstrates Jesus' divine authority but also highlights the connection between spiritual and physical healing. The scribes, skeptical of Jesus' power to forgive sins, are silenced by the tangible evidence of the man's healing. This story reminds us that true healing comes from God and that faith can lead to extraordinary transformations in our lives. Both readings call us to trust in God's plan, even when it seems unclear or challenging. Like Abraham, we are invited to place our faith in God, knowing that He will provide. Like the paralytic and his friends, we are reminded that our faith can lead to healing and restoration. In our daily lives, let us embrace this faith, trusting that God will guide us through life's trials and bring us closer to Him. May we, like Abraham and the paralytic, experience the transformative power of God's love and mercy.