Daily Readings - Mon Jul 10 2017

First Reading - Genesis 28.10-22a

¹⁰Meanwhile Jacob, having departed from Beersheba, continued on to Haran¹¹And when he had arrived at a certain place, where he would rest after the setting of the sun, he took some of the stones that lay there, and placing them under his head, he slept in the same place¹²And he saw in his sleep: a ladder standing upon the earth, with its top touching heaven, also, the Angels of God ascending and descending by it¹³and the Lord, leaning upon the ladder, saying to him: "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land, in which you sleep, I will give to you and to your offspring¹⁴And your offspring will be like the dust of the earth. You will spread abroad to the West, and to the East, and to the North, and to the Meridian. And in you and in your offspring, all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed¹⁵And I will be your guardian wherever you will journey, and I will bring you back into this land. Neither will I dismiss you, until I have accomplished all that I have said.¹⁶And when Jacob had awakened from sleep, he said, "Truly, the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.¹⁷And being terrified, he said: "How terrible this place is! This is nothing other than the house of God and the gateway of heaven.¹⁸Therefore, Jacob, arising in the morning, took the stone which he had placed under his head, and he set it up as monument, pouring oil over it¹⁹And he called the name of the city, ‘Bethel,’ which before was called Luz²⁰And then he made a vow, saying: "If God will be with me, and will guard me along the way by which I walk, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear²¹and if I will return prosperously to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God²²and this stone, which I have set up as a monument, will be called ‘the House of God.’ And from all the things that you will give to me, I will offer tithes to you.

Gospel - Matthew 9.18-26

Matthew

Chapter 9

¹⁸As he was speaking these things to them, behold, a certain ruler approached and adored him, saying: "Lord, my daughter has recently passed away. But come and impose your hand upon her, and she will live.¹⁹And Jesus, rising up, followed him, with his disciples²⁰And behold, a woman, who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years, approached from behind and touched the hem of his garment²¹For she said within herself, "If I will touch even his garment, I shall be saved.²²But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said: "Be strengthened in faith, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour²³And when Jesus had arrived in the house of the ruler, and he had seen the musicians and the tumultuous crowd²⁴he said, "Depart. For the girl is not dead, but asleep." And they derided him²⁵And when the crowd had been sent away, he entered. And he took her by the hand. And the girl rose up²⁶And the news of this went out to that entire land

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of faith and divine encounter. The first reading from Genesis describes Jacob’s vision of a ladder stretching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending. This vision occurs at a pivotal moment in Jacob’s journey, as he flees from his brother Esau. The Lord appears to Jacob, reaffirming the covenant promise made to his ancestors, Abraham and Isaac, and promising that Jacob’s descendants will spread across the earth. Jacob, awestruck by this divine encounter, names the place Bethel, meaning “House of God,” and sets up a stone monument as a reminder of God’s presence. This story reminds us that even in uncertain and challenging times, God can reveal Himself in unexpected ways, transforming ordinary places into sacred spaces. In the Gospel, we find two miracles that highlight the power of faith. First, a woman suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years approaches Jesus in secret, touching the hem of His garment. Her faith in Jesus’ healing power restores her to full health. Shortly after, Jesus raises the ruler’s daughter from the dead, demonstrating His authority over life and death. Both stories emphasize the importance of trust in God’s providence and the transformative power of faith. The woman’s persistence and the ruler’s plea for help show us that faith, even in the face of doubt or despair, can lead to miraculous outcomes. These readings invite us to reflect on how we encounter God in our own lives. Like Jacob, we may find ourselves in unexpected places where God reveals His presence. Like the woman and the ruler, we are called to trust in God’s promises, even when circumstances seem impossible. In our daily lives, we are reminded to seek God in the ordinary moments and to approach Him with faith, knowing that He is always near. May we, like Jacob, recognize the sacredness of the present moment and, like the woman and the ruler, place our trust in the Lord who heals, restores, and brings new life.