Daily Readings - Fri Aug 18 2017

First Reading - Joshua 24.1-13

¹And Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, and he called those greater by birth, and the leaders and judges and teachers. And they stood in the sight of the Lord²And he spoke to the people in this way: "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Your fathers lived, in the beginning, across the river: Terah, the father of Abraham, and Nahor. And they served strange gods³Then I brought your father Abraham from the parts of Mesopotamia, and I led him into the land of Canaan. And I multiplied his offspring⁴and I gave to him Isaac. And to him, I gave again Jacob and Esau. And I gave mount Seir to Esau as a possession. Yet truly, Jacob and his sons descended into Egypt⁵And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt with many signs and portents⁶And I led you and your fathers away from Egypt, and you arrived at the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen, as far as the Red Sea⁷Then the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. And he stationed a darkness between you and the Egyptians, and he led the sea over them, and he covered them. Your eyes saw all that I did in Egypt, and you lived in the wilderness for a long time⁸And I led you into the land of the Amorite, who was living beyond the Jordan. And when they fought against you, I delivered them into your hands, and you possessed their land, and you put them to death⁹Then Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, rose up and fought against Israel. And he sent and called for Balaam, the son of Beor, so that he might curse you¹⁰And I was not willing to listen to him, but on the contrary, I blessed you through him, and I freed you from his hand¹¹And you crossed over the Jordan, and you arrived at Jericho. And the men of that city fought against you: the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. And I delivered them into your hands¹²And I sent wasps before you. And I drove them from their places, the two kings of the Amorites, but not by your sword, and not by your bow¹³And I gave you a land, in which you did not labor, and cities, which you did not build, so that you might live in them, and vineyards and olive groves, which you did not plant.

Gospel - Matthew 19.3-12

Matthew

Chapter 19

³And the Pharisees approached him, testing him, and saying, "Is it lawful for a man to separate from his wife, no matter what the cause?⁴And he said to them in response, "Have you not read that he who made man from the beginning, made them male and female?" And he said⁵"For this reason, a man shall separate from father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife, and these two shall become one flesh⁶And so, now they are not two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate.⁷They said to him, "Then why did Moses command him to give a bill of divorce, and to separate?⁸He said to them: "Although Moses permitted you to separate from your wives, due to the hardness of your heart, it was not that way from the beginning⁹And I say to you, that whoever will have separated from his wife, except because of fornication, and who will have married another, commits adultery, and whoever will have married her who has been separated, commits adultery.¹⁰His disciples said to him, "If such is the case for a man with a wife, then it is not expedient to marry.¹¹And he said to them: "Not everyone is able to grasp this word, but only those to whom it has been given¹²For there are chaste persons who were born so from their mother’s womb, and there are chaste persons who have been made so by men, and there are chaste persons who have made themselves chaste for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever is able to grasp this, let him grasp it.

Sermon

In today's readings, we are reminded of the profound importance of covenant and commitment, both with God and with one another. The first reading from Joshua recounts the history of God's people, highlighting God's faithfulness and the covenant made with Israel. Joshua gathers the tribes at Shechem to renew this covenant, urging them to choose whom they will serve. This passage underscores God's unwavering commitment to His people, guiding them through trials and leading them to the Promised Land. In the Gospel, Jesus addresses the Pharisees on the issue of divorce, emphasizing the sacred bond of marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman. Quoting Genesis, Jesus points to the original design of marriage as a union of two becoming one flesh, a bond that should not be broken by man. He acknowledges the hardness of human hearts but calls for a return to the original intent of marriage, highlighting the seriousness of such commitments. These readings invite us to reflect on the nature of commitment in our own lives. Just as God is faithful to His covenant with Israel, we are called to be faithful in our relationships, whether with God or with others. Marriage, as a sacred covenant, mirrors God's fidelity and love. As we navigate our daily lives, let us approach our commitments with the same seriousness and love that God demonstrates. May we trust in God's faithfulness and strive to reflect that faithfulness in our own relationships, recognizing the sacredness of the bonds we form.