Daily Readings - Fri Jun 08 2018

¹Just as the morning passes, so has the king of Israel passed by. For Israel was a child and I loved him; and out of Egypt I called my son²They called them, and so they departed before their face. They offered victims to the Baals, and they sacrificed to graven images³And I was like a foster father to Ephraim. I carried them in my arms. And they did not know that I healed them⁴I will draw them with the cords of Adam, with the bands of love. And I will be to them like one who raises the yoke over their jaws. And I will reach down to him so that he may eat⁸How will I provide for you, Ephraim; how will I protect you, Israel? How will I provide for you as for Adam; will I set you like Zeboiim? My heart has changed within me; together with my regret, it has been stirred up⁹I will not act on the fury of my wrath. I will not turn back to utterly destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man, the Divine in your midst, and I will not advance upon the city

Ephesians

Chapter 3

⁸Although I am the least of all the saints, I have been given this grace: to evangelize among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ⁹and to enlighten everyone concerning the dispensation of the mystery, hidden before the ages in God who created all things¹⁰so that the manifold wisdom of God may become well-known to the principalities and powers in the heavens, through the Church¹¹according to that timeless purpose, which he has formed in Christ Jesus our Lord¹²In him we trust, and so we approach with confidence, through his faith¹⁴By reason of this grace, I bend my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ¹⁵from whom all paternity in heaven and on earth takes its name¹⁶And I ask him to grant to you to be strengthened in virtue by his Spirit, in accord with the wealth of his glory, in the inner man¹⁷so that Christ may live in your hearts through a faith rooted in, and founded on, charity¹⁸So may you be able to embrace, with all the saints, what is the width and length and height and dept¹⁹of the charity of Christ, and even be able to know that which surpasses all knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God

John

Chapter 19

³¹Then the Jews, because it was the preparation day, so that the bodies would not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a great day), they petitioned Pilate in order that their legs might be broken, and they might be taken away³²Therefore, the soldiers approached, and, indeed, they broke the legs of the first one, and of the other who was crucified with him³³But after they had approached Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs³⁴Instead, one of the soldiers opened his side with a lance, and immediately there went out blood and water³⁵And he who saw this has offered testimony, and his testimony is true. And he knows that he speaks the truth, so that you also may believe³⁶For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: "You shall not break a bone of him.³⁷And again, another Scripture says: "They shall look upon him, whom they have pierced.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter profound expressions of God’s love and mercy, woven together across the Old and New Testaments. The first reading from Hosea reveals the tender heart of God, who, despite Israel’s rebellion, remains a loving Father. Hosea’s words evoke the Exodus, where God called His people out of slavery, and yet they turned away. Still, God’s love endures, healing and drawing them close with cords of love. This passage reminds us that God’s mercy often surpasses our understanding, and His heart is moved with compassion, even when we fail to recognize His care. In the second reading from Ephesians, St. Paul reflects on the mystery of Christ, which unites all people in God’s plan. He prays for the believers to be strengthened by the Spirit and to grasp the immeasurable love of Christ. This love is not just a feeling but a divine reality that transforms us, filling us with the fullness of God. Paul’s words invite us to trust in God’s timeless purpose and to approach Him with confidence, knowing that we are part of a greater story that transcends our own limitations. The Gospel from John brings us to the foot of the cross, where the pierced side of Jesus flows with blood and water, a symbol of the sacraments and the life-giving love of Christ. The fulfillment of Scripture here underscores the precision of God’s plan and the depth of His love. Just as Hosea spoke of God’s reluctance to destroy Ephraim, John shows us a God who, in Jesus, pours out His life for us. The cross is the ultimate expression of God’s love, a love that does not break or abandon but instead heals and redeems. As we reflect on these readings, let us allow the depth of God’s love to sink into our hearts. May we trust in His plan, even when we cannot see the full picture. May we experience the transformative power of His love in our lives, and may we, like St. Paul, pray for the strength to embrace the width, length, height, and depth of Christ’s love. In this love, we find our true fullness, and we are called to share it with a world in need.