Daily Readings - Sun Jul 15 2018

¹²And Amaziah said to Amos, "You, seer, go out and flee into the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there¹³And in Bethel, do not prophesy any longer, because it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the house of the kingdom.¹⁴And Amos responded, and he said to Amasias, "I am not a prophet, and I am not the son of a prophet, but I am a herdsman plucking from wild fig trees¹⁵And the Lord took me, when I was following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

Ephesians

Chapter 1

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ⁴just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy and immaculate in his sight, in charity⁵He has predestined us to adoption as sons, through Jesus Christ, in himself, according to the purpose of his will⁶for the praise of the glory of his grace, with which he has gifted us in his beloved Son⁷In him, we have redemption through his blood: the remission of sins in accord with the riches of his grace⁸which is superabundant in us, with all wisdom and prudence⁹So does he make known to us the mystery of his will, which he has set forth in Christ, in a manner well-pleasing to him,¹⁰in the dispensation of the fullness of time, so as to renew in Christ everything that exists through him in heaven and on earth¹¹In him, we too are called to our portion, having been predestined in accord with the plan of the One who accomplishes all things by the counsel of his will¹²So may we be, to the praise of his glory, we who have hoped beforehand in Christ¹³In him, you also, after you heard and believed the Word of truth, which is the Gospel of your salvation, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the Promise¹⁴He is the pledge of our inheritance, unto the acquisition of redemption, to the praise of his glory

Mark

Chapter 6

⁷And he called the twelve. And he began to send them out in twos, and he gave them authority over unclean spirits⁸And he instructed them not to take anything for the journey, except a staff: no traveling bag, no bread, and no money belt⁹but to wear sandals, and not to wear two tunics¹⁰And he said to them: "Whenever you have entered into a house, stay there until you depart from that place¹¹And whoever will neither receive you, nor listen to you, as you go away from there, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.¹²And going out, they were preaching, so that people would repent¹³And they cast out many demons, and they anointed many of the sick with oil and healed them

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter three distinct yet interconnected themes that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our mission in the world. The first reading from Amos recounts the prophet's courage in the face of opposition. Amos, a humble herdsman, is called by God to deliver a challenging message to the people of Israel. Despite the priest Amaziah's attempt to silence him, Amos remains steadfast, trusting in the divine call that surpasses human authority. This passage reminds us that our faith often requires us to stand firm against worldly pressures, just as Amos did. The second reading from Ephesians shifts our focus to the richness of God's grace and the eternal plan He has for us. Paul praises God for the spiritual blessings bestowed upon us in Christ, emphasizing our adoption as His children and the redemption won through the blood of Jesus. This passage is a beautiful expression of the depth of God's love and the mystery of His will, which is fulfilled in Christ. It invites us to live with gratitude and awareness of the divine plan unfolding in our lives. The Gospel from Mark complements these themes as Jesus sends out the Twelve Apostles with a simple yet powerful mission. He instructs them to travel lightly, relying on God's providence rather than material comforts. Their task is to preach repentance, heal the sick, and cast out demons. This mission is not without challenges, as they are to shake the dust from their feet if they are not received. The success of their mission is not measured by their own efforts but by their trust in God's power working through them. These readings call us to embrace a life of faith, simplicity, and boldness. Like Amos, we must be willing to listen to God's voice and act with courage, even when it means going against the current. Like the Ephesians, we should live in awe of God's grace and the eternal plan He has for us. And like the Apostles, we are called to step out in faith, trusting that God will provide what we need to fulfill our mission. May we, too, be instruments of God's love and healing in the world, living each day with the confidence that we are part of something much greater than ourselves.