Daily Readings - Sat Aug 11 2018
Habakkuk
12Have you not existed from the beginning, Lord my God, my holy one, and so we shall not die? Lord, you have stationed him for judgment, and you have establish that his strength will be swept away13Your eyes are pure, you do not behold evil, and you cannot look towards iniquity. Why do you look upon the agents of iniquity, and remain silent, while the impious is devouring one who is more just than himself14And you will make men like the fish of the sea and like the creeping things that have no ruler15He lifted up everything with his hook. He drew them in with his dragnet, and gathered them into his netting. Over this, he will rejoice and exult16For this reason, he will offer victims to his dragnet, and he will sacrifice to his netting. For through them, his portion has been made fat, and his meals elite17Because of this, therefore, he expands his dragnet and will not be lenient in continually putting to death the peoples
1I will stand firm during my watch, and fix my position over the fortification. And I will observe carefully, to see what might be said to me and what I might respond to my opponent2And the Lord responded to me and said: Write the vision and explain it on tablets, so that he who reads it may run through it3For as yet the vision is far off, and it will appear in the end, and it will not lie. If it expresses any delay, wait for it. For it is arriving and it will arrive, and it will not be hindered4Behold, he who is unbelieving, his soul will not be right within himself; but he who is just shall live in his faith
Matthew
14And when he had arrived at the multitude, a man approached him, falling to his knees before him, saying:15"Lord, take pity on my son, for he is an epileptic, and he suffers harm. For he frequently falls into fire, and often also into water16And I brought him to your disciples, but they were not able to cure him."17Then Jesus responded by saying: "What an unbelieving and perverse generation! How long shall I be with you? How long shall I endure you? Bring him here to me."18And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon went out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour19Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, "Why were we unable to cast him out?"20Jesus said to them: "Because of your unbelief. Amen I say to you, certainly, if you will have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it shall move. And nothing will be impossible for you
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith and trust in God's plan. The first reading from Habakkuk portrays the prophet's anguish as he questions God about the prevalence of injustice and suffering. Habakkuk seeks assurance that justice will prevail, and God's response emphasizes patience and faith, promising that the vision of justice will unfold in its appointed time. This context, set amidst the turmoil of the Jewish people facing oppression, reminds us to trust in God's timing even when circumstances seem dire.
The Gospel from Matthew shifts our focus to a father's desperate plea for his afflicted son. Despite the disciples' inability to heal the boy, Jesus demonstrates the transformative power of faith, healing the child and teaching the disciples about the necessity of unwavering belief. This passage underscores the idea that even a mustard seed of faith can move mountains, encouraging us to trust in God's power and presence in our lives.
These readings together guide us in navigating life's challenges with patience and faith. Just as Habakkuk waited for God's justice and the father trusted in Jesus' healing power, we are called to remain steadfast in our faith. In our daily struggles, we find comfort in knowing that God's timing is perfect and that our faith, however small, is a potent force. Let us embrace this lesson, trusting that through faith, we can overcome any obstacle, and in patience, we will see God's plan unfold.