Daily Readings - Fri Aug 17 2018

First Reading - Ezekiel 16.1-15, 60, 63 or Ezekiel 16.59-63

¹And the word of the Lord came to me, saying²"Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations³And you shall say: Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your root and your lineage is from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Cethite⁴And when you were born, on the day of your nativity, your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were not washed with water for health, nor salted with salt, nor wrapped with cloths⁵No eye took pity on you, so as to do even one of these things to you, out of compassion for you. Instead, you were cast upon the face of the earth, in the abjection of your soul, on the day when you were born⁶But, passing by you, I saw that you were wallowing in your own blood. And I said to you, when you were in your blood: ‘Live.’ I tell you that I said to you, in your blood: ‘Live.⁷I multiplied you like the seedling of the field. And you were multiplied and became great, and you advanced and arrived at the ornament of a woman. Your breasts rose up, and your hair grew. And you were naked and full of shame⁸And I passed by you and saw you. And behold, your time was the time of lovers. And I spread my garment over you, and I covered your disgrace. And I swore to you, and I entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord God, and you became mine⁹And I washed you with water, and I cleansed you of your blood. And I anointed you with oil¹⁰And I covered you with embroidery, and I put violet shoes upon you, and I wrapped you in fine linen, and I clothed you with delicate garments¹¹I adorned you with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon your hands and a necklace around your neck¹²And I put gold upon your face, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head¹³And you were adorned with gold and silver, and you were clothed in fine linen, woven with many colors. You ate fine flour, and honey, and oil. And you became very beautiful. And you advanced to royal power¹⁴And your renown went forth among the Gentiles, because of your beauty. For you were perfected by my beauty, which I had placed upon you, says the Lord God¹⁵But, having confidence in your own beauty, you fornicated in your fame. And you presented your fornication to every passer-by, so as to become his⁶⁰And I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth. And I will raise up for you an everlasting covenant⁶³So may you remember and be confounded. And it will no longer be for you to open your mouth, because of your shame, when I will have been pacified toward you over all that you have done, says the Lord God.

Ezekiel

Chapter 16

⁵⁹For thus says the Lord God: "I will act toward you, just as you have despised the oath, so that you would make void the covenant⁶⁰And I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth. And I will raise up for you an everlasting covenant⁶¹And you shall remember your ways and be confounded, when you will have received your sisters, your elder with your younger. And I will give them to you as daughters, but not by your covenant⁶²And I will raise up my covenant with you. And you shall know that I am the Lord⁶³So may you remember and be confounded. And it will no longer be for you to open your mouth, because of your shame, when I will have been pacified toward you over all that you have done, says the Lord God.

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 encounter profound reflections on covenant and fidelity. Ezekiel’s prophecy uses a vivid metaphor to describe Jerusalem’s journey from abandonment to being nurtured by God, only to become unfaithful. This serves as a stark reminder of the people’s covenant with God, highlighting the consequences of infidelity. In Matthew, Jesus addresses the indissolubility of marriage, emphasizing that it is a sacred covenant reflecting God’s enduring love. He teaches that divorce is only justified in cases of adultery, underscoring the seriousness of breaking such a commitment. Both readings are set in contexts where relationships are tested. Ezekiel speaks to a people in exile, using a harsh metaphor to convey their spiritual unfaithfulness. Matthew’s context is Jesus being challenged by Pharisees on divorce, a controversial issue of the time. Both passages stress the importance of faithfulness and the gravity of breaking covenants, whether with God or a spouse. In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on our commitments. Fidelity in relationships, whether with God or others, requires perseverance and self-sacrifice. Just as God remains faithful despite our failings, we are called to uphold our promises. The moral lesson here is clear: true love and commitment demand unwavering dedication. May we strive to honor our covenants, mirroring God’s steadfast love, and seek grace to remain faithful in all our relationships.