Daily Readings - Wed Apr 03 2019
Isaiah
8Thus says the Lord: In a pleasing time, I have heeded you, and in the day of salvation, I have assisted you. And I have preserved you, and I have presented you as a covenant of the people, so that you would lift up the earth, and possess the scattered inheritances9so that you would say to those who are bound, "Go forth!" and to those who are in darkness, "Be released!" They will pasture along the roads, and their pastures will be in every open place10They will not hunger or thirst, nor will the heat of the sun beat down upon them. For the one who takes pity on them will rule them, and he will give them to drink from fountains of waters11And I will make all my mountains into a road, and my paths will be exalted12Behold, some will come from far away, and behold, others from the north and from the sea, and still others from the land of the south13Give praise, O heavens! And exult, O earth! Let the mountains give praise with jubilation! For the Lord has consoled his people, and he will take pity on his poor ones14And Zion said: "The Lord has abandoned me, and the Lord has forgotten me.15Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to take pity on the child of her womb? But even if she would forget, still I shall never forget you
John
16Because of this, the Jews were persecuting Jesus, for he was doing these things on the Sabbath17But Jesus answered them, "Even now, my Father is working, and I am working.18And so, because of this, the Jews were seeking to kill him even more so. For not only did he break the Sabbath, but he even said that God was his Father, making himself equal to God19Then Jesus responded and said to them: "Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son is not able to do anything of himself, but only what he has seen the Father doing. For whatever he does, even this does the Son do, similarly20For the Father loves the Son, and he shows him all that he himself does. And greater works than these will he show him, so much so that you shall wonder21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wills22For the Father does not judge anyone. But he has given all judgment to the Son23so that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent him24Amen, amen, I say to you, that whoever hears my word, and believes in him who sent me, has eternal life, and he does not go into judgment, but instead he crosses from death into life25Amen, amen, I say to you, that the hour is coming, and it is now, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear it shall live26For just as the Father has life in himself, so also has he granted to the Son to have life in himself27And he has given him the authority to accomplish judgment. For he is the Son of man28Do not be amazed at this. For the hour is coming in which all who are in the grave shall hear the voice of the Son of God29And those who have done good shall go forth to the resurrection of life. Yet truly, those who have done evil shall go to the resurrection of judgment30I am not able to do anything of myself. As I hear, so do I judge. And my judgment is just. For I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful expressions of God’s love and care for His people, as well as the profound unity and authority of Jesus Christ. The first reading from Isaiah paints a vivid picture of God’s providence and consolation. Speaking to a people in exile, Isaiah reassures them that God has not forgotten them. He describes how God will gather His scattered people, feed them, and guide them, even in the darkest of times. Zion, though feeling abandoned, is reminded that God’s love is far greater than any human love; even if a mother could forget her child, God never forgets His own.
The Gospel reading from John deepens this theme of divine love and care, but it also introduces a note of tension. Jesus, accused by the Pharisees for working on the Sabbath, defends His actions by revealing His intimate relationship with the Father. He explains that He does nothing on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. This unity with the Father is the source of His authority to give life and to judge. Jesus emphasizes that His works are not His own, but the Father’s, and that those who honor Him honor the Father who sent Him. He also speaks of a time when the dead will hear His voice and come to life, a promise that extends beyond physical resurrection to the spiritual life He offers even now.
These readings invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our trust in His providence. Like the exiled Israelites, we may sometimes feel forgotten or abandoned, but God’s love is unfailing. Like the Pharisees, we may question God’s ways or resist His truth, but Jesus reveals that His works are a manifestation of the Father’s love and will. Let us ask ourselves: Do we trust in God’s plan, even when it seems unclear? Do we honor Jesus as the Son of God, and do we listen to His voice, which calls us from death to life? May we find hope in God’s promises and may we live in the light of His truth, knowing that He is always working for our good.