Daily Readings - Sun Apr 07 2019

¹⁶Thus says the Lord, who gave you a way through the sea and a path through the torrent of waters¹⁷who led out the chariot and the horse, the column of robust troops. They went to sleep together, and they will not arise. They have been crushed like flax, and they have been extinguished¹⁸You need not call to mind the past, nor consider the things of antiquity¹⁹Behold, I am accomplishing new things. And presently, they will spring forth. With certainty, you will know them. I will make a way in the desert, and rivers in an impassible place²⁰The wild beasts of the field will glorify me, with the serpents and the ostriches. For I have brought waters to the desert, rivers to inaccessible places, in order to give drink to my people, to my elect²¹This is the people whom I have formed for myself. They will speak my praise

Philippians

Chapter 3

⁸Yet truly, I consider everything to be a loss, because of the preeminent knowledge of Jesus Christ, my Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of everything, considering it all to be like dung, so that I may gain Christ⁹and so that you may be found in him, not having my justice, which is of the law, but that which is of the faith of Christ Jesus, the justice within faith, which is of God¹⁰So shall I know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his Passion, having been fashioned according to his death¹¹if, by some means, I might attain to the resurrection which is from the dead¹²It is not as though I have already received this, or were already perfect. But rather I pursue, so that by some means I might attain, that in which I have already been attained by Christ Jesus¹³Brothers, I do not consider that I have already attained this. Instead, I do one thing: forgetting those things that are behind, and extending myself toward those things that are ahead¹⁴I pursue the destination, the prize of the heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus

John

Chapter 8

¹But Jesus continued on to the Mount of Olives²And early in the morning, he went again to the temple; and all the people came to him. And sitting down, he taught them³Now the scribes and Pharisees brought forward a woman caught in adultery, and they stood her in front of them⁴And they said to him: "Teacher, this woman was just now caught in adultery⁵And in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such a one. Therefore, what do you say?⁶But they were saying this to test him, so that they might be able to accuse him. Then Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the earth⁷And then, when they persevered in questioning him, he stood upright and said to them, "Let whoever is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.⁸And bending down again, he wrote on the earth⁹But upon hearing this, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest. And Jesus alone remained, with the woman standing in front of him¹⁰Then Jesus, raising himself up, said to her: "Woman, where are those who accused you? Has no one condemned you?¹¹And she said, "No one, Lord." Then Jesus said: "Neither will I condemn you. Go, and now do not choose to sin anymore.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful themes of God's mercy, the pursuit of spiritual growth, and the call to compassion. The first reading from Isaiah reminds us of God's promise to bring life and hope to desolate places, urging us to trust in His providence. The second reading from Philippians challenges us to prioritize our relationship with Christ above all else, emphasizing faith and perseverance. The Gospel story of the woman caught in adultery illustrates Jesus's merciful approach, highlighting the importance of compassion and the call to repentance. These readings interconnect by guiding us to focus on spiritual growth and trust in God's mercy. Isaiah shows God's transformative power, Philippians encourages us to seek deeper union with Christ, and the Gospel exemplifies mercy in action. Together, they remind us to trust in God's plan and approach others with compassion. In our daily lives, let us embrace God's mercy, focus on our spiritual journey, and extend compassion to others. May we, like the woman in the Gospel, encounter Christ's mercy and strive to live according to His teachings.