Daily Readings - Fri Jun 11 2021

¹Just as the morning passes, so has the king of Israel passed by. For Israel was a child and I loved him; and out of Egypt I called my son²They called them, and so they departed before their face. They offered victims to the Baals, and they sacrificed to graven images³And I was like a foster father to Ephraim. I carried them in my arms. And they did not know that I healed them⁴I will draw them with the cords of Adam, with the bands of love. And I will be to them like one who raises the yoke over their jaws. And I will reach down to him so that he may eat⁸How will I provide for you, Ephraim; how will I protect you, Israel? How will I provide for you as for Adam; will I set you like Zeboiim? My heart has changed within me; together with my regret, it has been stirred up⁹I will not act on the fury of my wrath. I will not turn back to utterly destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man, the Divine in your midst, and I will not advance upon the city

Ephesians

Chapter 3

⁸Although I am the least of all the saints, I have been given this grace: to evangelize among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ⁹and to enlighten everyone concerning the dispensation of the mystery, hidden before the ages in God who created all things¹⁰so that the manifold wisdom of God may become well-known to the principalities and powers in the heavens, through the Church¹¹according to that timeless purpose, which he has formed in Christ Jesus our Lord¹²In him we trust, and so we approach with confidence, through his faith¹⁴By reason of this grace, I bend my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ¹⁵from whom all paternity in heaven and on earth takes its name¹⁶And I ask him to grant to you to be strengthened in virtue by his Spirit, in accord with the wealth of his glory, in the inner man¹⁷so that Christ may live in your hearts through a faith rooted in, and founded on, charity¹⁸So may you be able to embrace, with all the saints, what is the width and length and height and dept¹⁹of the charity of Christ, and even be able to know that which surpasses all knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God

John

Chapter 19

³¹Then the Jews, because it was the preparation day, so that the bodies would not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a great day), they petitioned Pilate in order that their legs might be broken, and they might be taken away³²Therefore, the soldiers approached, and, indeed, they broke the legs of the first one, and of the other who was crucified with him³³But after they had approached Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs³⁴Instead, one of the soldiers opened his side with a lance, and immediately there went out blood and water³⁵And he who saw this has offered testimony, and his testimony is true. And he knows that he speaks the truth, so that you also may believe³⁶For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: "You shall not break a bone of him.³⁷And again, another Scripture says: "They shall look upon him, whom they have pierced.

Sermon

Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the boundless love and mercy of God, as well as our response to this divine gift. In the first reading from Hosea, we encounter a God who is deeply grieved by the infidelity of his people, yet remains steadfast in his love for them. Hosea uses the imagery of a parent’s love to describe God’s relationship with Israel, emphasizing that even when his children wander, he longs to heal and restore them. This passage reminds us that God’s love is not conditional or fleeting; it is a love that endures even in the face of rejection. The second reading from Ephesians shifts our focus to the mystery of God’s plan to unite all people in Christ. Paul humbly acknowledges his role as a missionary to the Gentiles, yet he is filled with awe at the vastness of God’s wisdom and the depths of his love. He prays that we might come to know the immeasurable richness of Christ’s love, a love that transcends human understanding. This reading calls us to trust in God’s plan and to open our hearts to the transformative power of his grace. In the Gospel, John’s account of Jesus’ crucifixion reveals the ultimate expression of God’s love. The piercing of Jesus’ side, from which blood and water flow, is a symbol of the life-giving sacraments of the Church and the endless mercy of God. The fulfillment of Scripture in this moment underscores the faithfulness of God’s plan. Just as the soldiers could not break Jesus’ bones, so too can nothing break the bond of God’s love for us. These readings remind us that God’s love is not something we earn; it is a gift freely given, even when we fail to reciprocate it. As we go about our daily lives, let us strive to reflect this love in our actions and our relationships. May we, like Paul, trust in God’s plan and pray for the strength to live according to the fullness of his love. And may we, like the beloved disciple, bear witness to the truth of God’s mercy, so that others may come to know the depth of his love for them.