Daily Readings - Thu Jul 29 2021

¹⁶And Moses did all that the Lord had instructed¹⁷Therefore, in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was put in place¹⁸And Moses raised it up, and he positioned the panels as well as the bases and the bars, and he set up the columns¹⁹and he stretched out the roof over the tabernacle, imposing a cover above it, just as the Lord had decreed²⁰And he placed the testimony in the ark, applying the bars beneath, and the oracle above²¹And when he had brought the ark into the tabernacle, he drew the veil before it, in order to fulfill the commandment of the Lord³⁴the cloud covered the tabernacle of the testimony, and the glory of the Lord filled it³⁵Neither could Moses enter the covering of the covenant: the cloud was covering all things, and the majesty of the Lord was flashing. For the cloud had covered everything³⁶Whenever the cloud departed from the tabernacle, the sons of Israel set out by their companies³⁷But if it remained hanging over it, they remained in the same place³⁸Certainly, the cloud of the Lord lay over the tabernacle by day, and the fire by night, being seen by all the people of Israel throughout all their resting places

Gospel - John 11.17-27 or Luke 10.38-42

John

Chapter 11

¹⁷And so Jesus went. And he found that he had already been in the tomb for four days¹⁸(Now Bethania was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia.¹⁹And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, so as to console them over their brother²⁰Therefore, Martha, when she heard that Jesus was arriving, went out to meet him. But Mary was sitting at home²¹And then Martha said to Jesus: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died²²But even now, I know that whatever you will request from God, God will give to you.²³Jesus said to her, "Your brother shall rise again.²⁴Martha said to him, "I know that he shall rise again, at the resurrection on the last day.²⁵Jesus said to her: "I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in me, even though he has died, he shall live²⁶And everyone who lives and believes in me shall not die for eternity. Do you believe this?²⁷She said to him: "Certainly, Lord. I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, who has come into this world.

Luke

Chapter 10

³⁸Now it happened that, while they were traveling, he entered into a certain town. And a certain woman, named Martha, received him into her home³⁹And she had a sister, named Mary, who, while sitting beside the Lord’s feet, was listening to his word⁴⁰Now Martha was continually busying herself with serving. And she stood still and said: "Lord, is it not a concern to you that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, speak to her, so that she may help me.⁴¹And the Lord responded by saying to her: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled over many things⁴²And yet only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the best portion, and it shall not be taken away from her.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound expressions of God's presence and promise. The first reading from Exodus describes the establishment of the tabernacle, a sacred space where God dwells among the Israelites. The detailed setup and the cloud and fire symbols emphasize God's guidance and presence, reassuring the Israelites of His constant companionship in the wilderness. The Gospel from John presents a deeply personal moment between Jesus and Martha, where Martha's faith is tested by grief. Jesus' response transcends her hope for a future resurrection by declaring Himself as the Resurrection and the Life, offering eternal life through faith in Him. Martha's affirmation underscores her trust in Jesus as the Messiah. Both readings converge on the theme of God's presence and the hope it inspires. The tabernacle symbolizes God's physical presence, while Jesus embodies the spiritual presence of God, offering eternal life. This duality reminds us to trust in God's presence in our lives, finding hope and comfort in His promises. Let us embrace this hope, trusting in God's plan and the eternal life offered through faith in Jesus.