Daily Readings - Sun Sep 05 2021

⁴Say to the fainthearted: "Take courage and fear not! Behold, your God will bring the vindication of retribution. God himself will arrive to save you.⁵Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be cleared⁶Then the disabled will leap like a buck, and the tongue of the mute will be untied. For the waters have burst forth in the desert, and torrents in solitary places⁷And the land that was dry will have a pond, and the thirsty land will have fountains of water. In the hollows where the serpents lived before, there will rise up the greenery of reed and bulrush

James

Chapter 2

¹My brothers, within the glorious faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, do not choose to show favoritism toward persons²For if a man has entered your assembly having a gold ring and splendid apparel, and if a poor man has also entered, in dirty clothing³and if you are then attentive to the one who is clothed in excellent apparel, so that you say to him, "You may sit in this good place," but you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit below my footstool,⁴are you not judging within yourselves, and have you not become judges with unjust thoughts⁵My most beloved brothers, listen. Has not God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that God has promised to those who love him

Mark

Chapter 7

³¹And again, departing from the borders of Tyre, he went by way of Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the area of the Ten Cities³²And they brought someone who was deaf and mute to him. And they begged him, so that he would lay his hand upon him³³And taking him away from the crowd, he put his fingers into his ears; and spitting, he touched his tongue³⁴And gazing up to heaven, he groaned and said to him: "Ephphatha," which is, "Be opened.³⁵And immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke correctly³⁶And he instructed them not to tell anyone. But as much as he instructed them, so much more did they preach about it³⁷And so much more did they wonder, saying: "He has done all things well. He has caused both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful messages of hope, healing, and the call to unbiased faith. The prophet Isaiah paints a vivid picture of a future filled with redemption, where the blind see, the deaf hear, and the lame leap. This prophecy speaks of a time when God’s presence will transform despair into joy and brokenness into wholeness. It is a promise of comfort and renewal, reminding us that God’s plan is one of restoration and salvation. The Gospel of Mark brings this prophecy to life through the story of Jesus healing a deaf and mute man. Jesus’ compassionate act transcends physical limitations, demonstrating His divine power and mercy. By healing the man, Jesus not only restores his physical senses but also opens him to the Good News. This miracle is a testament to Jesus’ mission to include all people in God’s kingdom, regardless of their condition. The healing also reflects the spiritual awakening Isaiah foretold, where barriers are broken down, and all can experience God’s grace. James’ epistle challenges us to embody this inclusive love in our daily lives. He warns against favoritism, urging us to treat everyone with equal respect and dignity. Just as Jesus reached out to those on the margins, we are called to embrace those often overlooked. True faith, James reminds us, is not about outward appearances but about living out God’s love without partiality. As we reflect on these readings, let us strive to create communities where everyone feels valued and included, trusting in God’s transformative power to heal and renew us all.