Daily Readings - Tue Jul 12 2022
Isaiah
1And it happened in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, the king of Judah, that Rezin, the king of Syria, and Pekah, the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, ascended to Jerusalem to battle against it. But they were not able to defeat it2And they reported to the house of David, saying: "Syria has withdrawn to Ephraim." And his heart was shaken, with the heart of his people, just as the trees of the forest are moved by the face of the wind3And the Lord said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son, Jashub, who was left behind, to the end of the aqueduct, at the upper pool, on the road to the fuller’s field4And you shall say to him: "See to it that you are silent. Do not be afraid. And have no dread in your heart over the two tails of these firebrands, nearly extinguished, which are the wrath of the fury of Rezin, king of Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.5For Syria has undertaken a plan against you, with the evil of Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, saying6"Let us ascend to Judah, and stir it up, and tear it away for ourselves, and appoint the son of Tabeel as a king in its midst.7Thus says the Lord God: This shall not stand, and this shall not be8For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within sixty-five years from now, Ephraim will cease to be a people9For the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you will not continue
Matthew
20Then he began to rebuke the cities in which many of his miracles were accomplished, for they still had not repented21"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in haircloth and ashes22Yet truly, I say to you, Tyre and Sidon shall be forgiven more than you, on the day of judgment23And you, Capernaum, would you be exalted all the way to heaven? You shall descend all the way to Hell. For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, perhaps it would have remained, even to this day24Yet truly, I say to you, that the land of Sodom shall be forgiven more than you, on the day of judgment.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful messages about faith, trust, and repentance. The first reading from Isaiah describes a moment of crisis for King Ahaz of Judah, as Syria and Israel threaten to attack Jerusalem. Isaiah is sent by God to reassure Ahaz that these enemies will not prevail, urging him to trust in God’s promise of protection. The prophet emphasizes that without faith, Judah will not endure, highlighting the importance of placing one’s hope in God rather than human strength or alliances.
The Gospel reading from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus, who rebukes the cities that witnessed his miracles but failed to repent. He laments that even the notoriously sinful cities of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom would have responded with greater humility and repentance had they seen the same wonders. Jesus’ words are a stark reminder that God’s grace demands a response; indifference to his gifts leads to greater condemnation. Together, these readings remind us that faith is not passive but active—it requires us to trust in God’s providence and to turn away from sin in response to his mercy.
As we reflect on these passages, let us ask ourselves: Do we truly trust in God’s plan for our lives, especially in times of uncertainty? Are we responsive to the graces he showers upon us, or do we take them for granted? The moral lesson is clear: faith and repentance are inseparable. Just as Ahaz needed to trust in God’s promise, and just as the cities needed to repent in response to Jesus’ miracles, we too must cultivate a deep trust in God and a willingness to turn away from sin. May we strive to live lives marked by faith, humility, and a constant conversion of heart.