Daily Readings - Sun Jul 02 2023

⁸Now it happened that, on a certain day, Elisha passed by Shunem. And there was a great woman there, who took him to eat bread. And since he frequently passed by there, he turned aside to her house, so that he might eat bread⁹And she said to her husband: "I have noticed that he is a holy man of God, who passes by us frequently¹⁰Therefore, let us prepare a small upper room for him, and place a bed in it for him, and a table, and a chair, and a lampstand, so that when he comes to us, he may stay there.¹¹Then it happened that, on a certain day, arriving, he turned aside into the upper room, and he rested there¹²And he said to his servant Gehazi, "Call this Shunammite woman." And when he had called her, and she stood before him¹⁴And he said, "Then what does she want, that I might do for her?" And Gehazi said: "You need not ask. For she has no son, and her husband is elderly.¹⁵And so, he instructed him to call her. And when she had been called, and was standing before the door¹⁶he said to her, "At this time, and at this same hour, with life as a companion, you will have a son in your womb." But she responded, "Do not, I ask you, my lord, a man of God, do not be willing to lie to your handmaid.

Romans

Chapter 6

³Do you not know that those of us who have been baptized in Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death⁴For through baptism we have been buried with him into death, so that, in the manner that Christ rose from the dead, by the glory of the Father, so may we also walk in the newness of life⁸Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live together with Christ⁹For we know that Christ, in rising up from the dead, can no longer die: death no longer has dominion over him¹⁰For in as much as he died for sin, he died once. But in as much as he lives, he lives for God¹¹And so, you should consider yourselves to be certainly dead to sin, and to be living for God in Christ Jesus our Lord

Matthew

Chapter 10

³⁷Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or daughter above me is not worthy of me³⁸And whoever does not take up his cross, and follow me is not worthy of me³⁹Whoever finds his life, will lose it. And whoever will have lost his life because of me, shall find it⁴⁰Whoever receives you, receives me. And whoever receives me, receives him who sent me⁴¹Whoever receives a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive the reward of a prophet. And whoever receives the just in the name of the just shall receive the reward of the just⁴²And whoever shall give, even to one of the least of these, a cup of cold water to drink, solely in the name of a disciple: Amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful lessons on love, faith, and the transformative power of God. The first reading from 2 Kings introduces us to the Shunammite woman, a remarkable figure whose hospitality and kindness toward the prophet Elisha open the door to a miraculous blessing. Despite her own struggles—childlessness and an aging husband—she prioritizes caring for Elisha, and in return, God grants her a son. This story reminds us that our acts of love and generosity, no matter how small they may seem, are seen by God and can lead to unexpected graces. The second reading from Romans deepens our understanding of the spiritual life. St. Paul explains that through baptism, we are united with Christ’s death and resurrection, freeing us from the dominion of sin and empowering us to live a new life in God. This passage invites us to reflect on our own baptism and the call to walk in the "newness of life" that comes from dying to sin and living for Christ. Just as the Shunammite woman’s faith and hospitality brought life to her home, our commitment to living as disciples can bring spiritual life to those around us. In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to prioritize our relationship with him above all else. He calls us to take up our cross and follow him, even when it requires sacrifice. The promise is clear: those who lose their lives for his sake will find true life, and those who welcome others in his name will be rewarded. This teaching echoes the example of the Shunammite woman, who opened her heart and home to God’s prophet and received a blessing beyond measure. Let us ask ourselves: Are we willing to love and serve with the same selflessness? Are we open to the ways God might work through us to bring life and hope to others? May we, like the Shunammite woman, trust in God’s providence and live with hearts open to his transformative grace.