Daily Readings - Mon Jul 29 2024

¹Thus says the Lord to me: "Go, and obtain for yourself a linen waistcloth. And you shall place it over your loins, and you shall not put it into water.²And so I obtained a waistcloth, according to the word of the Lord, and I placed it around my loins³And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying⁴"Take the waistcloth, which you obtained, which is around your loins, and, rising up, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in an opening of the rock.⁵And so I went, and I hid it by the Euphrates, just as the Lord had instructed me⁶And it happened that, after many days, the Lord said to me: "Rise up, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the waistcloth, which I instructed you to hide there.⁷And so I went to the Euphrates, and I dug up and took the waistcloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the waistcloth had rotted, so that it was not fit for any use⁸And the word of the Lord came to me, saying⁹"Thus says the Lord: In the same way, I will cause the arrogance of Judah and the arrogance of Jerusalem to rot¹⁰This most wicked people, they are not willing to listen to my words, for they walk in the depravity of their own heart, and they have gone after strange gods, so as to serve them and to adore them. And so, they will become like this waistcloth, which is not fit for any use¹¹For just as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so have I brought close to me the entire house of Israel and the entire house of Judah, says the Lord, so that they would be to me: a people, and a name, and a praise, and a glory. But they did not listen

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 powerful messages that invite us to reflect on faith, hope, and the consequences of our choices. The first reading from Jeremiah presents a vivid metaphor: a waistcloth that rots away, symbolizing the spiritual decay of Judah and Jerusalem. This once symbol of closeness to God becomes worthless, much like our lives when we turn away from Him. The context is one of warning, urging us to recognize the futility of life without God. In contrast, the Gospel offers a message of hope. Jesus, in His conversation with Martha, reveals Himself as the Resurrection and the Life. Martha's faith, though tinged with doubt, is met with Jesus' assurance of eternal life for believers. This exchange emphasizes that while sin leads to decay, faith in Jesus brings life. The two readings thus form a bridge: Jeremiah warns of the consequences of spiritual decay, while John points to the hope found in Jesus. In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to examine our relationship with God. Like the waistcloth, our lives can become empty without Him. Yet, through faith in Jesus, we find purpose and eternal life. Let us nurture our faith, trusting in God's promise, even in times of doubt or hardship. For in Him, we find the source of all life and hope.