Daily Readings - Sat Jun 30 2018
Lamentations
2The Lord has swallowed up without mercy all the habitations of Jacob; in his wrath he has broken down the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has brought down to the ground in dishonor the kingdom and its rulers.10The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.11My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city.12They cry to their mothers, "Where is bread and wine?" as they faint like a wounded man in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers' bosom.13What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is vast as the sea; who can heal you?14Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading.18Their heart cried to the Lord. O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears stream down like a torrent day and night! Give yourself no rest, your eyes no respite!19"Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street."
Matthew
5When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,6"Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly."7And he said to him, "I will come and heal him."8But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.9For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."10When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.11I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,12while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."13And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.14And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.15He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.16That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.17This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful expressions of human suffering and the divine response to it. The first reading from Lamentations paints a vivid picture of the destruction of Jerusalem, with the prophet mourning the loss of the city and its people. The once-proud kingdom lies in ruins, its leaders fallen, its children perishing in the streets. The prophet cries out to God, seeking comfort and healing for a people overwhelmed by grief. This passage reminds us that even in the midst of great sorrow, we turn to God, trusting in His mercy and providence.
In the Gospel, we find a very different kind of suffering—one that is personal and intimate. A centurion, a man of authority, humbles himself before Jesus, begging for the healing of his paralyzed servant. What strikes Jesus is not the man’s power or status, but his faith. The centurion recognizes that he is unworthy, yet he trusts completely in Jesus’ word. His faith is rewarded, and his servant is healed. This story teaches us that true faith is not about what we deserve but about trusting in God’s goodness and power, even when we feel unworthy.
Both readings invite us to reflect on how we respond to suffering and hardship in our own lives. Like the prophet in Lamentations, we may cry out to God in our darkest moments, seeking comfort and healing. Like the centurion, we are called to humble ourselves and trust in God’s providence, even when the outcome is uncertain. Let us remember that our faith, no matter how small, can move mountains. May we turn to God in every trial, trusting that He will bring light out of darkness and healing to our deepest wounds.