Daily Readings - Sun Jul 15 2018

¹²And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there,¹³but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom."¹⁴Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs.¹⁵But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

Ephesians

Chapter 1

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,⁴even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love⁵he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,⁶to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,⁸which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight⁹making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ¹⁰as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.¹¹In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,¹²so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.¹³In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,¹⁴who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Mark

Chapter 6

⁷And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.⁸He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in their belts--⁹but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.¹⁰And he said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.¹¹And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them."¹²So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.¹³And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter three distinct yet interconnected themes that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our mission in the world. The first reading from Amos recounts the prophet's courage in the face of opposition. Amos, a humble herdsman, is called by God to deliver a challenging message to the people of Israel. Despite the priest Amaziah's attempt to silence him, Amos remains steadfast, trusting in the divine call that surpasses human authority. This passage reminds us that our faith often requires us to stand firm against worldly pressures, just as Amos did. The second reading from Ephesians shifts our focus to the richness of God's grace and the eternal plan He has for us. Paul praises God for the spiritual blessings bestowed upon us in Christ, emphasizing our adoption as His children and the redemption won through the blood of Jesus. This passage is a beautiful expression of the depth of God's love and the mystery of His will, which is fulfilled in Christ. It invites us to live with gratitude and awareness of the divine plan unfolding in our lives. The Gospel from Mark complements these themes as Jesus sends out the Twelve Apostles with a simple yet powerful mission. He instructs them to travel lightly, relying on God's providence rather than material comforts. Their task is to preach repentance, heal the sick, and cast out demons. This mission is not without challenges, as they are to shake the dust from their feet if they are not received. The success of their mission is not measured by their own efforts but by their trust in God's power working through them. These readings call us to embrace a life of faith, simplicity, and boldness. Like Amos, we must be willing to listen to God's voice and act with courage, even when it means going against the current. Like the Ephesians, we should live in awe of God's grace and the eternal plan He has for us. And like the Apostles, we are called to step out in faith, trusting that God will provide what we need to fulfill our mission. May we, too, be instruments of God's love and healing in the world, living each day with the confidence that we are part of something much greater than ourselves.