Daily Readings - Wed Apr 03 2019
Isaiah
8Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages,9saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,' to those who are in darkness, 'Appear.' They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture;10they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.11And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up.12Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene."13Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! for the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.14But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me."15"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.
John
16And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.17But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working."18This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.19So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.22The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,23that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.24Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.25"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.27And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.28Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice29and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.30"I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful expressions of God’s love and care for His people, as well as the profound unity and authority of Jesus Christ. The first reading from Isaiah paints a vivid picture of God’s providence and consolation. Speaking to a people in exile, Isaiah reassures them that God has not forgotten them. He describes how God will gather His scattered people, feed them, and guide them, even in the darkest of times. Zion, though feeling abandoned, is reminded that God’s love is far greater than any human love; even if a mother could forget her child, God never forgets His own.
The Gospel reading from John deepens this theme of divine love and care, but it also introduces a note of tension. Jesus, accused by the Pharisees for working on the Sabbath, defends His actions by revealing His intimate relationship with the Father. He explains that He does nothing on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. This unity with the Father is the source of His authority to give life and to judge. Jesus emphasizes that His works are not His own, but the Father’s, and that those who honor Him honor the Father who sent Him. He also speaks of a time when the dead will hear His voice and come to life, a promise that extends beyond physical resurrection to the spiritual life He offers even now.
These readings invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our trust in His providence. Like the exiled Israelites, we may sometimes feel forgotten or abandoned, but God’s love is unfailing. Like the Pharisees, we may question God’s ways or resist His truth, but Jesus reveals that His works are a manifestation of the Father’s love and will. Let us ask ourselves: Do we trust in God’s plan, even when it seems unclear? Do we honor Jesus as the Son of God, and do we listen to His voice, which calls us from death to life? May we find hope in God’s promises and may we live in the light of His truth, knowing that He is always working for our good.