Daily Readings - Fri Jun 11 2021
Hosea
1When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.2The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.3Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them.4I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.8How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender.9I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.
Ephesians
8To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,9and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things,10so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.11This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,12in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
John
31Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.32So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him.33But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.34But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.35He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth--that you also may believe.36For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken."37And again another Scripture says, "They will look on him whom they have pierced."
Sermon
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the boundless love and mercy of God, as well as our response to this divine gift. In the first reading from Hosea, we encounter a God who is deeply grieved by the infidelity of his people, yet remains steadfast in his love for them. Hosea uses the imagery of a parent’s love to describe God’s relationship with Israel, emphasizing that even when his children wander, he longs to heal and restore them. This passage reminds us that God’s love is not conditional or fleeting; it is a love that endures even in the face of rejection.
The second reading from Ephesians shifts our focus to the mystery of God’s plan to unite all people in Christ. Paul humbly acknowledges his role as a missionary to the Gentiles, yet he is filled with awe at the vastness of God’s wisdom and the depths of his love. He prays that we might come to know the immeasurable richness of Christ’s love, a love that transcends human understanding. This reading calls us to trust in God’s plan and to open our hearts to the transformative power of his grace.
In the Gospel, John’s account of Jesus’ crucifixion reveals the ultimate expression of God’s love. The piercing of Jesus’ side, from which blood and water flow, is a symbol of the life-giving sacraments of the Church and the endless mercy of God. The fulfillment of Scripture in this moment underscores the faithfulness of God’s plan. Just as the soldiers could not break Jesus’ bones, so too can nothing break the bond of God’s love for us.
These readings remind us that God’s love is not something we earn; it is a gift freely given, even when we fail to reciprocate it. As we go about our daily lives, let us strive to reflect this love in our actions and our relationships. May we, like Paul, trust in God’s plan and pray for the strength to live according to the fullness of his love. And may we, like the beloved disciple, bear witness to the truth of God’s mercy, so that others may come to know the depth of his love for them.