Daily Readings - Sat Jul 29 2023
Exodus
3Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do."4And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.5And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD.6And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar.7Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient."8And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."
Gospel - John 11.17-27 or Luke 10.38-42
John
17Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.18Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off,19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.20So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.21Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.22But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."24Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"27She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world."
Luke
38Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.39And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.40But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me."41But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,42but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of covenant and faith. In the first reading from Exodus, Moses mediates a solemn covenant between God and the people of Israel. The Israelites, having heard the words of the Lord, commit themselves to obedience, and Moses seals this commitment by sprinkling the blood of sacrifice on the people. This act symbolizes the bond between God and His people, a bond rooted in fidelity and mutual obligation. The context of this passage is the giving of the Law at Sinai, where God establishes Israel as His chosen people, and they accept the responsibilities and blessings that come with this relationship.
In the Gospel, we encounter a different kind of covenant, one rooted in the person of Jesus Christ. Martha, in her grief over Lazarus’ death, expresses a deep faith in Jesus’ power to do the impossible. Jesus responds by revealing Himself as the Resurrection and the Life, offering a hope that transcends death. Martha’s affirmation, “I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” shows her acceptance of Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises. While the first reading focuses on the external signs of covenant—blood, sacrifices, and written laws—the Gospel shifts our attention to the interior transformation brought by faith in Christ.
These readings remind us that our relationship with God is not just about external rituals or rules but about a living, personal bond. Like the Israelites, we are called to fidelity, but as Christians, we know that this fidelity is made possible by the grace of Christ. In our daily lives, we can apply this by trusting in God’s plan, even when circumstances seem uncertain, and by living with hope in the face of death and hardship. The moral lesson is clear: Christ is our life, and our faith in Him transforms us, enabling us to live in a way that reflects His love and truth.