Daily Readings - Thu Jul 04 2019
Genesis
1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.3And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.4Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.5And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.7And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.9And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.11And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.15And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,16And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:17That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.19So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
Matthew
1And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.2And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.3And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?5For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?6But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.7And he arose, and departed to his house.8But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Sermon
The readings today present us with powerful lessons about faith, trust, and the divine plan. In the first reading, we hear the story of Abraham and Isaac, a test of faith that has shaped the understanding of God’s relationship with humanity. Abraham, when asked to sacrifice his only son Isaac, trusts in God’s plan, even when it seems incomprehensible. This act of obedience is not just a demonstration of faith; it is a profound expression of surrender to God’s will. The story reminds us that faith is not about understanding everything but about trusting that God sees what we cannot. The ram caught in the thorns becomes a symbol of God’s providence, showing that He always provides, even in the darkest moments.
In the Gospel, we encounter Jesus, who reveals His divine authority by forgiving the sins of a paralytic and then healing his physical body. This miracle is not just about physical restoration but about the deeper healing of the soul. Jesus’ words, “Your sins are forgiven you,” scandalize the scribes because they see forgiveness as the exclusive domain of God. Yet, by healing the paralytic, Jesus demonstrates that He has the power to forgive sins and to restore both body and spirit. This passage invites us to reflect on the connection between faith and healing. Just as the paralytic’s friends trusted Jesus enough to bring him to Him, we too are called to trust in God’s power to forgive and to transform our lives.
Both readings challenge us to deepen our faith and trust in God’s plan. Like Abraham, we may face moments where God asks us to let go of what is most precious to us, not because He desires our suffering, but because He desires our complete trust. Like the paralytic and his friends, we are called to approach Jesus with faith, knowing that He has the power to forgive our sins and to heal us in ways we cannot even imagine. Today, let us ask ourselves: Where in our lives do we need to trust God more? How can we surrender to His will, even when it is difficult? May we, like Abraham and the paralytic, experience the transformative power of faith and the boundless mercy of God.