Daily Readings - Mon Jul 05 2021
Genesis
10And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.11And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.12And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.13And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;14And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.15And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.16And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.17And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.18And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.19And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.20And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,21So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:22And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
Matthew
18While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.19And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.20And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:21For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.22But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.23And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,24He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.25But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.26And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories of faith and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Genesis describes Jacob’s remarkable vision of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending. This vision occurs at a pivotal moment in Jacob’s life, as he flees from his brother Esau and finds himself in a desolate place. Despite his uncertain circumstances, Jacob experiences a profound encounter with God, who reaffirms the promises made to his ancestors and establishes a sacred connection with him. Jacob’s response—setting up a stone monument and vowing to tithe—is an act of faith and recognition of God’s presence in his life.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents two miracles that highlight the power of faith. A ruler begs Jesus to heal his deceased daughter, trusting in Jesus’ ability to restore life. Meanwhile, a woman suffering from a twelve-year hemorrhage approaches Jesus in secret, touching his garment in the hope of being healed. Jesus commends both for their faith, restoring the woman to health and raising the ruler’s daughter from the dead. These miracles demonstrate how faith, even in the face of despair, can lead to transformative encounters with God.
Both readings remind us that faith is not about having all the answers but about trusting in God’s presence and promises, even in uncertain or difficult times. Jacob, though a fugitive, trusted in God’s plan and responded with gratitude. The ruler and the woman, in their desperation, turned to Jesus with unwavering faith. In our own lives, we are called to trust in God’s providence, even when the path ahead seems unclear. Let us, like Jacob, recognize the sacred moments when God breaks into our lives, and like the ruler and the woman, approach God with faith, knowing that He is always near, ready to act in love and mercy.