Daily Readings - Sat Jul 08 2017
Genesis
1When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, "My son.Here I am," he answered.2Isaac said, "I am now an old man and don't know the day of my death.3Now then, get your weapons-your quiver and bow-and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me.4Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die."5Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back,9Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.10Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies."15Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob.16She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins.17Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.18He went to his father and said, "My father.Yes, my son," he answered. "Who is it?"19Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may give me your blessing."20Isaac asked his son, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?The LORD your God gave me success," he replied.21Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not."22Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau."23He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him.24"Are you really my son Esau?" he asked. "I am," he replied.25Then he said, "My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing." Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank.26Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come here, my son, and kiss me."27So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, "Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed.28May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness- an abundance of grain and new wine.29May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed."
Matthew
14Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"15Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.16"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.17Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two distinct stories that invite us to reflect on the nature of God’s plan, human ingenuity, and the call to live in harmony with divine will. The first reading from Genesis tells the story of Jacob and Esau, a tale of deception and unintended consequences. Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, schemes to ensure her favored son receives the blessing meant for Esau, the firstborn. By dressing Jacob in Esau’s garments and preparing a meal to deceive Isaac, Rebekah disrupts the natural order of inheritance. While Jacob succeeds in obtaining the blessing, the story reveals the complexities of human ambition and the unpredictable ways God’s plan unfolds.
The Gospel reading from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus’ response to the question about fasting. Jesus explains that His disciples do not fast because they are in the presence of the Bridegroom, symbolizing the joy and fulfillment of the Kingdom’s arrival. He then uses the parable of the wineskins to emphasize that the newness of His teaching cannot be contained in the old structures of tradition. Just as new wine must be poured into new wineskins to preserve both, so too must we be open to the fresh ways God is working in our lives.
Both readings remind us that God’s plan often surpasses our expectations and challenges us to embrace change. In Genesis, Jacob’s actions, though deceptive, ultimately further God’s plan to establish a covenant with His people. In Matthew, Jesus calls us to let go of old practices and embrace the new life He offers. In our daily lives, we are invited to trust in God’s providence, even when the path is unclear. Let us ask for the grace to be open to the new ways God is working in our lives, just as Jacob and Jesus teach us.