Daily Readings - Sat Jun 30 2018
Lamentations
2Without pity the Lord has swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob; in his wrath he has torn down the strongholds of the Daughter of Judah. He has brought her kingdom and its princes down to the ground in dishonor.10The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have sprinkled dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.11My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within, my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.12They say to their mothers, "Where is bread and wine?" as they faint like wounded men in the streets of the city, as their lives ebb away in their mothers' arms.13What can I say for you? With what can I compare you, O Daughter of Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, O Virgin Daughter of Zion? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you?14The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The oracles they gave you were false and misleading.18The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. O wall of the Daughter of Zion, let your tears flow like a river day and night; give yourself no relief, your eyes no rest.19Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street.
Matthew
5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.6"Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."7Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."8The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."10When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."13Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.14When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.15He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.16When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful expressions of human suffering and the divine response to it. The first reading from Lamentations paints a vivid picture of the destruction of Jerusalem, with the prophet mourning the loss of the city and its people. The once-proud kingdom lies in ruins, its leaders fallen, its children perishing in the streets. The prophet cries out to God, seeking comfort and healing for a people overwhelmed by grief. This passage reminds us that even in the midst of great sorrow, we turn to God, trusting in His mercy and providence.
In the Gospel, we find a very different kind of suffering—one that is personal and intimate. A centurion, a man of authority, humbles himself before Jesus, begging for the healing of his paralyzed servant. What strikes Jesus is not the man’s power or status, but his faith. The centurion recognizes that he is unworthy, yet he trusts completely in Jesus’ word. His faith is rewarded, and his servant is healed. This story teaches us that true faith is not about what we deserve but about trusting in God’s goodness and power, even when we feel unworthy.
Both readings invite us to reflect on how we respond to suffering and hardship in our own lives. Like the prophet in Lamentations, we may cry out to God in our darkest moments, seeking comfort and healing. Like the centurion, we are called to humble ourselves and trust in God’s providence, even when the outcome is uncertain. Let us remember that our faith, no matter how small, can move mountains. May we turn to God in every trial, trusting that He will bring light out of darkness and healing to our deepest wounds.