Daily Readings - Sun Jul 15 2018

¹²Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.¹³Don't prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king's sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom."¹⁴Amos answered Amaziah, "I was neither a prophet nor a prophet's son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.¹⁵But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

Ephesians

Chapter 1

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.⁴For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love⁵he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--⁶to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace⁸that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.⁹And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,¹⁰to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.¹¹In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,¹²in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.¹³And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,¹⁴who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.

Mark

Chapter 6

⁷Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.⁸These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.⁹Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.¹⁰Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.¹¹And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."¹²They went out and preached that people should repent.¹³They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter three distinct yet interconnected themes that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our mission in the world. The first reading from Amos recounts the prophet's courage in the face of opposition. Amos, a humble herdsman, is called by God to deliver a challenging message to the people of Israel. Despite the priest Amaziah's attempt to silence him, Amos remains steadfast, trusting in the divine call that surpasses human authority. This passage reminds us that our faith often requires us to stand firm against worldly pressures, just as Amos did. The second reading from Ephesians shifts our focus to the richness of God's grace and the eternal plan He has for us. Paul praises God for the spiritual blessings bestowed upon us in Christ, emphasizing our adoption as His children and the redemption won through the blood of Jesus. This passage is a beautiful expression of the depth of God's love and the mystery of His will, which is fulfilled in Christ. It invites us to live with gratitude and awareness of the divine plan unfolding in our lives. The Gospel from Mark complements these themes as Jesus sends out the Twelve Apostles with a simple yet powerful mission. He instructs them to travel lightly, relying on God's providence rather than material comforts. Their task is to preach repentance, heal the sick, and cast out demons. This mission is not without challenges, as they are to shake the dust from their feet if they are not received. The success of their mission is not measured by their own efforts but by their trust in God's power working through them. These readings call us to embrace a life of faith, simplicity, and boldness. Like Amos, we must be willing to listen to God's voice and act with courage, even when it means going against the current. Like the Ephesians, we should live in awe of God's grace and the eternal plan He has for us. And like the Apostles, we are called to step out in faith, trusting that God will provide what we need to fulfill our mission. May we, too, be instruments of God's love and healing in the world, living each day with the confidence that we are part of something much greater than ourselves.