Daily Readings - Mon Mar 23 2020
Isaiah
17"Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.18But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.19I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.20"Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.21They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
John
43After the two days he left for Galilee.44(Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.)45When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.46Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum.47When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.48"Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."49The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."50Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed.51While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living.52When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."53Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed.54This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on hope, trust, and the transformative power of God’s presence in our lives. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a beautiful vision of a new creation where sorrow and pain are no more. This passage, written during a time of great exile and suffering for God’s people, offers a message of hope. Isaiah reminds us that God is always creating anew, bringing joy and life even in the midst of despair. The prophet’s words encourage us to trust in God’s promise of a future filled with peace and happiness, where the struggles of this world will fade away.
In the Gospel, we encounter a royal official whose son is gravely ill. Desperate for healing, he turns to Jesus, even though he is far away in Cana. Jesus’ response seems puzzling at first: he tells the man to go home, assuring him that his son lives. Remarkably, the official takes Jesus at his word and begins his journey home. Along the way, he learns that his son was healed at the very moment Jesus spoke those words. This story highlights the importance of faith and trust. The official didn’t see the miracle with his own eyes, but he believed in Jesus’ power and promise. His trust was rewarded, and not only was his son healed, but his entire household came to believe in Jesus.
These readings remind us that faith is not always about seeing signs or having all the answers. Like the royal official, we are called to trust in God’s word, even when the circumstances seem uncertain. Isaiah’s vision of a new creation encourages us to hold onto hope, knowing that God is always working to bring life and joy out of suffering. In our daily lives, we can apply this by trusting in God’s plan, even when we don’t see immediate results. Let us pray for the grace to have faith like the royal official, to believe in God’s promises, and to live with hope in the new creation He is always bringing about.