Daily Readings - Fri Jun 12 2020
1 Kings
9There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"11The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.12After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.13When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"14He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."15The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.16Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.
Matthew
27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.31"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound encounters with God that invite us to reflect on the nature of His presence and the depths of our hearts. The first reading from 1 Kings finds Elijah, a prophet weary and fleeing from persecution, taking refuge in a cave. There, he experiences a dramatic display of natural forces—wind, earthquake, and fire—yet God is not in these grand manifestations. Instead, God speaks in a gentle breeze, a quiet whisper that commands Elijah's attention. This moment reminds us that God often reveals Himself not in the tumultuous events of life but in the stillness, inviting us to quiet our souls and listen.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to examine the inner recesses of our hearts. He teaches that sin is not merely an external action but begins with the desires and thoughts we harbor. Looking at another with lust is adultery of the heart, and Jesus emphasizes the severity of sin by suggesting radical measures—plucking out an eye or cutting off a hand—to prevent it. This teaching underscores the importance of attending to our inner lives, recognizing that our thoughts and desires have real moral consequences. Jesus also addresses divorce, highlighting the sanctity of marriage and the need for fidelity, except in cases of unfaithfulness.
These readings together call us to a deeper interior life. Elijah's experience teaches us to seek God in the stillness, to listen for His gentle voice amidst life's chaos. Jesus' words challenge us to examine our hearts, to recognize that true righteousness begins within. In our daily lives, this means cultivating moments of quiet reflection, where we can hear God's whisper, and being vigilant against the sins that begin in our thoughts and desires. Let us strive to root out sin at its source, to cherish the sanctity of our relationships, and to listen for God's voice in the stillness, that we may live with integrity and fidelity.