Daily Readings - Sat Jun 20 2020
Isaiah
9Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed."10I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.11For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
Luke
41Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom.43After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.44Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.45When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
Sermon
The first reading from Isaiah paints a vivid picture of a people restored and blessed by God, their identity as God’s chosen ones visible to all nations. The prophet speaks of rejoicing in the Lord, who has clothed them in salvation and justice, likening the people to a bride and groom adorned for a grand celebration. This passage is set in the context of Israel’s exile and return, offering hope and assurance that God’s justice and praise will be made manifest to all. It’s a declaration of God’s transformative power and His promise to renew His people.
In the Gospel, we encounter the young Jesus in the temple, where He astonishes the scholars with His understanding and responses. This story from Luke is often seen as a glimpse into Jesus’ early life, highlighting His deep connection to His Father’s mission. Mary and Joseph, though initially worried and confused, come to understand that Jesus is about His Father’s business. This passage reminds us that even in moments of uncertainty, trusting in God’s plan and seeking Him with perseverance can lead to profound encounters with His will.
Both readings invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Like the people in Isaiah, we are called to recognize ourselves as blessed and clothed in God’s justice, living in a way that reflects His presence in our lives. Like Mary and Joseph, we are called to seek God diligently, even when the path is unclear. Today, let us ask ourselves: Are we attentive to God’s voice in our lives? Are we trusting in His plan, even when it challenges our understanding? May we, like the young Jesus, be about our Father’s business, and may we, like Mary, keep God’s words in our hearts, pondering them deeply.