Daily Readings - Thu Jul 16 2020
Isaiah
7The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.8Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.9My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.12LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.16LORD, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer.17As a woman with child and about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, O LORD.18We were with child, we writhed in pain, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth; we have not given birth to people of the world.19But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the journey of faith, hope, and trust in God’s providence. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear the voice of one who has walked the difficult path of justice and perseverance. The prophet describes the soul’s deep longing for God, even in the midst of tribulation and anguish. He uses the image of a woman in labor to express the pain and struggle of waiting for salvation, but also the hope that God’s justice will ultimately prevail. The reading reminds us that our efforts and struggles, though they may seem fruitless at times, are not in vain when we place our trust in God.
In the Gospel, Jesus offers a comforting invitation to all who are weary and burdened. He calls us to come to Him, to take His yoke upon us, and to learn from His meek and humble heart. Jesus promises rest for our souls, not because the journey will become easy, but because His yoke is sweet and His burden is light. This passage reminds us that true strength comes not from our own efforts, but from surrendering to God’s will and trusting in His grace.
These readings are deeply connected, as both invite us to trust in God’s plan even when the path is difficult. Isaiah reminds us to persevere in hope, while Jesus offers us the grace to do so. In our daily lives, we often feel burdened by our struggles, whether they be personal, relational, or societal. The readings encourage us to turn to God, to lean on His strength, and to find rest in His presence. Let us learn to walk humbly, to trust in His justice, and to surrender our burdens to Him, knowing that He will give us the peace and strength we need to carry on.