Daily Readings - Mon Jul 05 2021
Genesis
10Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran.11When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.12He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.13There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.15I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."16When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it."17He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."18Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.19He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.20Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear21so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God22and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."
Matthew
18While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live."19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.21She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."22Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.23When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd,24he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him.25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.26News of this spread through all that region.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories of faith and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Genesis describes Jacob’s remarkable vision of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending. This vision occurs at a pivotal moment in Jacob’s life, as he flees from his brother Esau and finds himself in a desolate place. Despite his uncertain circumstances, Jacob experiences a profound encounter with God, who reaffirms the promises made to his ancestors and establishes a sacred connection with him. Jacob’s response—setting up a stone monument and vowing to tithe—is an act of faith and recognition of God’s presence in his life.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents two miracles that highlight the power of faith. A ruler begs Jesus to heal his deceased daughter, trusting in Jesus’ ability to restore life. Meanwhile, a woman suffering from a twelve-year hemorrhage approaches Jesus in secret, touching his garment in the hope of being healed. Jesus commends both for their faith, restoring the woman to health and raising the ruler’s daughter from the dead. These miracles demonstrate how faith, even in the face of despair, can lead to transformative encounters with God.
Both readings remind us that faith is not about having all the answers but about trusting in God’s presence and promises, even in uncertain or difficult times. Jacob, though a fugitive, trusted in God’s plan and responded with gratitude. The ruler and the woman, in their desperation, turned to Jesus with unwavering faith. In our own lives, we are called to trust in God’s providence, even when the path ahead seems unclear. Let us, like Jacob, recognize the sacred moments when God breaks into our lives, and like the ruler and the woman, approach God with faith, knowing that He is always near, ready to act in love and mercy.