Daily Readings - Mon Mar 28 2022
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 the themes of hope, renewal, and the power of faith. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a beautiful vision of a new creation, where sorrow and suffering are replaced by joy and exultation. God promises a world where the former things will no longer be remembered, and His people will dwell in peace and happiness. This passage is part of Isaiah’s prophetic vision of restoration, spoken to a people who had endured exile and hardship. It reminds us that God’s plan is one of renewal and that His ultimate desire is to bring His people into a state of eternal joy.
In the Gospel, we see this hope taking shape in the life of a father who seeks Jesus’ help for his dying son. Despite initial doubts, the man places his trust in Jesus’ word, and his son is healed. This miracle, the second sign in John’s Gospel, underscores the importance of faith and trust in God’s word. Just as the official believed Jesus even before seeing the miracle, we are called to trust in God’s promises, even when we cannot see the outcome. Both readings remind us that faith is not about seeing signs but about trusting in God’s plan and His timing.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: Where do I place my trust? Am I willing to believe even when the road ahead is uncertain? The promise of a new creation and the healing of the official’s son invite us to live with hope and faith. May we, like the father in the Gospel, entrust our lives and our struggles to God, knowing that He is always at work, even when we cannot see it. Let us allow His word to guide us and His Spirit to renew us, that we might live as children of the promise, filled with joy and trust in His plan.