Daily Readings - Wed Mar 13 2024
Isaiah
8This is what the LORD says: "In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances,9to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!'"They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill.10They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.11I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up.12See, they will come from afar- some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan. "13Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.14But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me."15"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
John
16So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.17Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."18For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.19Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.22Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,23that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.25I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.27And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.28"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice29and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.30By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful expressions of God’s love, hope, and the profound unity between the Father and the Son. The first reading from Isaiah paints a vivid picture of God’s covenant with his people, offering comfort and restoration to those who are suffering. The prophet describes a time when the scattered and oppressed will be gathered, fed, and led to freedom, emphasizing God’s unwavering care for his people. Even when Zion feels abandoned, God assures her that his love is unshakable, comparing it to a mother’s love for her child—a love that endures even when human love may fail.
In the Gospel, Jesus responds to the Pharisees’ accusations by revealing the deep unity he shares with the Father. He explains that his works are not his own but reflect the Father’s will, and he emphasizes that the Father has entrusted him with the power to give life and judgment. Jesus makes it clear that his authority comes from the Father, and to honor the Son is to honor the Father. This passage reminds us that Jesus’ words and actions are not just those of a human teacher but of the divine Son, who brings life and light to all who believe in him.
Together, these readings invite us to reflect on the nature of God’s love and the divine mission of Jesus. Isaiah reminds us that God’s love is always active, seeking to restore and renew his people, even in the darkest times. John’s Gospel calls us to recognize Jesus as the source of life and truth, and to trust in his union with the Father. In our daily lives, we are challenged to live with hope, trusting in God’s providence, and to honor Jesus as the one who brings us from death to life. May we, like the people in Isaiah’s vision, hear the voice of the Lord and follow him with faith, knowing that his love and care for us will never fail.