Daily Readings - Sat Jul 08 2017

First Reading - Genesis 27.1-5, 9-10, 15-29

¹Now Isaac was old, and his eyes were cloudy, and so he was not able to see. And he called his elder son Esau, and he said to him, "My son?" And he responded, "Here I am.²His father said to him: "You see that I am old, and I do not know the day of my death³Take your weapons, the quiver and the bow, and go out. And when you have taken something by hunting⁴make from it a small meal for me, just as you know I like, and bring it, so that I may eat and my soul may bless you before I die.⁵And when Rebekah had heard this, and he had gone out into the field to fulfill his father’s order⁹and go straight to the flock, and bring me two of the best young goats, so that from them I may make meat for your father, such as he willingly eats¹⁰Then, when you have brought these in and he has eaten, he may bless you before he dies.¹⁵And she clothed him with the very fine garments of Esau, which she had at home with her¹⁶And she encircled his hands with little pelts from the young goats, and she covered his bare neck¹⁷And she gave him the small meal, and she handed him the bread that she had baked¹⁸When he had carried these in, he said, "My father?" And he answered, "I’m listening. Who are you, my son?¹⁹And Jacob said: "I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you instructed me. Arise; sit and eat from my hunting, so that your soul may bless me.²⁰And again Isaac said to his son, "How were you able to find it so quickly, my son?" He answered, "It was the will of God, so that what I sought met with me quickly.²¹And Isaac said, "Come here, so that I may touch you, my son, and may prove whether you are my son Esau, or not.²²He approached his father, and when he had felt him, Isaac said: "The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob. But the hands are the hands of Esau.²³And he did not recognize him, because his hairy hands made him seem similar to the elder one. Therefore, blessing him²⁴he said, "Are you my son Esau?" He answered, "I am.²⁵Then he said, "Bring me the foods from your hunting, my son, so that my soul may bless you." And when he had eaten what was offered, he also brought forth wine for him. And after he finished it²⁶he said to him, "Come to me and give me a kiss, my son.²⁷He approached and kissed him. And immediately he perceived the fragrance of his garments. And so, blessing him, he said: "Behold, the smell of my son is like the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord has blessed²⁸May God give to you, from the dew of heaven and from the fatness of the earth, an abundance of grain and wine²⁹And may the peoples serve you, and may the tribes reverence you. May you be the lord of your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down before you. Whoever curses you, may he be cursed, and whoever blesses you, may he be filled with blessings.

Gospel - Matthew 9.14-17

Matthew

Chapter 9

¹⁴Then the disciples of John drew near to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast frequently, but your disciples do not fast?¹⁵And Jesus said to them: "How can the sons of the groom mourn, while the groom is still with them? But the days will arrive when the groom will be taken away from them. And then they shall fast¹⁶For no one would sew a patch of new cloth onto an old garment. For it pulls its fullness away from the garment, and the tear is made worse¹⁷Neither do they pour new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wineskins rupture, and the wine pours out, and the wineskins are destroyed. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins. And so, both are preserved.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two distinct stories that invite us to reflect on the nature of God’s plan, human ingenuity, and the call to live in harmony with divine will. The first reading from Genesis tells the story of Jacob and Esau, a tale of deception and unintended consequences. Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, schemes to ensure her favored son receives the blessing meant for Esau, the firstborn. By dressing Jacob in Esau’s garments and preparing a meal to deceive Isaac, Rebekah disrupts the natural order of inheritance. While Jacob succeeds in obtaining the blessing, the story reveals the complexities of human ambition and the unpredictable ways God’s plan unfolds. The Gospel reading from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus’ response to the question about fasting. Jesus explains that His disciples do not fast because they are in the presence of the Bridegroom, symbolizing the joy and fulfillment of the Kingdom’s arrival. He then uses the parable of the wineskins to emphasize that the newness of His teaching cannot be contained in the old structures of tradition. Just as new wine must be poured into new wineskins to preserve both, so too must we be open to the fresh ways God is working in our lives. Both readings remind us that God’s plan often surpasses our expectations and challenges us to embrace change. In Genesis, Jacob’s actions, though deceptive, ultimately further God’s plan to establish a covenant with His people. In Matthew, Jesus calls us to let go of old practices and embrace the new life He offers. In our daily lives, we are invited to trust in God’s providence, even when the path is unclear. Let us ask for the grace to be open to the new ways God is working in our lives, just as Jacob and Jesus teach us.