Daily Readings - Tue Aug 22 2017

First Reading - Judges 6.11-24a

¹¹Then an Angel of the Lord arrived, and he sat under an oak tree, which was at Ophrah, and which belonged to Joash, the father of the family of Ezri. And while his son Gideon was threshing and cleaning the grain at the winepress, so that he might flee from Midian¹²the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and he said: "The Lord is with you, most valiant of men.¹³And Gideon said to him: "I beg you, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why have these things happened to us? Where are his miracles, which our fathers described when they said, ‘The Lord led us away from Egypt.’ But now the Lord has forsaken us, and he has delivered us into the hand of Midian.¹⁴And the Lord looked down upon him, and he said: "Go forth with this, your strength, and you shall free Israel from the hand of Midian. Know that I have sent you.¹⁵And responding, he said: "I beg you, my lord, with what shall I free Israel? Behold, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in the house of my father.¹⁶And the Lord said to him: "I will be with you. And so, you shall cut down Midian as if one man.¹⁷And he said: "If I have found grace before you, give me a sign that it is you who is speaking to me¹⁸And may you not withdraw from here, until I return to you, carrying a sacrifice and offering it to you." And he responded, "I will wait for your return.¹⁹And so Gideon entered, and he boiled a goat, and he made unleavened bread from a measure of flour. And setting the flesh in a basket, and putting the broth of the flesh in a pot, he took it all under the oak tree, and he offered it to him²⁰And the Angel of the Lord said to him, "Take the flesh and the unleavened bread, and place them on that rock, and pour out the broth upon it." And when he had done so²¹the Angel of the Lord extended the end of a staff, which he was holding in his hand, and he touched the flesh and the unleavened loaves. And a fire ascended from the rock, and it consumed the flesh and the unleavened loaves. Then the Angel of the Lord vanished from his sight²²And Gideon, realizing that it had been the Angel of the Lord, said: "Alas, my Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.²³And the Lord said to him: "Peace be with you. Do not be afraid; you shall not die.²⁴Therefore, Gideon built an altar to the Lord there, and he called it, the Peace of the Lord, even to the present day. And while he was still at Ophrah, which is of the family of Ezri

Gospel - Matthew 19.23-30

Matthew

Chapter 19

²³Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, I say to you, that the wealthy shall enter with difficulty into the kingdom of heaven²⁴And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for the wealthy to enter into the kingdom of heaven.²⁵And upon hearing this, the disciples wondered greatly, saying: "Then who will be able to be saved?²⁶But Jesus, gazing at them, said to them: "With men, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible.²⁷Then Peter responded by saying to him: "Behold, we have left behind all things, and we have followed you. So then, what will be for us?²⁸And Jesus said to them: "Amen I say to you, that at the resurrection, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, those of you who have followed me shall also sit on twelve seats, judging the twelve tribes of Israel²⁹And anyone who has left behind home, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for the sake of my name, shall receive one hundred times more, and shall possess eternal life³⁰But many of those who are first shall be last, and the last shall be first.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound lessons on faith and trust in God. The first reading from Judges introduces us to Gideon, an unlikely hero who is called by God to lead Israel against the Midianites. Despite his feelings of inadequacy and doubt, Gideon is reassured by the angel's presence and a miraculous sign, which strengthens his faith. This story reminds us that God often chooses the humble and the weak to accomplish great things, teaching us to trust in His plan even when we feel insignificant. The Gospel reading from Matthew challenges our understanding of wealth and the kingdom of heaven. Jesus uses the striking image of a camel passing through a needle's eye to illustrate the difficulty of the wealthy entering heaven. This teaching shocks the disciples, as wealth was often seen as a blessing. However, Jesus emphasizes that while this may be impossible for humans, it is possible with God. He then reassures the disciples that their sacrifices will be rewarded, but also warns that worldly status does not guarantee heavenly reward. This teaches us to reevaluate our priorities, focusing on spiritual wealth and trust in God's providence. Both readings call us to reflect on our trust in God and our priorities. Like Gideon, we may face challenges that make us doubt our abilities, but God's presence and promises can give us the courage to move forward. Similarly, Jesus' teaching on wealth reminds us to not be bound by material possessions, but to seek eternal rewards. Let us strive to trust in God's plan and prioritize spiritual wealth, knowing that He can make the impossible possible.