Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A.
June 25, 2017
1st Reading: Jeremiah 20:10-13
Jeremiah said: “I hear the whisperings of many:’ Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!’All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine.’Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,and take our vengeance on him.’But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!” The word of the Lord.
Respo Psalm: PS 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35
R/. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
2nd Reading: Romans 5:12-15
Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, in as much as all sinned–for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law.
But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many. The word of the Lord.
Holy Gospel:Matthew 10:26-33
Jesus said to the Twelve:”Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father. “The gospel of the Lord.
SUNDAY REFLECTIONS:
It’s comforting to know that the All-Powerful God of the Universe knows every detail about our lives and is deeply concerned about every single detail. He knows us infinitely better than we know ourselves and He loves each one of us more deeply than we could ever love ourselves. These facts should give us much peace. Imagine the truth contained in this Scripture above. God even knows how many hairs we have on our head! This is stated as a way of emphasizing the depth of intimacy by which God knows us.
When we can come to the realization of the Father’s perfect knowledge of us AND His perfect love of us, we will be in a position to put our complete trust in Him. Trust in God is only possible when we understand who we are trusting. And when we do begin to more completely understand who God is and how much He cares about every detail of our lives, we will more easily entrust to Him those details, allowing Him to take control of all.
Together we pray: Father in Heaven, I thank You for Your perfect knowledge of every detail of my life. I thank You, also, for Your perfect love. Help me to trust in this love and to trust in Your daily invitation to surrender all. I do surrender my life to You, dear Lord. Help me to surrender more fully this day. Jesus, I trust in You that You alone will heal our sick brethren and set them free. May the souls of our faithful departed brethren rest in perfect peace, amen. Have a blessed and fulfilled Sunday.