Reading 1
Is 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8
When Hezekiah was mortally ill,
the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him:
"Thus says the LORD: Put your house in order,
for you are about to die; you shall not recover."
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord:
"O LORD, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly
I conducted myself in your presence,
doing what was pleasing to you!"
And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: "Go, tell Hezekiah:
Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David:
I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.
I will heal you: in three days you shall go up to the Lord's temple;
I will add fifteen years to your life.
I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria;
I will be a shield to this city."
Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken
and applied to the boil, that he might recover.
Then Hezekiah asked,
"What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple of the LORD?"
Isaiah answered:
"This will be the sign for you from the LORD
that he will do what he has promised:
See, I will make the shadow cast by the sun
on the stairway to the terrace of Ahaz
go back the ten steps it has advanced."
So the sun came back the ten steps it had advanced.
Gospel
Mt 12:1-8
Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath.
His disciples were hungry
and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him,
"See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath."
He said to the them, "Have you not read what David did
when he and his companions were hungry,
how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering,
which neither he nor his companions
but only the priests could lawfully eat?
Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath
the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath
and are innocent?
I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.
If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
you would not have condemned these innocent men.
For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath."
Meditation: Isaiah 38:1-6,21-22,7-8
“The sun came back the ten steps it had advanced.” (Isaiah 38:8)
Hezekiah, king of Judah, was desperate. Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, had declared war on all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. Now he was heading toward Jerusalem, the capital and Hezekiah’s home. And to make matters even worse, Hezekiah was facing a mortal illness. He turned to God in fervent prayer, and the Lord sent Isaiah with a message: Hezekiah would be healed, and the Lord would rescue the city.
Could this word be true? Hezekiah humbly asked for a sign. And what a sign he received: God actually changed the course of the sun!
God was not offended by Hezekiah’s request. On the contrary, he was happy to oblige. He wanted to show Hezekiah—and all the people of Jerusalem—his love and faithfulness.
Throughout Scripture, God has spoken through dramatic signs. Gideon saw the morning dew only dampen the ground and not a fleece blanket he laid on the ground (Judges 6:39-40). Balaam heard God’s message to him through a talking donkey (Numbers 22). And Noah saw a rainbow in the sky as proof of God’s covenant love (Genesis 9:11-17).
God is still sending us signs today. He can be very creative in these signs as he tries to get our attention. Maybe you feel a strong tugging in your heart urging you to call an old friend. You may have a dream that stays with you long after you have woken up. Perhaps you are awakened in the middle of the night and are prompted to pray for someone. Even rays of sunshine breaking through clouds can be his way of reminding you that he is with you.
So stay alert today. Know that God will be trying to get in touch with you as the day unfolds. Know that he will be sending you signs today. Some may be obvious, and others may be subtle. He may offer you guidance, or he may simply encourage you. All you need are open eyes, open ears, and an open heart. God will take care of the rest.
“Holy Spirit, I don’t want to miss your signs today. Help me to stay alert so that I can hear and see your work in my life.”
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