Reading 1
Gn 22:1b-19
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
Then God said: “Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a burnt offering
on a height that I will point out to you.”
Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey,
took with him his son Isaac, and two of his servants as well,
and with the wood that he had cut for the burnt offering,
set out for the place of which God had told him.
On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar.
Then he said to his servants: “Both of you stay here with the donkey,
while the boy and I go on over yonder.
We will worship and then come back to you.”
Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering
and laid it on his son Isaac’s shoulders,
while he himself carried the fire and the knife.
As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham:
“Father!” he said.
“Yes, son,” he replied.
Isaac continued, “Here are the fire and the wood,
but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”
“Son,” Abraham answered,
“God himself will provide the sheep for the burnt offering.”
Then the two continued going forward.
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac,
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD’s messenger called to him from heaven,
“Abraham, Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
“Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the messenger.
“Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.
Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh;
hence people now say, “On the mountain the LORD will see.”
Again the LORD’s messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
“I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessingBall this because you obeyed my command.”
Abraham then returned to his servants,
and they set out together for Beer-sheba,
where Abraham made his home.
115:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
Responsorial PsalmR. (9)
I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name give glory
because of your kindness, because of your truth.
Why should the pagans say,
“Where is their God?”
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Our God is in heaven;
whatever he wills, he does.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the handiwork of men.
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
They have mouths but speak not;
they have eyes but see not;
They have ears but hear not;
they have noses but smell not.
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Their makers shall be like them,
everyone who trusts in them.
The house of Israel trusts in the LORD;
he is their help and their shield.
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Mt 9:1-8
After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
:Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
Meditation: Matthew 9:1-8
“The Son of Man has authority.” (Matthew 9:6)
Matthew tells us that when Jesus healed a man who was paralyzed, the crowd “glorified God who had given such authority to human beings” (Matthew 9:8). While witnessing a miracle was amazing in its own right, the people were equally amazed at the authority and dignity that Jesus manifested. They were amazed at the sight of a man so filled with God that sickness and sin submitted to him.
This passage shows us that God has tremendous plans for all his children. Ever since he created our first parents and gave them authority over all other living things, our Father destined us to walk with great dignity. Not even sin changed God’s intention. He sent his Son not only to forgive us but also to restore to us our rightful inheritance as his children.
How do we recapture this sense of dignity and honor? By giving our whole hearts to God in trust and obedience. Remember how Abraham waited many long years to receive his son, Isaac? In spite of the fact that Isaac was so precious to him, Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son if God so commanded him. Because of Abraham’s trust and submission, God made his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and declared that they would have authority over every enemy (Genesis 22:17).
Brothers and sisters, God wants us to walk in freedom. As we give our lives to Jesus, the floodgates of heaven will open to us. He will give us wisdom in our daily decisions and power to love others. Let’s not allow the devil to convince us that God doesn’t love us or has removed his blessings from us. Nothing can be further from the truth! Let’s not be afraid to pray for healing, for ourselves or for other people. Let’s take up our God-given authority and ask him to fill us with the dignity that is rightfully ours—the dignity of sons and daughters of God.
“Jesus, I give you my life. I welcome your blessings, your teaching, and your authority over me. As I submit to you, let me know the dignity that you give to all of your people. Jesus, make me like you.”
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