Gen 28:10-22a

Mt 9:18-26

July 6
Monday

14th Week in Ordinary Time
Maria Goretti

1st Reading: Gen 28:10-22a
    Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he reached a certain place the sun had set and he spent the night there. He took one of the stones that were there and using it as a pillow, he lay down to sleep.
    While Jacob was sleeping, he had a dream in which a ladder stood on the earth with its top reaching to heaven and on it were angels of God going up and coming down. And Yahweh was standing there near him and said, "I am Yahweh, the God of your father, Abraham, and the God of Isaac. The land on which you sleep, I give to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be numerous like the specks of dust of the earth and you will spread out to the west and the east, to the north and the south. Through you and your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. See, I am with you and I will keep you safe wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land and not leave you until I have done what I promised." Jacob woke from his dream and said, "Truly Yahweh was in this place and I was not aware of it." He was afraid and said, "How full of awe is this place! It is nothing less than a House of God; it is the Gate to Heaven!"
    Then Jacob rose early and took the stone he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He named that place Bethel although before that it was called Luz. Then Jacob made a vow, "If Yahweh will be with me and keep me safe during this journey I am making, if he gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear, and if I return in peace to my father's house, then Yahweh will be my God. This stone which I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me, I will give back a tenth."

Gospel: Mt 9:18-26
    While Jesus was speaking, an official of the synagogue came up to him, bowed before him and said, "My daughter has just died, but come and place your hands on her, and she will live." Jesus stood up and followed him with his disciples.
    Then a woman who had suffered from a severe bleeding for twelve years came up from behind and touched the edge of his cloak. For she thought, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned, saw her and said, "Courage, my daughter, your faith has saved you." And from that moment the woman was cured.
    When Jesus arrived at the official's house and saw the flute players and the excited crowd, he said, "Get out of here! The girl is not dead. She is only sleeping!" And they laughed at him. But once the crowd had been turned out, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up. The news of this spread through the whole area.

REFLECTION
    Today's reading from Genesis records what may be the world's best-known dream: Jacob's Ladder is the ladder to heaven, which the biblical patriarch Jacob envisioned during his flight from his brother Esau. According to Jewish tradition, the ladder signified the exiles, which the Jewish people would have to suffer before the coming of the messiah. In the Christian interpretation, Christ is the ladder, bridging the gap between heaven and earth, tying into His role as mediator. The angels, going up and coming down, represent the providence of God, by which there is a constant intercourse kept up between heaven and earth.
    Christ is our ladder, the foot of the ladder on earth being His human nature, the top in heaven His divine nature. Christ is our ladder, the way by which we can climb to God, by which we can draw near to the throne of grace. We climb to heaven through Christ. By faith, we perceive Christ and in prayer we approach Him. And when our soul realizes these things, then every place becomes pleasant, every prospect joyful and filled with hope. All that we receive from God comes through Christ, Jacob's Ladder, the great blessing of the world! 

PRAYER

"Lord Jesus, you love each of us individually with a unique and personal love. Touch my life with your saving power, heal and restore me to fullness of life. Help me to give wholly of myself in loving service to others."

Psalm 145:2-9

2 Every day I will bless thee, and praise thy name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall laud thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of thy majesty, and on thy wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 Men shall proclaim the might of thy terrible acts, and I will declare thy greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of thy abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.

Sources:

http://www.bible.claret.org

http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/

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Daily WORD via Text*

Mon 6 Jul 09

DAILY WORD

Gen 28:10-22a

Mt 9:18-26

A woman is healed just by touching the clothes of Jesus because of her faith

Source: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Dailywordviatext/

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Additional Meditation Links

RCNet http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/jul6.htm

The Word Among Us http://www.wau.org/meditations/current/

Fullness of Life http://www.junmanacsa.blogspot.com/

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