FIRST READING
He saw a ladder set up, and the angels of God ascending and descending, and trod speaking.
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 28:10-22a)
In those days: Jacob left Beersheba, and went towards Haran. And he came to a certain place, and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I did not know it.” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone which he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm91:1-2.3-4ab. 14- I 5ab (R. sec 2b)
R/. O my God, I trust in you.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High,
and abides in the shade of the Almighty,
says to the Lord, “My refuge,
my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!” R.
He will free you from the snare of the fowler,
From the destructive plague; ’
He will conceal you with his pinions,
And under his wings you will find refuge. R.
R/. O my God, I trust in you.
Since he clings to me in love, I will free him,
protect him, for he knows my name.
When he calls on me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress. R.
ALLELUIA 2 Timothy1:10
Alleluia. Our Saviour Christ Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“My daughter has just died, but come and she will live.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew9:18-26)
At that time: While Jesus was speaking, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. And behold, a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment; for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I shall be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd making a tumult, he said, “Depart; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went through all that district.
The Gospel of the Lord
Today’s Reflection
Jacob experiences Yahweh’s presence as he says, “Yahweh is in this place.” He then decides to take Yahweh as his God in today’s Gospel, the official whose daughter had just died and the woman who was suffering from hemorrhage also experienced in Christ the true presence of God. They knew he had the power to change their miserable conditions. They manifested extraordinary faith in the power of Christ. He rewarded the official by raising her daughter from the dead, and the woman by healing her of her hemorrhage. God is in this place, God is in our hearts, as Jacob experienced. The powerful presence of Christ is in us, in the sacraments especially in the Holy Eucharist and in the sacrament of reconciliation. May we today experience a new his power and be transformed, no matter what sufferings assail us.