The Word today, 14C
- Admin
- Jul 5
- 3 min read
July 07 - July 12, 2025
St Maelruain, bishop and abbot
Genesis 28:10-22 This is the story of Jacob’s “ladder”, which appealed so much to artists. Jacob finds himself between securities, and he is somehow more open to the divine, the presence of God, as a result.
Matthew 9:18-26 This is Matthew’s brisk telling of a story familiar from Mark. The “sandwich” technique here creates suspense: he can heal the sick, but can he raise the dead?
St Kilian, bishop and martyr
Genesis 32:23-33 Jacob is returning from his uncle Laban but faces the danger of his brother Esau. At this stage, he is still the “old” Jacob, sacrificing family apparently for his own well being. He has a mysterious encounter with a heavenly being and undergoes a conversion signalled by the change of name from Jacob to Israel.
Matthew 9:32-37 A sinister note is registered in the first paragraph of this reading. After that, Jesus the healer brings people God’s compassion.
St Augustine Zhao Rong and his Companions, Martyrs
Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7, 17-24 Joseph had been ditched by his brothers but eventually had come to high office in Egypt. There are lots of ironies in the story as they beg help from the brother they almost murdered. Even at the end, Joseph weeps privately—an unusually intense moment.
Matthew 10:1-7 The Twelve were a symbol of Jesus’ mission to Israel, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. This focus of Jesus ministry becomes really clear in the last paragraph.
Genesis 28:10-22 Today we hear one of the most thrilling narratives from the book of Genesis. The unrecognised Joseph interrogates the brothers who caused his exile — so full of pathos and irony that Joseph cannot contain himself. The very last line is immensely forgiving, after all they had done to him.
Matthew 10:7-15 Jesus empowers his apostles with the very same mission he had himself. This entails travelling light, as itinerant preachers. It may also bring rejection as it did for Jesus. The action with the sandals is a prophetic gesture conveying end-time judgement and thus a final appeal not to miss the moment of grace.
St Benedict, abbot and co-patron of Europe
Proverbs 2:1-9 For the feast, we interrupt the readings from Hosea and read from Proverbs. Where can we find wisdom, truth, virtue, justice, understanding and fear of the Lord? According to Proverbs—and later according to St Benedict and many other holy men and women—these things are to be found by taking the Word of the Lord to heart.
Matthew 19:27-29 The Gospel—chosen for the feast—is really about those who have followed Jesus in leaving behind all “sensible”, “normal” forms of security and happiness for the sake of the Good News.
Genesis 49:29-33,50:15-26 We arrive today at the closure of the book of Genesis with not one but two departures. Jacob, wily old patriarch comes to a pious end; Joseph, beloved son and victim also come to to the end of his life. His passing leads to the sojourn of the Israelite in Egypt and so the end of the book of Genesis takes us to the start of the book of Exodus.
Matthew 10:24-33 Under the general heading of the mission discourse, disparate sayings are offered, reflecting a variety of concerns. Sometimes, the word is threatening; other times, it is consoling. A sense of anxious urgency hangs over the whole teaching.
References
-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025bf, July 6). Fourteenth Sunday in ordinary time. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070625.cfm
-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings
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