Daily Readings for August 8, 2015

1ST READING

Today is the Feast of St. Dominic Guzman, the founder of the Dominicans. Let us pray for their ministries throughout the world as they develop their charism in preaching. Let us particularly pray that they may reach the “unchurched” with the Gospel through their schools and universities. In a world where there is a plethora of ideas, there has never been a more important time for the charism of preaching the Gospel, clearly and effectively.

Deuteronomy 6:4-13

4 Moses said to the people: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! 5 Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. 7 Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. 8 Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. 10 “When the Lord, your God, brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that he would give you, a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, 11 with houses full of goods of all sorts that you did not garner, with cisterns that you did not dig, with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant; and when, therefore, you eat your fill, 12 take care not to forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. 13 The Lord, your God, shall you fear; him shall you serve, and by his name shall you swear.

P S A L M

Psalm 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51

R: I love you, Lord, my strength.

1 [2] I love you, O Lord, my strength, 2 [3] O Lord, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. (R) My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold! 3 [4] Praised be the Lord, I exclaim! And I am safe from my enemies. (R) 46 [47] The Lord lives! And blessed be my Rock! Extolled be God my savior! 50 [51] You who gave great victories to your king and showed kindness to your anointed, to David and his posterity forever. (R)

GOSPEL

St. Dominic ministered at a time when the Catholic faith was attacked by Catharists and Albigensians. It was Dominic’s commitment to both a life of simplicity — refusing the luxury often afforded the clergy at that time — and simple but faithful preaching of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church that helped to turn the tide on these heresies. May each of usbe committed to faithfully live and proclaim the Gospel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.

Matthew 17:14-20

14 A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, 15 and said, “Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 Jesus said in reply, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and from that hour the boy was cured. 19 Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

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