Daily Readings for July 31, 2018

Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, priest

1st READING

God is faithful to keep His covenant with us, no matter what we do or fail to do. As we thank God for His faithfulness, let us do better and prioritize our times of prayer and Scripture reading. Let us commit to make time to be with the Lord in the midst of our busy schedules.

Jeremiah 14:17-22

17 Let my eyes stream with tears day and night, without rest, over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people, over her incurable wound. 18 If I walk out into the field, look! those slain by the sword, if I enter the city, look! those consumed by hunger. Even the prophet and the priest forage in a land they know not. 19 Have you cast Judah off completely? Is Zion loathsome to you? Why have you struck us a blow that cannot be healed? We wait for peace, to no avail; for a time of healing, but terror comes instead. 20 We recognize, O Lord, our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers; that we have sinned against you. 21 For your name’s sake spurn us not, disgrace not the throne of your glory; remember your covenant with us, and break it not. 22 Among the nations’ idols is there any that gives rain? Or can the mere heavens send showers? Is it not you alone, O Lord, our God, to whom we look? You alone have done all these things.

P S A L M 

Psalm 79:8, 9, 11, 13

R: For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

8 Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low. (R) 9 Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake. (R) 11 Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you; with your great power free those doomed to death. (R) 13 Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; through all generations we will declare your praise. (R) 

GOSPEL

Ignatius of Loyola, whose feast we celebrate today, left us a great legacy of prayer and discernment. His 30-day retreat is still in use today. Most priests and religious undergo the retreat at least once during their lifetime. The flow of reflections follows a basic conversion and discipleship theme. The help of a spiritual director will make it a fruitful time spent with Jesus.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live forever. 

Matthew 13:36-43

36 Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, 38 the  field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Daily Readings for July 30, 2018

1st READING

As disciples, one of the most common mistakes we make is that we do not listen well. If we do not listen to God’s will for us, we will neither know it nor obey it. In the Old Testament, God repeats the command, “Listen!” many times. God and the good Jewish leaders exhort the people to listen to His Word and follow.

Jeremiah 13:1-11

1 The Lord said to me: Go buy yourself a linen loincloth; wear it on your loins, but do not put it in water. 2 I bought the loincloth, as the Lord commanded, and put it on. 3 A second time the word of the Lord came to me thus: 4 Take the loincloth which you bought and are wearing, and go now to the Parath; there hide it in a cleft of the rock. 5 Obedient to the Lord’s command, I went to the Parath and buried the loincloth. 6 After a long interval, the Lord said to me: Go now to the Parath and fetch the loincloth which I told you to hide there. 7 Again I went to the Parath, sought out and took the loincloth from the place where I had hid it. But it was rotted, good for nothing! 8 Then the message came to me from the Lord. 9 Thus says the Lord: So also I will allow the pride of Judah to rot, the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This wicked people who refuse to obey my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts, and follow strange gods to serve and adore them, shall be like this loincloth which is good for nothing. 11 For, as close as the loincloth clings to a man’s loins, so had I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord; to be my people, my renown, my praise, my beauty. But they did not listen.

P S A L M 

Deuteronomy 32:18-19, 20, 21

R: You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

18 You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you, you forgot the God who gave you birth. 19 When the Lord saw this, he was filled with loathing and anger toward his sons and daughters. (R) 20 “I will hide my face from them,” he said, “and see what will then become of them. What a fickle race they are, sons with no loyalty in them!” (R) 21 “Since they have provoked me with their ‘no-god’ and angered me with their vain idols, I will provoke them with a ‘no-people’; with a foolish nation I will anger them.” (R) 

GOSPEL 

In the Scriptures, there are many images of the Kingdom of God. Let us reflect on them and recall the various aspects of His Kingdom to which we belong and that which we are building. Take the leaven as an example. This encompasses the sense of mystery that feeds our understanding and experience how the Kingdom of God works in our life. 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruit of his creatures.

Matthew 13:31-35

31 Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.” 33 He spoke to them another parable. “The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.” 34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, 35 to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.”

Daily Readings for July 29, 2018

1st READING

Elisha performed miracles of feeding in the Old Testament. The miracle in today’s reading demonstrates the power of God to act outside the natural laws of the universe. He created everything in the universe and these are subject to Him. As we ponder this miracle, may we realize that God is faithful to provide for us. When we are willing to share what we have, God will make up for what is lacking.

2 Kings 4:42-44

42 A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God, twenty barley loaves made from the first fruits and fresh grain in the ear. Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.” 43 But his servant objected, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” Elisha insisted, “Give it to the people to eat. For thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’” 44 And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the Lord had said.

P S A L M 

Psalm 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18

10 Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let your faithful ones bless you. 11 Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. (R) 15 The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season; 16 you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. (R) 17 The Lord is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. (R) 

2nd READING

The words gentleness and patience in today’s reading mean to understand and to empathize with others. This is an important quality of the Gospel. The Incarnation of Christ is the ultimate act of empathy and understanding, and we are called to be likewise with others. Let us understand and walk with one another without judgment.

Ephesians 4:1-6

1 Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, 3 striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: 4 one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.  

GOSPEL

Jesus multiplies five barley loaves and two fish, and thousands of people had their fill with many leftover food. It is a miracle. The little that the boy shared, Jesus multiplied to feed a multitude. Jesus is sufficient for us. We lack nothing when He is in our lives. Let us share what we have and trust that Jesus will provide the rest.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

A great prophet has arisen in our midst. God has visited his people.

John 6:1-15

1 Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. 2 A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish feast of Passover was near. 5 When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. 12 When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” 13 So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. 14 When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” 15 Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

Daily Readings for July 28, 2018

1st READING

The prophets speak against the injustice and bad treatment of the poor. A sure sign of an active faith is an apostolate to the poor and the forgotten in society. Jesus reminds us that the poor will always be with us — He sees how true our faith is by the way we minister to the poor in our midst.

Jeremiah 7:1-11

1 The following message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 Stand at the gate of the house of the Lord, and there proclaim this message: Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord! 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Reform your ways and your deeds, so that I may remain with you in this place. 4 Put not your trust in the deceitful words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord!’ 5 Only if you thoroughly reform your ways and your deeds; if each of you deals justly with his neighbor; 6 if you no longer oppress the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow; if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place, or follow strange gods to your own harm, 7 will I remain with you in this place, in the land which I gave your fathers long ago and forever. 8 But here you are, putting your trust in deceitful words to your own loss! 9 Are you to steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, go after strange gods that you know not, 10 and yet come to stand before me in this house which bears my name, and say, ‘We are safe; we can commit all these abominations again’? 11 Has this house which bears my name become in your eyes a den of thieves? I too see what is being done,” says the Lord.

P S A L M 

Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6, 8, 11

R: How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

2 [3] My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (R) 3 [4] Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest in which she puts her young — Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my king and my God! (R) 4 [5] Blessed they who dwell in your house! Continually they praise you. 5 [6] Blessed the men whose strength you are! 7 [8] They go from strength to strength. (R) 10 [11] I had rather one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. (R) 

GOSPEL  

Have you seen the weeds that Jesus speaks of today sprout in your well- tended garden? Sometimes you have to leave the weeds so that you do not disturb the roots of the plants that are growing. Like the weeds, Jesus allows the bad to remain with the good for us to grow more in our faith.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.

Matthew 13:24-30

24 Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. 26 When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. 27 The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 He replied, “No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Daily Readings for July 27, 2018

1st READING

Sometimes the only consolation we have in times of suffering is that the situation will get worse before it gets better. One of the challenges we face in our faith journey is to keep our hope in God strong enough to move us into action.

Jeremiah 3:14-17

14 Return, rebellious children, says the Lord, for I am your Master; I will take you — one from a city, two from a clan — and bring you to Zion. 15 I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart who will shepherd you wisely and prudently. 16 When you multiply and become fruitful in the land, says the Lord, they will in those days no longer say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord!” They will no longer think of it, or remember it, or miss it, or make another. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem the Lord’s throne; there all nations will be gathered together to honor the name of the Lord at Jerusalem, and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.  

P S A L M 

Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12, 13

R: The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

10 Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, proclaim it on distant isles, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock. (R) 11 The Lord shall ransom Jacob, he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror. 12 Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion, they shall come streaming to the Lord’s blessings: The grain, the wine, and the oil, the sheep and the oxen. (R) 13 Then the virgins shall make merry and dance, and young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrows. (R) 

GOSPEL

Distractions are one of the biggest threats to our faith. We are easily distracted by “half- good” things — things that are good but are not what God wants us to do. One of the enemy’s tactics is to distract us from God’s perfect will. This lessens the impact of our mission to proclaim the Gospel. Let us be faithful in doing the good that He wants us to do.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION 

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.  

Matthew 13:18-23  

18 Jesus said to his disciples: “Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. 20 The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. 21 But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. 22 The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. 23 But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

Daily Readings for July 26, 2018

Memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne, parents of the Virgin Mary 

1st READING

God commands us to respect our parents and elders. By respecting them, we also respect God who gave our parents authority over us. As we get older, their responsibility towards us lessens as we become responsible for ourselves. However, they remain our parents and we must continue to respect them. Let us listen to their advice and rely on the wisdom they have gained from life experiences.

Sirach 44:1, 10-15 (or Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13)

1 Now will I praise those godly men, our ancestors, each in his own time: 10 These were godly men whose virtues have not been forgotten; 11 their wealth remains in their families, their heritage with their descendants. 12 Through God’s covenant with them their family endures, their posterity, for their sake. 13 And for all time their progeny will endure, their glory will never be blotted out; 14 their bodies are peacefully laid away, but their name lives on and on. 15 At gatherings their wisdom is retold, and the assembly proclaims their praise.

P S A L M 

Psalm 132:11, 13-14, 17-18 (or Psalm 36:6-7, 8-9, 10-11)

R: God will give him the throne of David, his father.

11 The Lord swore to David a firm promise from which he will not withdraw: “Your own offspring I will set upon your throne.” (R) 13 For the Lord has chosen Zion; he prefers her for his dwelling. 14 “Zion is my resting place forever; in her will I dwell, for I prefer her.” (R) 17 “In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David; I will place a lamp for my anointed. 18 His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon him my crown shall shine.” (R) 

GOSPEL

It is a privilege to receive the Gospel. Let us be grateful for the grace to receive the gift of salvation. There are still many who have not heard the Gospel. Let us reach out to them with the Good News. Let us do this respectfully and give people the right to accept or reject what we proclaim. May we continue to hone our abilities to share the Gospel with others. 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

They yearned for the comforting of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested upon them.  

Matthew 13:16-17 (or Matthew 13:10-17) 

16 Jesus said to his disciples: “Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. 17 Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” 

Daily Readings for July 25, 2018

Feast of St. James, Apostle 

1st READING

True discipleship is hard work. We need to be prepared to suffer as a disciple of Jesus. The world today has become more hostile to the Christian faith because it is a life guided by God’s laws and not the laws of men. As Christians, we will be constantly in conflict with human culture and the ways of the world.

2 Corinthians 4:7-15

7 Brothers and sisters: We hold this treasure in earthen vessels that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we too believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence. 15 Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

P S A L M 

Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

R: Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

1 When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men dreaming. 2 Then our mouth was  filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing. (R) Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad indeed. (R) 4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the torrents in the southern desert. 5 Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. (R) 6 Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves. (R)

GOSPEL 

The life of a disciple is neither one of privilege nor of isolation from the rest of the world. We are called to stand  firm in our faith and oppose the world that seeks to undermine the teachings of the Gospel. Jesus asks James and John if they are willing to suffer for their faith. They said yes, and persevered in living the life of the Gospel. 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.

Matthew 20:20-28

20 The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. 21 He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine to sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.” 22 Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” 23 He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. 26 But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; 27 whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. 28 Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Daily Readings for July 24, 2018

1st READING 

The concept of a “remnant” appears frequently in the Old Testament. It refers to the minority who remain faithful to the Lord, especially in times of persecution. This may be the same image of our Church today because of the dwindling number of faithful in the world. Let this be a call to persevere in our faithfulness to the Lord, despite the odds that we are up against.

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20

14 Shepherd your people with your staff — the flock of your inheritance — that dwells apart in a woodland in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. 15 As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt, show us wonderful signs. 18 Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; who does not persist in anger forever but delights rather in clemency, 19 and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins; 20 you will show faithfulness to Jacob, and grace to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from days of old.

P S A LM 

Psalm 85:2-4, 5-6, 7-8

R: Lord, show us your mercy and love.

1 [2] You have favored, O Lord, your land; you have brought back the captives of Jacob. 2 [3] You have forgiven the guilt of your people; you have covered all their sins. 3 [4] You have withdrawn all your wrath; you have revoked your burning anger. (R) 4 [5] Restore us, O God our savior, and abandon your displeasure against us. 5 [6] Will you be ever angry with us, prolonging your anger to all generations? (R) 6 [7] Will you not instead give us life; and shall not your people rejoice in you? 7 [8] Show us, O Lord, your kindness, and grant us your salvation. (R)

GOSPEL 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us that faith is a personal matter. Faith involves an individual’s decision to follow Jesus. We cannot inherit our faith nor can it be imposed on us. Let us work hard at developing our personal relationship with Jesus, as only this will sustain us in our faith journey. 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him.  

Matthew 12:46-50

46 While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” 48 But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

Daily Readings for July 23, 2018

1st READING 

To do right, to love goodness, and to walk humbly with our God – this is what holiness means, as written in the last line of today’s reading. This is the simplest formula for holiness that we will find in the array of Christian writings. Holiness is a simple concept but complication and diffculty arise when putting it into practice.

Micah 6:1-4, 6-8

1 Hear what the Lord says: Arise, present your plea before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice! 2 Hear, O mountains, the plea of the Lord, pay attention, O foundations of the earth! For the Lord has a plea against his people, and he enters into trial with Israel. 3 O my people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Answer me! 4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery I released you; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 6 With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow before God most high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

P S A L M 

Psalm 50:5-6, 8-9, 16-17, 21, 23

R: To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

5 “Gather my faithful ones before me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. 6 And the heavens proclaim his justice; for God himself is the judge. (R) 8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always. 9 I take from your house no bullock, no goats out of your fold. (R) 16 Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, 17 though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you? (R) 21 When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes. (R) 23 He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.” (R) 

GOSPEL

Jesus is not impressed with the people’s response to His preaching. He reminds them about the story of Jonah and the repentance of Nineveh to inspire the same repentance and conversion in them. But only a few responded. May this remind us to be in good standing with the Lord.  

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Matthew 12:38-42

38 Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40 Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. 42 At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.”

Daily Readings for July 22, 2018

1st READING 

Jeremiah scolds leaders who fail to care for the people entrusted to them. Let us take good care of the people that the Lord entrusts to us. Being a shepherd of God’s people is a huge responsibility. It can be rewarding if we lead, love, and care for the  floock like the Good Shepherd. Let us be humble and compassionate leaders God has meant us to be.

Jeremiah 23:1-6

1 Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord. 2 Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds. 3 I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have driven them and bring them back to their meadow; there they shall increase and multiply. 4 I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble; and none shall be missing, says the Lord. 5 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: “The Lord our justice.”

P S A L M 

Psalm 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come. (R)  

2nd READING 

Paul teaches in today’s reading that the cross of Christ is central to his understanding of salvation. Without the cross, Christianity is just a paper tiger. The power of the Christian faith results from Jesus’ willingness to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. This is why the cross is at the center of Paul’s teaching. Let us reflect on the signifiance of the cross in our faith journey.  

Ephesians 2:13-18

13 Brothers and sisters: In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, 15 abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, 18 for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

GOSPEL 

Jesus saw that the people needed to be cared for as He preached the Gospel. He would stop a while to teach them. Many longed for a deeper knowledge of their faith and imbibed the teachings of Jesus. Let us pray for the desire to learn more about our faith and share what we learn with others.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION 

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.

Mark 6:30-34

30 The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. 32 So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. 33 People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. 34 When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

Daily Readings for July 21, 2018

1ST READING

Micah tells us in today’s reading that the days of the wicked will eventually come to an end. Unfortunately, when the gift of free will is abused it can inflict suffering on people, especially the poor. God does not strike down those who do evil and bring unjust suffering on the poor. But it is our responsibility to abide by the laws of God and obey His will.

Micah 2:1-5

1 Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil on their couches; in the morning light they accomplish it when it lies within their power. 2 They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and they take them; they cheat an owner of his house, a man of his inheritance. 3 Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I am planning against this race an evil from which you shall not withdraw your necks; nor shall you walk with head high, for it will be a time of evil. 4 On that day a satire shall be sung over you, and there shall be a plaintive chant: “Our ruin is complete, our fields are portioned out among our captors, the fields of my people are measured out, and no one can get them back!” 5 Thus you shall have no one to mark out boundaries by lot in the assembly of the Lord.

P S A L M 

Psalm 10:1-2, 3-4, 7-8, 14

R: Do not forget the poor, O Lord!

1 Why, O Lord, do you stand aloof? Why hide in times of distress? 2 Proudly the wicked harass the afflicted, who are caught in the devices the wicked have contrived. (R) 3 For the wicked man glories in his greed, and the covetous blasphemes, sets the Lord at nought. 4 The wicked man boasts, “He will not avenge it; there is no God,” sums up his thoughts. (R) 7 His mouth is full of cursing, guile and deceit; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. 8 He lurks in ambush near the villages; in hiding he murders the innocent; his eyes spy upon the unfortunate. (R) 14 You do see, for you behold misery and sorrow, taking them in your hands. On you the unfortunate man depends; of the fatherless you are the helper. (R)

GOSPEL 

In the Old Testament, we read about the suffering Messiah. But for the Jews, the Messiah is triumphant — this is the same image we Christians have of Jesus at the Second Coming. As we reflect on a Messiah and Redeemer who suffered, may we realize that we will also suffer for our faith like Him. We will be misunderstood and even persecuted for believing in Christ. But in the end, all suffering will be worth the eternal life that awaits us. 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Matthew 12:14-21

14 The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 15 When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, 16 but he warned them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: 18 Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. 21 And in his name the Gentiles will hope.

Daily Readings for July 20, 2018

1ST READING

Hezekiah is one of the good kings of Israel. God answers his prayer and adds 15 years to his life. The miracle of the sun going backwards in the sky is a sign that God will do what He promised. More than looking for signs, let us trust in the promises of God. Let us also do our part in His plan. We know that He will give us everything we need to do His will.

Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8

1 When Hezekiah was mortally ill, the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you shall not recover.” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord: 3 “O Lord, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly I conducted myself in your presence, doing what was pleasing to you!” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go, tell Hezekiah: Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David. I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you. In three days you shall go up to the Lord’s temple; I will add fteen years to your life. 6 I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; I will be a shield to this city.” 7 [21] Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken and applied to the boil, that he might recover. 8 [22] Then Hezekiah asked, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple of the Lord?” 9 [7] Isaiah answered: “This will be the sign for you from the Lord that he will do what he has promised: 10 [8] See, I will make the shadow cast by the sun on the stairway to the terrace of Ahaz go back the ten steps it has advanced.” So the sun came back the ten steps it had advanced.

P S A L M 

Isaiah 38:10, 11, 12, 16

R: You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.

12 [10] Once I said, “In the noontime of life I must depart! To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned for the rest of my years.” (R) 13 [11] I said, “I shall see the Lord no more in the land of the living. No longer shall I behold my fellow men among those who dwell in the world.” (R) 14 [12] My dwelling, like a shepherd’s tent, is struck down and borne away from me; you have folded up my life, like a weaver who severs the last thread. (R) 18 [16] Those live whom the Lord protects; yours the life of my spirit. You have given me health and life. (R)

GOSPEL  

When Jesus tells us that He desires mercy and not sacrifice, let us believe Him. He reminds us that the way we relate to God and others is the measure of our faith life. If our faith impinges on the way we live and how we relate with others, then it is just a façade, and worse, only a farce.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.

Matthew 12:1-8

1 Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, 4 how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent? 6 I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”

Daily Readings for July 19, 2018

1ST READING 

God does not punish us even when we sin. When we sin, we turn away from His all-perfect love and we suffer the consequences of our wrongdoing. Sin puts into motion the cause and effect relationships that often result in suffering.

Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19

7 The way of the just is smooth; the path of the just you make level. 8 Yes, for your way and your judgments, O Lord, we look to you. Your name and your title are the desire of our souls. 9 My soul yearns for you in the night, yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you. When your judgment dawns upon the earth, the world’s inhabitants learn justice. 12 O Lord, you mete out peace to us, for it is you who have accomplished all we have done. 16 O Lord, oppressed by your punishment, we cried out in anguish under your chastising. 17 As a woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pains, so were we in your presence, O Lord. 18 We conceived and writhed in pain, giving birth to wind. Salvation we have not achieved for the earth, the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth. 19 But your dead shall live; their corpses shall rise. Awake and sing, you who lie in the dust. For your dew is a dew of light, and the land of shades gives birth.

P S A L M 

Psalm 102:13-14, 15, 16-18, 19-21

R: From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

12 [13] You, O Lord, abide forever, and your name through all generations. 13 [14] You will arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to pity her. 14 [15] For her stones are dear to your servants, and her dust moves them to pity. (R) 15 [16] The nations shall revere your name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory, 16 [17] when the Lord has rebuilt Zion and appeared in his glory; 17 [18] when he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer. (R) 18 [19] Let this be written for the generation to come, and let his future creatures praise the Lord: 19 [20] “The Lord looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, 20 [21] to hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die.” (R)

GOSPEL

God shows mercy and goodness to His people. If we can fully accept the truth of His love for us, then we will remain close to Him and sin will have no place in our lives. 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Daily Readings for July 18, 2018

1st READING

Israel fails to give the glory and credit to God for their victories. Isaiah’s image of Israel is the axe wielded by the hand of God. The axe cannot fell the tree – it can do nothing without the person who wields it. Do we give credit to God for our achievements? Or do we claim the glory for ourselves?

Isaiah 10:5-7, 13-16

5 Thus says the Lord: “Woe to Assyria! My rod in anger, my staff in wrath. 6 Against an impious nation I send him, and against a people under my wrath I order him to seize plunder, carry off loot, and tread them down like the mud of the streets. 7 But this is not what he intends, nor does he have this in mind. Rather, it is in his heart to destroy, to make an end of nations not a few. 13 By my own power I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am shrewd. I have moved the boundaries of peoples, their treasures I have pillaged, and, like a giant, I have put down the enthroned. 14 My hand has seized like a nest the riches of nations, as one takes eggs left alone. So I took in all the earth; no one uttered a wing, or opened a mouth, or chirped! 15 Will the axe boast against him who hews with it? Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it? As if a rod could sway him who lifts it, or a staff him who is not wood! 16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will send among his fat ones leanness, and instead of his glory there will be kindling like the kindling of fire.”

P S A L M 

Psalm 94:5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 14-15

R: The Lord will not abandon his people.

5 Your people, O Lord, they trample down, your inheritance they afflict. 6 Widow and stranger they slay, the fatherless they murder. (R) 7 And they say, “The Lord sees not; the God of Jacob perceives not.” 8 Understand, you senseless ones among the people; and, you fools, when will you be wise? (R) 9 Shall he who shaped the ear not hear? Or he who formed the eye not see? 10 Shall he who instructs nations not chastise, he who teaches men knowledge? (R) 14 For the Lord will not cast off his people, nor abandon his inheritance; 15 but judgment shall again be with justice, and all the upright of heart shall follow it. (R)

GOSPEL 

Jesus uses children as examples in teaching us about faith. Children completely trust their parents. It takes a lot for them to lose their trust and faith in their parents. Let us have the same childlike faith in God. He is trustworthy and will never let us down. Let us continue to trust in Him no matter what happens.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

Matthew 11:25-27

25 At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Daily Readings for July 17, 2018

1st READING

Isaiah’s message is for people to trust God and ignore the worries and judgments of the world about a political situation. God’s will is not subject to the armies of the world or to the will of man. His will is made manifest in us and through us according to our faith. If we fail to trust in God, the fulfillment of His will may be delayed.

Isaiah 7:1-9

1 In the days of Ahaz, king of Judah, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, king of Israel, son of Remaliah, went up to attack Jerusalem, but they were not able to conquer it. 2 When word came to the house of David that Aram was encamped in Ephraim, the heart of the king and heart of the people trembled, as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind. 3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller’s field, 4 and say to him: Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear; let not your courage fail before these two stumps of smoldering brands [the blazing anger of Rezin and the Arameans, and of the son of Remaliah], 5 because of the mischief that Aram [Ephraim and the son of Remaliah] plots against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up and tear Judah asunder, make it our own by force, and appoint the son of Tabeel king there.” 7 Thus says the Lord: This shall not stand, it shall not be! 8 Damascus is the capital of Aram, and Rezin the head of Damascus; Samaria is the capital of Ephraim, and Remaliah’s son the head of Samaria. 9 But within sixty years and five, Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation. Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!

P S A L M 

Psalm 48:2-3, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R: God upholds his city forever.

1 [2] Great is the Lord and wholly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, 2 [3] fairest of heights, is the joy of all the earth. (R) Mount Zion, “the recesses of the North,” is the city of the great King. 3 [4] God is with her castles; renowned is he as a stronghold. (R) 4 [5] For lo! the kings assemble, they come on together; 5 [6] they also see, and at once are stunned, terrified, routed. (R) 6 [7] Quaking seizes them there; anguish, like a woman’s labor, 7 [8] as though a wind from the east were shattering ships of Tarshish. (R) 

GOSPEL 

Our hard headedness prevents us from fully experiencing God’s grace at work within us. God has given us the gift of freewill. He wants us to have faith in Him – to love Him willingly above all. A love that is forced is not true love at all.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Matthew 11:20-24

20 Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”