Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 25, 2018
First Reading: 2 Kings 17.5-8, 13-15a, 18
5And he wandered through the entire land. And ascending to Samaria, he besieged it for three years6And in the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of the Assyrians captured Samaria, and he carried away Israel to Assyria. And he stationed them in Halah and in Habor, beside the river of Gozan, in the cities of the Medes7For it happened that, when the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord, their God, who had led them away from the land of Egypt, from the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, they worshipped strange gods8And they walked according to the rituals of the nations that the Lord had consumed in the sight of the sons of Israel, and of the kings of Israel. For they had acted similarly13And the Lord testified to them, in Israel and in Judah, through the hand of all the prophets and seers, saying: "Return from your wicked ways, and keep my precepts and ceremonies, in accord with the entire law, which I instructed to your fathers, and just as I sent to you by the hand of my servants, the prophets.14But they did not listen. Instead, they hardened their necks to be like the neck of their fathers, who were not willing to obey the Lord, their God15And they cast aside his ordinances, and the covenant that he formed with their fathers, and the testimonies which he testified to them. And they pursued vanities and acted vainly. And they followed the nations that were all around them, concerning the things which the Lord had commanded them not to do, and which they did18And the Lord became vehemently angry with Israel, and he took them away from his sight. And there remained no one, except the tribe of Judah alone
Psalm 60
1Unto the end. For those who will be changed, with the inscription of a title, of David himself, for instruction: when he set fire to Mesopotamia of Syria and Sobal, and Joab turned back and struck Idumea, in the valley of the salt pits, twelve thousand men. O God, you have rejected us, and you have ruined us. You became angry, and yet you have been merciful to us2You have moved the earth, and you have disturbed it. Heal its breaches, for it has been moved3You have revealed to your people difficulties. You have made us drink the wine of remorse4You have given a warning sign to those who fear you, so that they may flee from before the face of the bow, so that your beloved may be delivered5Save me with your right hand, and hear me6God has spoken in his holy place: I will rejoice, and I will divide Shechem, and I will measure the steep valley of the tabernacles7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. And Ephraim is the strength of my head. Judah is my king8Moab is the cooking pot of my hope. Into Idumea, I will extend my shoe. To me, the foreigners have been made subject9Who will lead me into the fortified city? Who will lead me all the way to Idumea10Will not you, O God, who has rejected us? And will not you, O God, go out with our armies11Grant us help from tribulation. For salvation from man is empty12In God, we will act virtuously. And those who trouble us, he will lead to nothing
Gospel: Matthew 7.1-5
1"Do not judge, so that you may not be judged2For with whatever judgment you judge, so shall you be judged; and with whatever measure you measure out, so shall it be measured back to you3And how can you see the splinter in your brother’s eye, and not see the board in your own eye4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter from your eye,’ while, behold, a board is in your own eye5Hypocrite, first remove the board from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye
Sermon
In today's readings, we are presented with two profound reflections on sin, judgment, and the call to self-examination. The first reading from 2 Kings recounts the fall of Israel, which occurred because the people turned away from God and followed the idolatrous practices of neighboring nations. Despite the warnings of prophets, they hardened their hearts and refused to return to the Lord, leading to their exile and suffering. This passage serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of spiritual complacency and the importance of fidelity to God’s covenant.
The Gospel reading from Matthew complements this theme, as Jesus teaches about the dangers of hypocrisy and judgment. He warns us not to judge others harshly, for we will be judged by the same standard we use on others. Jesus uses the vivid image of a splinter and a board to emphasize the need for self-reflection. Before we can help others see their faults, we must first acknowledge and address our own shortcomings. This teaching calls us to humility and honesty in our relationships with others and with God.
These readings remind us that true faith requires both a willingness to acknowledge our sins and a commitment to personal conversion. Just as the Israelites were called to return to the Lord, we too are invited to examine our lives, repent of our sins, and live according to God’s will. By doing so, we avoid the hypocrisy of judging others while ignoring our own faults. Let us approach life with humility, seeking to grow in holiness and to love others as God loves us.