Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 3, 2018
First Reading: Jeremiah 26.1-9
1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, saying2"Thus says the Lord: Stand in the atrium of the house of the Lord, and speak to all the cities of Judah, from which they come to adore in the house of the Lord, all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. Do not choose to subtract any word3So may they hear and be converted, each one from his evil way. And then I may repent of the evil that I plan to do to them because of the wickedness of their pursuits4And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, so that you walk in my law, which I have given to you5so that you listen to the words of my servants, the prophets, whom I have sent to you, who arise while it is still night, and though they give guidance, you do not listen6then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city into a curse for all the nations of the earth.7And the priests, and the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord8And when Jeremiah had completed speaking all that the Lord had instructed him to speak to all the people, then the priests, and the prophets, and all the people apprehended him, saying: "You shall be put to death.9"Why has he prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying: ‘Like Shiloh, so shall this house be,’ and, ‘This city shall be made desolate, even without an inhabitant?’ " And all the people were gathered together against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord
Psalm 69
1Unto the end. For those who will be changed: of David. Save me, O God, for the waters have entered, even to my soul2I have become stuck in a deep quagmire, and there is no firm footing. I have arrived at the height of the sea, and a tempest has overwhelmed me3I have endured hardships, while crying out. My jaws have become hoarse; my eyes have failed. Meanwhile, I hope in my God4Those who hate me without cause have been multiplied beyond the hairs of my head. My enemies, who persecuted me unjustly, have been strengthened. Then I was required to pay for what I did not take5O God, you know my foolishness, and my offenses have not been hidden from you6Let those who wait for you, O Lord, the Lord of hosts, not be shamed in me. Let those who seek you, O God of Israel, not be confounded over me7For because of you, I have endured reproach; confusion has covered my face8I have become a stranger to my brothers and a sojourner to the sons of my mother9For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen upon me10And I covered my soul with fasting, and it has become a reproach to me11And I put on a haircloth as my garment, and I became a parable to them12Those who sat at the gate spoke against me, and those who drank wine made me their song13But as for me, truly, my prayer is to you, O Lord. This time has pleased you well, O God. In the multitude of your mercy, in the truth of your salvation, hear me14Rescue me from the quagmire, so that I may not become trapped. Free me from those who hate me and from deep waters15Do not allow the tempest of water to submerge me, nor the deep to absorb me. And do not allow the well to close in on me16Hear me, O Lord, for your mercy is kind. Look upon me, according to the fullness of your compassion17And do not turn your face away from your servant, for I am in trouble: heed me quickly18Attend to my soul, and free it. Rescue me, because of my enemies19You know my reproach, and my confusion, and my reverence20All those who trouble me are in your sight; my heart has anticipated reproach and misery. And I sought for one who might grieve together with me, but there was no one, and for one who might console me, and I found no one21And they gave me gall for my food. And in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink22Let their table be a snare before them, and a retribution, and a scandal23Let their eyes be darkened, so that they may not see, and may their back always be crooked24Pour out your indignation upon them, and may the fury of your anger take hold of them25May their dwelling place be deserted, and may there be no one who dwells in their tabernacles26For they persecuted whomever you struck. And they have added to the grief of my wounds27Assign an iniquity upon their iniquity, and may they not enter into your justice28Delete them from the Book of the Living, and let them not be written down with the just29I am poor and sorrowful, but your salvation, O God, has taken me up30I will praise the name of God with a canticle, and I will magnify him with praise31And it will please God more than a new calf producing horns and hoofs32Let the poor see and rejoice. Seek God, and your soul will live33For the Lord has heard the poor, and he has not despised his prisoners34Let the heavens and the earth praise him: the sea, and everything that crawls in it35For God will save Zion, and the cities of Judah will be built up. And they will dwell there, and they will acquire it by inheritance36And the offspring of his servants will possess it; and those who love his name will dwell in it
Gospel: Matthew 13.54-58
54And arriving in his own country, he taught them in their synagogues, so much so that they wondered and said: "How can such wisdom and power be with this one55Is this not the son of a workman? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude56And his sisters, are they not all with us? Therefore, from where has this one obtained all these things?57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house.58And he did not work many miracles there, because of their unbelief
Sermon
The readings today present us with two powerful moments of prophetic witness, each highlighting the challenges of speaking God’s truth to those who are unwilling to hear it. In the first reading from Jeremiah, the prophet stands courageously in the Temple courtyard, delivering a message of repentance to the people of Judah. He warns them that if they do not turn away from their sinful ways, the Temple will suffer the same fate as Shiloh, which was destroyed for its corruption. Despite the urgency of his message, Jeremiah faces fierce resistance, and the people even threaten his life. This passage reminds us that proclaiming God’s truth often comes at a cost, and it requires unwavering faith and courage.
In the Gospel, we see a similar dynamic as Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth. Though he teaches with wisdom and authority, the people are scandalized because they know him as the son of a carpenter. Their familiarity with him breeds contempt, and they refuse to accept his divine mission. Jesus responds by noting that a prophet is often rejected in his own home, and as a result, he works few miracles there due to their lack of faith. This passage invites us to reflect on our own openness to God’s presence in our lives. How often do we fail to recognize the divine truth in front of us because of our preconceptions or pride?
Both readings challenge us to examine our own hearts and minds. Are we open to hearing God’s word, even when it comes through unexpected or unwelcome messengers? Do we allow our familiarity with others or our own biases to blind us to the truth? The moral lesson here is clear: humility and faith are essential for receiving God’s grace. Like Jeremiah, we must be willing to stand firm in our commitment to God’s truth, even in the face of opposition. And like the people of Nazareth, we must guard against the temptation to dismiss or reject what God is doing in our midst. Let us pray for the grace to be open, humble, and faithful in our daily lives.