Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 11, 2018
First Reading: Habakkuk 1.12 – 2.4
12Have you not existed from the beginning, Lord my God, my holy one, and so we shall not die? Lord, you have stationed him for judgment, and you have establish that his strength will be swept away13Your eyes are pure, you do not behold evil, and you cannot look towards iniquity. Why do you look upon the agents of iniquity, and remain silent, while the impious is devouring one who is more just than himself14And you will make men like the fish of the sea and like the creeping things that have no ruler15He lifted up everything with his hook. He drew them in with his dragnet, and gathered them into his netting. Over this, he will rejoice and exult16For this reason, he will offer victims to his dragnet, and he will sacrifice to his netting. For through them, his portion has been made fat, and his meals elite17Because of this, therefore, he expands his dragnet and will not be lenient in continually putting to death the peoples
1I will stand firm during my watch, and fix my position over the fortification. And I will observe carefully, to see what might be said to me and what I might respond to my opponent2And the Lord responded to me and said: Write the vision and explain it on tablets, so that he who reads it may run through it3For as yet the vision is far off, and it will appear in the end, and it will not lie. If it expresses any delay, wait for it. For it is arriving and it will arrive, and it will not be hindered4Behold, he who is unbelieving, his soul will not be right within himself; but he who is just shall live in his faith
Psalm 9
1Unto the end. For the secrets of the Son. A Psalm of David. I will confess to you, Lord, with my whole heart. I will recount all your wonders2I will rejoice and exult in you. I will sing a psalm to your name, O Most High3For my enemy will be turned back. They will be weakened and perish before your face4For you have accomplished my judgment and my cause. You have sat upon the throne that judges justice5You have rebuked the Gentiles, and the impious one has perished. You have deleted their name in eternity and for all generations6The spears of the enemy have failed in the end, and their cities, you have destroyed. Their memory has perished with a loud noise7But the Lord remains in eternity. He has prepared his throne in judgment8And he will judge the whole world in equity. He will judge the people in justice9And the Lord has become a refuge for the poor, a helper in opportunity, in tribulation10And may they hope in you, who know your name. For you have not abandoned those seeking you, Lord11Sing a psalm to the Lord, who dwells in Zion. Announce his study among the Gentiles12Because of those who yearned for their blood, he has remembered them. He has not forgotten the cry of the poor13Have mercy on me, Lord. See my humiliation from my enemies14You lift me up from the gates of death, so that I may announce all your praises at the gates of the daughter of Zion15I will exult in your salvation. The Gentiles have become trapped in the ruin that they made. Their foot has been caught in the same snare that they themselves had hidden16The Lord will be recognized when making judgments. The sinner has been caught in the works of his own hands17The sinners will be turned into Hell: all the Gentiles who have forgotten God18For the poor will not be forgotten in the end. The patience of the poor will not perish in the end19Rise up, Lord: do not let man be strengthened. Let the Gentiles be judged in your sight20O Lord, establish a lawgiver over them, so that the Gentiles may know that they are only men
Gospel: Matthew 17.14-20
14And when he had arrived at the multitude, a man approached him, falling to his knees before him, saying:15"Lord, take pity on my son, for he is an epileptic, and he suffers harm. For he frequently falls into fire, and often also into water16And I brought him to your disciples, but they were not able to cure him."17Then Jesus responded by saying: "What an unbelieving and perverse generation! How long shall I be with you? How long shall I endure you? Bring him here to me."18And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon went out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour19Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, "Why were we unable to cast him out?"20Jesus said to them: "Because of your unbelief. Amen I say to you, certainly, if you will have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it shall move. And nothing will be impossible for you
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith and trust in God's plan. The first reading from Habakkuk portrays the prophet's anguish as he questions God about the prevalence of injustice and suffering. Habakkuk seeks assurance that justice will prevail, and God's response emphasizes patience and faith, promising that the vision of justice will unfold in its appointed time. This context, set amidst the turmoil of the Jewish people facing oppression, reminds us to trust in God's timing even when circumstances seem dire.
The Gospel from Matthew shifts our focus to a father's desperate plea for his afflicted son. Despite the disciples' inability to heal the boy, Jesus demonstrates the transformative power of faith, healing the child and teaching the disciples about the necessity of unwavering belief. This passage underscores the idea that even a mustard seed of faith can move mountains, encouraging us to trust in God's power and presence in our lives.
These readings together guide us in navigating life's challenges with patience and faith. Just as Habakkuk waited for God's justice and the father trusted in Jesus' healing power, we are called to remain steadfast in our faith. In our daily struggles, we find comfort in knowing that God's timing is perfect and that our faith, however small, is a potent force. Let us embrace this lesson, trusting that through faith, we can overcome any obstacle, and in patience, we will see God's plan unfold.