Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 21, 2021

First Reading: Exodus 16.1-5, 9-15

¹And they set out from Elim. And the entire multitude of the sons of Israel arrived at the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month, after they departed from the land of Egypt²And the entire congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness³And the sons of Israel said to them: "If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat around bowls of meat and ate bread until filled. Why have you led us away, into this desert, so that you might kill the entire multitude with famine?⁴Then the Lord said to Moses: "Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Let the people go out and collect what is sufficient for each day, so that I may test them, as to whether or not they will walk in my law⁵But on the sixth day, let them prepare what they use for carrying, and let there be double what they were accustomed to collect on a single day.⁹Moses also said to Aaron: "Say to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Approach before the Lord. For he has heard your murmuring.’ ¹⁰And when Aaron spoke to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness. And behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud¹¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying¹²"I have heard the murmuring of the sons of Israel. Say to them: ‘In the evening, you will eat flesh, and in the morning, you will be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ¹³Therefore, it happened in the evening: quails, rising up, covered the camp. Likewise, in the morning, a dew lay all around the camp¹⁴And when it had covered the face of the earth, it appeared, in the wilderness, small and as if crushed with a pestle, similar to hoar-frost on the ground¹⁵When the sons of Israel had seen it, they said one to another: "Manhu?" which means "What is this?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them: "This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat

Psalm 78

Psalms

Chapter 78

¹The understanding of Asaph. O my people, attend to my law. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth²I will open my mouth in parables. I will speak about concepts that are from the beginning³We have heard and known such great things, as our fathers have described to us⁴These things have not been hidden from their sons in any generation: declaring the praises of the Lord, and his virtues, and the wonders that he has done⁵And he has received testimony with Jacob, and he has set a law within Israel. Such great things, he has commanded our fathers, so as to make these things known to their sons⁶so that another generation might know them, and so that the sons, who will be born and who will grow up, shall describe them to their sons⁷So then, may they put their hope in God, and may they not forget the works of God, and may they seek his commandments⁸May they not become like their fathers, a perverse and exasperating generation: a generation that does not straighten their heart and whose spirit is not trustworthy with God⁹The sons of Ephraim, who bend and shoot the bow, have been turned back in the day of battle¹⁰They have not kept the covenant of God. And they were not willing to walk in his law¹¹And they have been forgetful of his benefits, and of his miracle, which he revealed to them¹²He performed miracles in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Tanis¹³He broke the sea and he led them through. And he stationed the waters, as if in a vessel¹⁴And he led them with a cloud by day, and with illumination by fire throughout the night¹⁵He broke through the rock in the wasteland, and he gave them to drink, as if from the great abyss¹⁶He brought forth water from the rock, and he conducted the waters, as if they were rivers¹⁷And yet, they continued to sin against him. In a waterless place, they provoked the Most High with resentment¹⁸And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking for food according to their desires¹⁹And they spoke badly about God. They said, "Would God be able to prepare a table in the desert²⁰He struck the rock, and so waters flowed and the torrents flooded, but would even he be able to provide bread, or provide a table, for his people?²¹Therefore, the Lord heard, and he was dismayed, and a fire was kindled within Jacob, and an anger ascended into Israel²²For they neither put their trust in God, nor did they hope in his salvation²³And he commanded the clouds from above, and he opened the doors of heaven²⁴And he rained down manna upon them to eat, and he gave them the bread of heaven²⁵Man ate the bread of Angels. He sent them provisions in abundance²⁶He transferred the south wind from heaven, and, in his virtue, he brought in the Southwest wind²⁷And he rained down flesh upon them, as if it were dust, and feathered birds, as if they were the sand of the sea²⁸And they fell down in the midst of their camp, encircling their tabernacles²⁹And they ate until they were greatly satisfied, and he brought to them according to their desires³⁰They were not cheated out of what they wanted. Their food was still in their mouth³¹and then the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones among them, and he impeded the elect of Israel³²In all these things, they continued to sin, and they were not trustworthy with his miracles³³And their days faded away into vanity, and their years with haste³⁴When he slew them, then they sought him. And they returned, and they drew near to him in the early morning³⁵And they were mindful that God is their helper and that the Most High God is their redeemer³⁶And they chose him with their mouth, and then they lied to him with their tongue³⁷For their heart was not upright with him, nor have they been living faithfully in his covenant³⁸Yet he is merciful, and he will pardon their sins. And he will not destroy them. And he has abundantly turned aside his own wrath. And he did not enflame his wrath entirely³⁹And he remembered that they are flesh: with a spirit that goes forth and does not return⁴⁰How often did they provoke him in the desert and stir him to wrath in a waterless place⁴¹And they turned back and tempted God, and they exasperated the Holy One of Israel⁴²They did not remember his hand, in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of the one troubling them⁴³Thus, he positioned his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Tanis⁴⁴And he turned their rivers into blood, along with their rain showers, so that they could not drink⁴⁵He sent among them the common fly, and it devoured them, and the frog, and it scattered them⁴⁶And he gave up their fruits to mold and their labors to the locust⁴⁷And he slew their vineyards with hail and their mulberry trees with severe frost⁴⁸And he delivered their cattle to the hail and their possessions to fire⁴⁹And he sent the wrath of his indignation among them: indignation and wrath and tribulation, sent forth by evil angels⁵⁰He made way for the path of his anger. He did not spare their souls from death. And he enclosed their beasts of burden in death⁵¹And he struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt: the first-fruits of all their labor in the tabernacles of Ham⁵²And he took away his own people like sheep, and he led them through the wilderness like a flock⁵³And he led them out in hope, and they did not fear. And the sea covered their enemies⁵⁴And he led them to the mountain of his sanctification: the mountain that his right hand had acquired. And he cast out the Gentiles before their face. And he divided their land by lot to them, with a line of distribution⁵⁵And he caused the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles⁵⁶Yet they tempted and aggravated God Most High, and they did not keep his testaments⁵⁷And they turned themselves aside, and they did not serve the covenant. In the same manner as their fathers, they were turned backwards, like a crooked bow⁵⁸They impelled him to anger on their hills, and they provoked him to rivalry with their graven images⁵⁹God listened, and he spurned them, and he reduced Israel greatly, almost to nothing⁶⁰And he rejected the tabernacle of Shiloh, his tabernacle where he had dwelt among men⁶¹And he delivered their virtue into captivity, and their beauty into the hands of the enemy⁶²And he enclosed his people with the sword, and he spurned his inheritance⁶³Fire consumed their young men, and their virgins were not lamented⁶⁴Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows did not weep⁶⁵And the Lord was awakened, as if out of sleep, and like a powerful man impaired by wine⁶⁶And he struck his enemies on the back. He gave them over to everlasting disgrace⁶⁷And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim⁶⁸But he chose the tribe of Judah: mount Zion, which he loved⁶⁹And he built up his sanctuary, like a single-horned beast, in the land that he founded for all ages⁷⁰And he chose his servant David, and he took him from the flocks of the sheep: he received him from following the ewes with their young⁷¹in order to pasture Jacob his servant and Israel his inheritance⁷²And he fed them with the innocence of his heart. And he led them with the understanding of his hands

Gospel: Matthew 13.1-9

Matthew

Chapter 13

¹In that day, Jesus, departing from the house, sat down beside the sea²And such great crowds were gathered to him that he climbed into a boat and he sat down. And the entire multitude stood on the shore³And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow seed⁴And while he was sowing, some fell beside the road, and the birds of the air came and ate it⁵Then others fell in a rocky place, where they did not have much soil. And they sprung up promptly, because they had no depth of soil⁶But when the sun rose up, they were scorched, and because they had no roots, they withered⁷Still others fell among thorns, and the thorns increased and suffocated them⁸Yet some others fell upon good soil, and they produced fruit: some one hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold⁹Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound lessons from Scripture that invite us to reflect on trust, provision, and spiritual growth. The first reading from Exodus recounts the Israelites' journey through the desert, where they, after their liberation from Egypt, find themselves struggling with hunger and doubt. Their murmuring against Moses and Aaron reveals a deeper struggle with trust in God's providence. Yet, in His mercy, God provides manna and quail, a tangible sign of His care and a call to trust in His daily provision. This narrative reminds us that even in times of uncertainty, God is ever-present, offering us what we need to sustain us on our journey. The Gospel from Matthew presents Jesus teaching the parable of the sower, a vivid illustration of how God's Word is received in different hearts. The seed that falls on good soil produces abundant fruit, symbolizing those who hear and embrace God's message with openness and receptivity. The other soils—beside the road, on rocky ground, and among thorns—represent the various ways we can fail to let God's Word take root in our lives. This parable challenges us to examine the state of our own hearts and to cultivate a deep and fertile soil where God's Word can grow and bear fruit. Both readings, though separated by time and context, share a common theme: the call to trust in God's provision and to be receptive to His Word. Just as the Israelites needed to trust in God's daily manna, we too must trust in His providence, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. And just as the seed requires good soil to bear fruit, our hearts must be open and receptive to the Word of God if we are to live fruitful and Spirit-filled lives. Let us ask ourselves: Do we trust in God's provision, even in the wilderness moments? Is our heart like the good soil, ready to receive and nurture the seed of His Word? May we strive to deepen our trust in God and to cultivate hearts that are fertile ground for His grace to grow.