Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 20, 2022
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
The first reading from 2 Kings recounts the fall of Israel, highlighting their disobedience and idolatry, which led to their captivity. The Israelites turned away from God, worshipped false idols, and ignored the prophets' warnings, resulting in their exile. This serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of spiritual rebellion and the importance of heeding divine guidance.
In the Gospel, Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus teaches about the dangers of hypocrisy and judgment. He urges us to examine our own faults before correcting others, using the vivid metaphor of a plank in one's own eye. This emphasizes the need for self-awareness and humility in our interactions with others.
Both readings connect through their focus on self-reflection and accountability. The fall of Israel reminds us of the consequences of ignoring our sins, while Jesus' teaching encourages us to address our own shortcomings first. In daily life, this calls us to humility and introspection, prompting us to look inward before judging others. The moral lesson is clear: true wisdom lies in recognizing our own flaws and seeking personal growth, fostering a more compassionate and just community.