Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 20, 2022
First Reading: Jeremiah 1.1, 4-10
1The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin4And the word of the Lord came to me, saying5"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you went forth from the womb, I sanctified you. And I made you a prophet to the nations.6And I said: "Alas, alas, alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a boy.7And the Lord said to me: "Do not choose to say, ‘I am a boy.’ For you shall go forth to everyone to whom I will send you. And you shall speak all that I will command you8You should not be afraid before their face. For I am with you, so that I may deliver you," says the Lord9And the Lord put forth his hand, and he touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me: "Behold, I have placed my words in your mouth10Behold, today I have appointed you over nations and over kingdoms, so that you may root up, and pull down, and destroy, and scatter, and so that you may build and plant.
Psalm 71
1A Psalm of David. Of the sons of Jonadab and the former captives. In you, O Lord, I have hoped; do not let me be brought to ruin forever2Free me by your justice, and rescue me. Incline your ear to me, and save me3Be a God of protection and a place of strength for me, so that you may accomplish my salvation. For you are my firmament and my refuge4Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the sinner, and from the hand of the unjust and those who act against the law5For you, O Lord, are my patience: my hope from my youth, O Lord6In you, I have been confirmed from conception. From my mother’s womb, you are my protector. In you, I will sing forever7I have become to many as if I were a portent, but you are a strong helper8Let my mouth be filled with praise, so that I may sing your glory, your greatness all day long9Do not cast me off in the time of old age. Do not abandon me when my strength will fail10For my enemies have spoken against me. And those who watched for my soul have taken counsel as one11saying: "God has abandoned him. Pursue and overtake him. For there is no one to rescue him.12O God, do not be far from me. O my God, provide for my assistance13May they be confounded, and may they fail, who drag down my soul. Let them be covered with confusion and shame, who seek evils for me14But I will always have hope. And I will add more to all your praise15My mouth will announce your justice, your salvation all day long. For I have not known letters16I will enter into the powers of the Lord. I will be mindful of your justice alone, O Lord17You have taught me from my youth, O God. And so I will declare your wonders continuously18even in old age and with grey hairs. Do not abandon me, O God, while I announce your arm to every future generation: your powe19and your justice, O God, even to the highest great things that you have done. O God, who is like you20How great is the tribulation that you have revealed to me: very great and evil. And so, turning back, you have brought me to life, and you have led me back again from the abyss of the earth21You have multiplied your magnificence. And so, turning back to me, you have consoled me22Therefore, I will confess your truth to you, with the instruments of the Psalter. O God, I will sing psalms to you with stringed instruments, O Holy One of Israel23My lips will exult, when I sing to you, and also my soul, which you have redeemed24And even my tongue will meditate on your justice all day long, when those who seek evils for me have been confounded and set in awe
Gospel: Matthew 13.1-9
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
The readings today invite us to reflect on God’s call and our response to it. In the first reading, Jeremiah, a young and reluctant prophet, is called by God to speak to the nations. Despite his fears and insecurities, God assures him, “Do not say, ‘I am a boy.’ For you shall go to everyone I send you.” This passage reminds us that God’s call often comes when we feel unprepared or unworthy, but His grace is sufficient to overcome our limitations. Jeremiah’s mission is to “root up and pull down, to destroy and scatter, to build and plant,” a powerful reminder that God’s word has the power to transform and renew.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the sower, which challenges us to consider how we receive God’s word. The seed that falls on good soil bears fruit abundantly, while the seed that falls on rocky or thorny ground withers away. This parable is not just about the soil; it is about the disposition of our hearts. Like Jeremiah, we are called to be open and receptive to God’s word, trusting that it will bear fruit in our lives. The parable also reminds us that our response to God’s word determines the depth of its impact in our lives and in the world around us.
These readings call us to trust in God’s plan and to be open to His word. Like Jeremiah, we may feel inadequate or unprepared, but God equips us for the mission He has given us. Like the good soil, we must cultivate humility, openness, and perseverance so that God’s word can take root in our hearts and bear fruit in our lives. Let us ask for the grace to be faithful stewards of the gifts and callings God has entrusted to us, and to trust in His promise to be with us always.