Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 11, 2022
First Reading: Ezekiel 12.1-16
1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying2"Son of man, you live in the midst of a provoking house. They have eyes to see, and they do not see; and ears to hear, and they do not hear. For they are a provoking house3As for you, then, son of man, prepare for yourself the supplies for traveling far away, and travel away in the daytime in their sight. And you shall travel from your place to another place in their sight, so that perhaps they may consider it. For they are a provoking house4And you shall carry your supplies outside, like the supplies of one who is traveling far away, in the daytime in their sight. Then you shall go forth in the evening in their presence, just as one goes forth who is moving far away5Dig for yourself through the wall, before their eyes. And you shall go out through it6In their sight, you shall be carried on shoulders, you shall be carried in the dark. You shall cover your face, and you shall not see the ground. For I have appointed you as a portent for the house of Israel.7Therefore, I did just as he had instructed me. I brought out my supplies in the daytime, like the supplies of one who is moving far away. And in the evening, I dug myself through the wall by hand. And I went out in the dark, and I was carried on shoulders, in their sight8And the word of the Lord came to me, in the morning, saying9"Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the provoking house, said to you: ‘What are you doing?10Say to them: Thus says the Lord God: This is the burden concerning my leader who is in Jerusalem, and concerning the entire house of Israel, who are in their midst11Say: I am your portent. Just as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They will be taken captive and moved far away12And the leader who is in their midst will be carried on shoulders; he will go forth in darkness. They will dig through the wall, so that they may lead him away. His face will be covered, so that he may not see the land with his eye13And I will extend my net over him, and he will be captured in my dragnet. And I will lead him to Babylon, into the land of the Chaldeans, but he himself will not see it. And there he shall die14And all who are around him, his guards and his companies, I will scatter into every wind. And I will unsheathe the sword after them15And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I will have dispersed them among the Gentiles, and will have sowed them among the lands16And I will leave behind a few men of them, apart from the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence, so that they may declare all their wicked deeds among the Gentiles, to whom they will go. And they shall know that I am the Lord.
Psalm 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 18.21 – 19.1
21Then Peter, drawing near to him, said: "Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Even seven times?22Jesus said to him: "I do not say to you, even seven times, but even seventy times seven times23Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is compared to a man who was king, who wanted to take account of his servants24And when he had begun taking account, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents25But since he did not have any way to repay it, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children, and all that he had, in order to repay it26But that servant, falling prostrate, begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay it all to you.27Then the lord of that servant, being moved with pity, released him, and he forgave his debt28But when that servant departed, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarius. And taking hold of him, he choked him, saying: ‘Repay what you owe.29And his fellow servant, falling prostrate, petitioned him, saying: ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay it all to you.30But he was not willing. Instead, he went out and had him sent to prison, until he would repay the debt31Now his fellow servants, seeing what was done, were greatly saddened, and they went and reported to their lord all that was done32Then his lord called him, and he said to him: ‘You wicked servant, I forgave you all your debt, because you pleaded with me33Therefore, should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I also had compassion on you?34And his lord, being angry, handed him over to the torturers, until he repaid the entire debt35So, too, shall my heavenly Father do to you, if each one of you will not forgive his brother from your hearts.
1And it happened that, when Jesus had completed these words, he moved away from Galilee, and he arrived within the borders of Judea, across the Jordan
Sermon
In today’s readings, Ezekiel and Matthew present powerful lessons on divine judgment, mercy, and the call to forgiveness. Ezekiel’s prophecy uses dramatic actions to warn of impending exile, urging Israel to recognize its sins and turn back to God. His symbolic journey, with its elements of secrecy and burden, underscores the gravity of their situation and the consequences of ignoring God’s warnings. This serves as a stark reminder of the need for humility and repentance in the face of divine judgment.
Matthew’s Gospel complements this with Jesus’ parable on forgiveness, emphasizing the limitless mercy we should extend to others. The servant who refuses to forgive, despite being forgiven a great debt, faces severe consequences, teaching us that true forgiveness must come from the heart. This parable challenges us to reflect on our own relationships and whether we are living out the mercy we have received.
Together, these readings call us to a life of mindfulness and compassion. Ezekiel’s prophecy reminds us to heed spiritual warnings and avoid complacency, while Matthew’s parable urges us to practice forgiveness and mercy. By embracing these lessons, we foster a community rooted in love and understanding, reflecting the justice and mercy of God in our daily lives.