Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 2, 2023
First Reading: 2 Kings 4.8-12a, 14-16
8Now it happened that, on a certain day, Elisha passed by Shunem. And there was a great woman there, who took him to eat bread. And since he frequently passed by there, he turned aside to her house, so that he might eat bread9And she said to her husband: "I have noticed that he is a holy man of God, who passes by us frequently10Therefore, let us prepare a small upper room for him, and place a bed in it for him, and a table, and a chair, and a lampstand, so that when he comes to us, he may stay there.11Then it happened that, on a certain day, arriving, he turned aside into the upper room, and he rested there12And he said to his servant Gehazi, "Call this Shunammite woman." And when he had called her, and she stood before him14And he said, "Then what does she want, that I might do for her?" And Gehazi said: "You need not ask. For she has no son, and her husband is elderly.15And so, he instructed him to call her. And when she had been called, and was standing before the door16he said to her, "At this time, and at this same hour, with life as a companion, you will have a son in your womb." But she responded, "Do not, I ask you, my lord, a man of God, do not be willing to lie to your handmaid.
Psalm 89
1The understanding of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing the mercies of the Lord in eternity. I will announce your truth with my mouth, from generation to generation2For you have said: Mercy will be built in the heavens, unto eternity. Your truth will be prepared there3I have set up a covenant with my elect. I have sworn to David my servant4I will prepare your offspring, even in eternity. And I will build up your throne, from generation to generation5The heavens will confess your miracles, Lord, and also your truth, in the Church of the saints6For who among the clouds is equal to the Lord? Who among the sons of God is like God7God is glorified by the counsel of the saints. He is great and terrible above all those who are around him8O Lord, God of hosts, who is like you? You are powerful, Lord, and your truth is all around you9You rule over the power of the sea, and you even mitigate the movement of its waves10You have humbled the arrogant one, like one who has been wounded. You have scattered your enemies with the arm of your strength11Yours are the heavens, and yours is the earth. You founded the whole world in all its fullness12You created the north and the sea. Tabor and Hermon will exult in your name13Your arm acts with power. Let your hand be strengthened, and let your right hand be exalted14Justice and judgment are the preparation of your throne. Mercy and truth will precede your face15Blessed is the people that knows jubilation. They will walk in the light of your countenance, O Lord16and they will exult in your name all day long, and they will be exalted in your justice17For you are the glory of their virtue, and in your goodness, our horn will be exalted18For our assumption is of the Lord, and it is of our king, the holy one of Israel19Then you spoke in a vision to your holy ones, and you said: I have stationed help with the powerful one, and I have exalted the elect one from my people20I have found my servant David. I have anointed him with my holy oil21For my hand will assist him, and my arm will fortify him22The enemy will have no advantage over him, nor will the son of iniquity be positioned to harm him23And I will cut down his enemies before his face. And those who hate him, I will turn to flight24And my truth and my mercy will be with him. And his horn will be exalted in my name25And I will place his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers26He will invoke me: "You are my father, my God, and the support of my salvation.27And I will make him the first-born, preeminent before the kings of the earth28I will preserve my mercy for him eternally, and my covenant for him faithfully29And I will set his offspring from generation to generation, and his throne like the days of heaven30But if his sons abandon my law, and if they do not walk in my judgments31if they profane my justices, and if they do not keep my commandments32I will visit their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with a beating33But I will not scatter my mercy from him, and I will not do harm to my truth34And I will not profane my covenant, and I will not make void that which proceeds from my lips35I have sworn by my holiness one time: I will not lie to David36his offspring will remain for eternity. And his throne will be like the sun in my sight37and, like the moon, it is perfected in eternity, and it is a faithful witness in heaven38Yet, truly, you have rejected and despised, you have pushed away, my Christ39You have overthrown the covenant of your servant. You have profaned his sanctuary on earth40You have destroyed all his fences. You have made his territory dreadful41All who pass by the way have plundered him. He has become a disgrace to his neighbors42You have exalted the right hand of those who oppress him. You have brought joy to all his enemies43You have diverted the help of his sword, and you have not assisted him in battle44You have torn him away from cleansing, and you have smashed his throne down to the ground45You have reduced the days of his time. You have flooded him with confusion46How long, O Lord? Will you turn away unto the end? Will your wrath flare up like a fire47Remember what my substance is. For could you really have appointed all the sons of men in vain48Who is the man that will live, and yet not see death? Who will rescue his own soul from the hand of the underworld49O Lord, where are your mercies of antiquity, just as you swore to David in your truth50Be mindful, O Lord, of the disgrace of your servants (which I have sustained in my sinews) among many nations51With these, your enemies have reproached you, O Lord; with these, they have reproached the commutation of your Christ52Blessed is the Lord for all eternity. Amen. Amen
Second Reading: Romans 6.3-4, 8-11
3Do you not know that those of us who have been baptized in Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death4For through baptism we have been buried with him into death, so that, in the manner that Christ rose from the dead, by the glory of the Father, so may we also walk in the newness of life8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live together with Christ9For we know that Christ, in rising up from the dead, can no longer die: death no longer has dominion over him10For in as much as he died for sin, he died once. But in as much as he lives, he lives for God11And so, you should consider yourselves to be certainly dead to sin, and to be living for God in Christ Jesus our Lord
Gospel: Matthew 10.37-42
37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or daughter above me is not worthy of me38And whoever does not take up his cross, and follow me is not worthy of me39Whoever finds his life, will lose it. And whoever will have lost his life because of me, shall find it40Whoever receives you, receives me. And whoever receives me, receives him who sent me41Whoever receives a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive the reward of a prophet. And whoever receives the just in the name of the just shall receive the reward of the just42And whoever shall give, even to one of the least of these, a cup of cold water to drink, solely in the name of a disciple: Amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful lessons on love, faith, and the transformative power of God. The first reading from 2 Kings introduces us to the Shunammite woman, a remarkable figure whose hospitality and kindness toward the prophet Elisha open the door to a miraculous blessing. Despite her own struggles—childlessness and an aging husband—she prioritizes caring for Elisha, and in return, God grants her a son. This story reminds us that our acts of love and generosity, no matter how small they may seem, are seen by God and can lead to unexpected graces.
The second reading from Romans deepens our understanding of the spiritual life. St. Paul explains that through baptism, we are united with Christ’s death and resurrection, freeing us from the dominion of sin and empowering us to live a new life in God. This passage invites us to reflect on our own baptism and the call to walk in the "newness of life" that comes from dying to sin and living for Christ. Just as the Shunammite woman’s faith and hospitality brought life to her home, our commitment to living as disciples can bring spiritual life to those around us.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to prioritize our relationship with him above all else. He calls us to take up our cross and follow him, even when it requires sacrifice. The promise is clear: those who lose their lives for his sake will find true life, and those who welcome others in his name will be rewarded. This teaching echoes the example of the Shunammite woman, who opened her heart and home to God’s prophet and received a blessing beyond measure. Let us ask ourselves: Are we willing to love and serve with the same selflessness? Are we open to the ways God might work through us to bring life and hope to others? May we, like the Shunammite woman, trust in God’s providence and live with hearts open to his transformative grace.