Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 20, 2023
First Reading: Exodus 3.13-20
13Moses said to God: "Behold, I will go to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ If they say to me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to them?14God said to Moses, "I AM WHO AM." He said: "Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel: ‘HE WHO IS has sent me to you.’ 15And God said again to Moses: "Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is the name for me in eternity, and this is my memorial from generation to generation16Go and gather together the elders of Israel, and you shall say to them: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: When visiting, I have visited you, and I have seen all that has befallen you in Egypt17And I have spoken in order to lead you out of the affliction of Egypt, into the land of the Canaanite, and Hittite, and Amorite, and Perizzite, and Hivite, and Jebusite, into a land flowing with milk and honey.18And they shall hear your voice. And you shall enter, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to him: ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has called us. We shall go three days’ journey into the wilderness, in order to offer sacrifice to the Lord our God.19But I know that the king of Egypt will not release you, unless you go out by a powerful hand20For I will extend my hand, and I will strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do in the midst of them. After these things, he will release you
Psalm 105
1Alleluia. Confess to the Lord, and invoke his name. Announce his works among the nations2Sing to him, and sing psalms to him. Describe all his wonders3Be praised in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice4Seek the Lord, and be confirmed. Seek his face always5Remember his miracles, which he has done, his portents and the judgments of his mouth6you offspring of Abraham his servant, you sons of Jacob his elect7He is the Lord our God. His judgments are throughout the entire earth8He has remembered his covenant for all ages: the word that he entrusted to a thousand generations9which he assigned to Abraham, and his oath to Isaac10And he stationed the same for Jacob with a precept, and for Israel with an eternal testament11saying: To you, I will give the land of Canaan, the allotment of your inheritance12Though they may have been but a small number, very few and foreigners there13and though they passed from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people14he allowed no man to harm them, and he reproved kings on their behalf15Do not be willing to touch my Christ, and do not be willing to malign my prophets16And he called a famine upon the land, and he crushed every foundation of the bread17He sent a man before them: Joseph, who had been sold as a slave18They humbled his feet in shackles; the iron pierced his soul19until his word arrived. The eloquence of the Lord inflamed him20The king sent and released him; he was the ruler of the people, and he dismissed him21He established him as master of his house and ruler of all his possessions22so that he might instruct his princes as himself, and teach his elders prudence23And Israel entered into Egypt, and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham24And he helped his people greatly, and he strengthened them over their enemies25He turned their heart to hate his people, and to deal deceitfully with his servants26He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, the one whom he chose27He placed with them signs of his word, and portents in the land of Ham28He sent darkness and made it conceal, and he did not afflict them with his speech29He turned their waters into blood, and he slaughtered their fish30Their land brought forth frogs, even in the inner chambers of their kings31He spoke, and there came forth common flies and gnats, in every region32He gave them a shower of hail and a burning fire, in the same land33And he struck their vineyards and their fig trees, and he crushed the trees of their region34He spoke, and the locust came forth, and the caterpillar, of which there was no number35And it devoured all the grass in their land, and it consumed all the fruit of their land36And he struck all the first-born in their land, the first-fruits of all their labor37And he led them out with silver and gold, and there was not an infirm one among their tribes38Egypt was joyful at their departure, for the fear of them lay heavy upon them39He spread a cloud for their protection, and a fire, to give them light through the night40They petitioned, and the quail came; and he satisfied them with the bread of heaven41He ruptured the rock and the waters flowed: rivers gushed in the dry land42For he had called to mind his holy word, which he kept near to his servant Abraham43And he led forth his people in exultation, and his elect in rejoicing44And he gave them the regions of the Gentiles, and they possessed the labors of the peoples45so that they might observe his justifications, and inquire about his law
Gospel: Matthew 11.28-30
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of divine revelation and invitation. In the first reading from Exodus, Moses stands before the burning bush, and God reveals His name as “I AM WHO AM,” a declaration of His eternal and unchanging nature. This revelation is not just a philosophical statement but a promise of God’s presence and action in the lives of His people. God commissions Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, promising to guide and empower him for the task. The reading reminds us that God’s identity is deeply tied to His relationship with us, and His name becomes our hope and strength in times of uncertainty.
In the Gospel, Jesus extends an invitation to all who are weary and burdened: “Come to me, and I will refresh you.” These words, spoken in the midst of His ministry, reveal the heart of Jesus as one who desires to lift our burdens and give us rest. Jesus does not promise an easy life, but He offers us a different way of carrying our burdens—one that is shaped by His meekness and humility. His yoke is “sweet” and His burden “light” because He walks with us, sharing the weight of our struggles and teaching us to trust in His providence.
Both readings invite us to reflect on the nature of trust and surrender. Moses had to trust in God’s promise, even when the task seemed impossible. Jesus invites us to trust in His love, even when the road ahead seems heavy. In our daily lives, we are often tempted to rely on our own strength or to carry our burdens alone. But the readings remind us that true freedom and peace come from surrendering to God’s will and trusting in His presence. Like Moses, we are called to step out in faith, knowing that God goes before us. Like the weary disciples, we are invited to find rest in Christ, who bears our burdens with us. Let us learn to embrace the humility and trust that these readings inspire, and may we find the strength to follow God’s path, no matter where it leads.