Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 31, 2023
First Reading: Exodus 32.15-24, 30-34
15And Moses returned from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, written on both sides16and accomplished by the work of God. Also, the writing of God was engraved on the tablets17Then Joshua, hearing the tumult of the people shouting, said to Moses: "The outcry of battle is heard in the camp.18But he responded: "It is not the clamor of men being exhorted to battle, nor the shout of men being compelled to flee. But I hear the voice of singing.19And when he had approached to the camp, he saw the calf and the dances. And being very angry, he threw down the tablets from his hand, and he broke them at the base of the mountain20And seizing the calf, which they had made, he burnt it and crushed it, even to dust, which he scattered into water. And he gave from it to the sons of Israel to drink21And he said to Aaron, "What has this people done to you, so that you would bring upon them the greatest sin?22And he answered him: "Let not my lord be indignant. For you know this people, that they are prone to evil23They said to me: ‘Make gods for us, who may go before us. For this Moses, who led us away from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has befallen him.24And I said to them, ‘Which of you has gold?’ And they took it and gave it to me. And I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.30Then, when the next day arrived, Moses spoke to the people: "You have sinned the greatest sin. I will ascend to the Lord. Perhaps, in some way, I might be able to entreat him for your wickedness.31And returning to the Lord, he said: "I beg you, this people has sinned the greatest sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold. Either release them from this offense32or, if you do not, then delete me from the book that you have written.33And the Lord answered him: "Whoever has sinned against me, him I will delete from my book34But as for you, go and lead this people where I have told you. My angel will go before you. Then, on the day of retribution, I will also visit this sin of theirs.
Psalm 106
1Alleluia. Confess to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy is with every generation2Who will declare the powers of the Lord? Who make a hearing for all his praises3Blessed are those who keep judgment and who do justice at all times4Remember us, O Lord, with good will for your people. Visit us with your salvation5so that we may see the goodness of your elect, so that we may rejoice in the joy of your nation, so that you may be praised along with your inheritance6We have sinned, as have our fathers. We have acted unjustly; we have wrought iniquity7Our fathers did not understand your miracles in Egypt. They did not remember the multitude of your mercies. And they provoked you, while going up to the sea, even the Red Sea8And he saved them for the sake of his name, so that he might make known his power9And he rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up. And he led them into the abyss, as if into a desert10And he saved them from the hand of those who hated them. And he redeemed them from the hand of the enemy11And the water covered those who troubled them. Not one of them remained12And they believed his words, and they sang his praises13As soon as they had finished, they forgot his works, and they would not endure his counsel14And they coveted their desire in the desert, and they tempted God in a waterless place15And he granted to them their request, and he sent abundance into their souls16And they provoked Moses in the camp, and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord17The earth opened and swallowed Dathan, and it covered the congregation of Abiram18And a fire broke out in their congregation. A flame burned up the sinners19And they fashioned a calf at Horeb, and they adored a graven image20And they exchanged their glory for the likeness of a calf that eats hay21They forgot God, who saved them, who did great things in Egypt22miracles in the land of Ham, terrible things at the Red Sea23And he said that he would destroy them, yet Moses, his elect, stood firm before him in the breach, in order to avert his wrath, lest he destroy them24And they held the desirable land to be nothing. They did not trust in his word25And they murmured in their tabernacles. They did not heed the voice of the Lord26And he lifted up his hand over them, in order to prostrate them in the desert27and in order to cast their offspring among the nations, and to scatter them among the regions28And they were initiated into Baal of Peor, and they ate the sacrifices of the dead29And they provoked him with their inventions, and ruination was multiplied in them30Then Phinehas stood up and placated him: and so the violent disturbance ceased31And it was reputed to him unto justice, from generation to generation, even forever32And they provoked him at the Waters of Contradiction, and Moses was afflicted because of them33for they exasperated his spirit. And so he divided them with his lips34They did not destroy the nations, about which the Lord had spoken to them35And they were mixed among the Gentiles. And they learned their works36and they served their graven images, and it became a scandal to them37And they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons38And they shed innocent blood: the blood of their sons and of their daughters, which they sacrificed to the graven images of Canaan. And the land was infected with bloodshed39and was contaminated with their works. And they fornicated according to their own inventions40And the Lord became furiously angry with his people, and he abhorred his inheritance41And he delivered them into the hands of the nations. And those who hated them became rulers over them42And their enemies afflicted them, and they were humbled under their hands43Many times, he delivered them. Yet they provoked him with their counsel, and they were brought low by their iniquities44And he saw that they were in tribulation, and he heard their prayer45And he was mindful of his covenant, and he repented according to the multitude of his mercies46And he provided for them with mercies, in the sight of all those who had seized them47Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, so that we may confess your holy name and glory in your praise48Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, from ages past, even to all ages. And let all the people say: Amen. Amen
Gospel: Matthew 13.31-35
31He proposed another parable to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field32It is, indeed, the least of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is greater than all the plants, and it becomes a tree, so much so that the birds of the air come and dwell in its branches.33He spoke another parable to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of fine wheat flour, until it was entirely leavened.34All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds. And he did not speak to them apart from parables35in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying: "I will open my mouth in parables. I will proclaim what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.
Sermon
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the nature of faith, sin, and the transformative power of God’s presence in our lives. In the first reading from Exodus, we witness a dramatic moment in the history of God’s people. Moses, having received the tablets of the Ten Commandments from God, descends from the mountain only to find the Israelites worshipping a golden calf. Their impatience and lack of faith lead them to construct an idol, which angers Moses. He smashes the tablets, symbolizing the broken covenant, and confronts Aaron, who tries to excuse their sin. Moses then intercedes for the people, asking God to forgive their grave offense. This passage reminds us of the human tendency to turn away from God and the importance of intercession and mercy.
In the Gospel, Jesus uses two parables to describe the kingdom of heaven: the mustard seed and the leaven. The mustard seed, though small, grows into a tree that shelters the birds, while the leaven, though hidden, transforms the entire batch of dough. These parables teach us that the kingdom of God begins in humility and obscurity but gradually transforms everything it touches. Just as the mustard seed requires care and time to grow, and the leaven works quietly to ferment the dough, so too does the kingdom of God work in our lives through patience, faith, and trust.
The readings are connected by the theme of transformation. In Exodus, the people’s sin is met with God’s mercy and Moses’ intercession, offering a path to renewal. In the Gospel, the parables encourage us to trust in the slow but sure work of God’s grace. In our daily lives, we are called to recognize the ways in which God is at work, even in the smallest and most hidden ways. Like the mustard seed, our faith may seem insignificant, but with care and perseverance, it can grow into something extraordinary. And like the leaven, God’s grace can transform even the darkest corners of our hearts and the world around us. Let us ask for the faith to trust in God’s plan and the patience to let his kingdom grow in us and through us.