Daily Readings - Mon Jul 31 2023
Exodus
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.
Matthew
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.