Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 18, 2024
First Reading: Isaiah 26.7-9, 12, 16-19
7The path of the just is upright; the difficult path of the just is right to walk in8And in the path of your judgments, O Lord, we have endured for you. Your name and your remembrance are the desire of the soul9My soul has desired you in the night. But I will also watch for you with my spirit, in my inmost heart, from the morning. When you accomplish your judgments upon the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn justice12Lord, you will give us peace. For all our works have been wrought for us by you16Lord, they have sought you in anguish. Your doctrine was with them, amid the tribulation of murmuring17Like a woman who has conceived and is approaching the time for delivery, who, in anguish, cries out in her pains, so have we become before your face, O Lord18We have conceived, and it is as if we were in labor, but we have given birth to wind. We have not brought forth salvation on the earth. For this reason, the inhabitants of the earth have not fallen19Your dead shall live. My slain will rise again. Be awakened, and give praise, you who live in the dust! For your dew is the dew of the light, and you shall be dragged down to the land of the giants, to ruination
Psalm 102
1The prayer of the pauper, when he was anxious, and so he poured out his petition in the sight of the Lord. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my outcry reach you2Do not turn your face away from me. In whatever day that I am in trouble, incline your ear to me. In whatever day that I will call upon you, heed me quickly3For my days have faded away like smoke, and my bones have dried out like firewood4I have been cut down like hay, and my heart has withered, for I had forgotten to eat my bread5Before the voice of my groaning, my bone has adhered to my flesh6I have become like a pelican in solitude. I have become like a night raven in a house7I have kept vigil, and I have become like a solitary sparrow on a roof8All day long my enemies reproached me, and those who praised me swore oaths against me9For I chewed on ashes like bread, and I mixed weeping into my drink10By the face of your anger and indignation, you lifted me up and threw me down11My days have declined like a shadow, and I have dried out like hay12But you, O Lord, endure for eternity, and your memorial is from generation to generation13You will rise up and take pity on Zion, for it is time for its mercy, for the time has come14For its stones have pleased your servants, and they will take pity on its land15And the Gentiles will fear your name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory16For the Lord has built up Zion, and he will be seen in his glory17He has noticed the prayer of the humble, and he has not despised their petition18Let these things be written in another generation, and the people who will be created will praise the Lord19For he has gazed from his high sanctuary. From heaven, the Lord has beheld the earth20So may he hear the groans of those in shackles, in order that he may release the sons of the slain21So may they announce the name of the Lord in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem22while the people convene, along with kings, in order that they may serve the Lord23He responded to him in the way of his virtue: Declare to me the brevity of my days24Do not call me back in the middle of my days: your years are from generation to generation25In the beginning, O Lord, you founded the earth. And the heavens are the work of your hands26They will perish, but you remain. And all will grow old like a garment. And, like a blanket, you will change them, and they will be changed27Yet you are ever yourself, and your years will not decline28The sons of your servants will live, and their offspring will be guided aright in every age
Gospel: Matthew 11.28-30
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound messages of hope and comfort amidst suffering. The passage from Isaiah speaks to those enduring hardship, assuring them that their struggles are not in vain. It paints a vivid picture of a people in anguish, yearning for deliverance, yet holding onto the promise of resurrection and new life. The Gospel offers a complementary message, as Jesus invites the weary to find rest in Him, promising that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Isaiah's words are set against the backdrop of a nation in distress, likely during the exile, where the people are grappling with the consequences of their actions. Despite their tribulations, Isaiah instills hope, reminding them that God's judgments are not merely punitive but transformative. Jesus, in Matthew's Gospel, addresses those burdened by life's challenges, offering a different kind of rest—one that comes from surrendering to His will. Both readings converge on the theme of trust: trusting in God's plan even when the path is difficult, and trusting in Jesus' promise of rest.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to embrace faith and trust in God's providence. When we face struggles, we are reminded that our efforts, though they may seem futile, are part of a larger divine plan. Jesus' invitation to take His yoke upon us is a call to reorient our burdens, finding strength and comfort in Him. The moral lesson here is clear: in times of trial, we must turn to God with unwavering faith, trusting that He will bring light out of darkness and rest to the weary. This trust is not passive but active, a choice to seek God in every moment, knowing that true rest and redemption are found in Him.