Daily Readings - Sat Jul 27 2024
Jeremiah
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying2"Stand at the gate to the house of the Lord, and preach this word there, and say: Listen to the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter through these gates to adore the Lord3Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Make your ways and your intentions good, and I will live with you in this place4Do not choose to trust in lying words, saying: ‘This is the temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord!5For if you direct your ways and your intentions well, if you exercise judgment between a man and his neighbor6if you do not act with deceit toward the new arrival, the orphan, and the widow, and if you do not pour out innocent blood in this place, and if you do not walk after strange gods, which is to your own harm7then I will live with you in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers from the beginning and even forever8Behold, you trust in false words, which will not benefit you9so as to steal, to murder, to commit adultery, to swear falsely, to offer libations to Baal, and to go after strange gods, which you do not know10And you arrived and stood before me in this house, where my name is invoked, and you said: ‘We have been freed because we carried out all these abominations.11So then, has this house, where my name has been invoked, become a den of robbers in your eyes? It is I, I am, I have seen, says the Lord
Matthew
24He proposed another parable to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field25But while the men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds amid the wheat, and then went away26And when the plants had grown, and had produced fruit, then the weeds also appeared27So the servants of the Father of the family, approaching, said to him: ‘Lord, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how is it that it has weeds?28And he said to them, ‘A man who is an enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Is it your will that we should go and gather them up?29And he said: ‘No, lest perhaps in gathering the weeds, you might also root out the wheat together with it30Permit both to grow until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers: Gather first the weeds, and bind them into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather into my storehouse.’
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful messages that call us to reflect on our relationship with God and our life of faith. The first reading from Jeremiah challenges us to examine the integrity of our actions and intentions. Standing at the gates of the temple, Jeremiah warns the people of Judah not to rely on the temple’s presence as a guarantee of safety or holiness. He calls them to live justly, to care for the vulnerable, and to reject false idols. The temple, he says, is not a refuge for sin but a place where God dwells among those who are faithful and upright. Jeremiah’s words are a stark reminder that our worship and devotion must be matched by our commitment to justice and holiness in daily life.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents us with a parable about the kingdom of heaven, likening it to a field where both wheat and weeds grow together. Jesus teaches that the master allows both to grow until the harvest, lest the wheat be uprooted along with the weeds. This parable invites us to trust in God’s patience and wisdom, recognizing that good and evil often coexist in this world. It reminds us that judgment is ultimately God’s work, not ours, and that our task is to focus on growing in holiness and letting God handle the rest.
Together, these readings remind us that our faith is not merely about words or rituals but about living in a way that reflects God’s justice and love. Jeremiah warns against complacency and false security, while Jesus encourages patience and trust in God’s plan. In our daily lives, we are called to examine our intentions and actions, to live with integrity, and to trust that God will ultimately separate good from evil. May we strive to be the wheat that grows strong and fruitful, trusting in God’s mercy and judgment, and living in a way that honors His name.