Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 3, 2024
First Reading: Jeremiah 26.11-16, 24
11And the priests and the prophets spoke to the leaders and to all the people, saying: "A judgment of death is for this man. For he has prophesied against this city, just as you have heard with your own ears.12And Jeremiah spoke to all the leaders and to the entire people, saying: "The Lord has sent me to prophesy, about this house and about this city, all the words that you have heard13Now, therefore, make your ways and your intentions good, and heed the voice of the Lord your God. And then the Lord will repent of the evil that he has spoken against you14But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do to me what is good and right in your eyes15Yet truly, know and understand this: if you kill me, you will be bringing innocent blood against yourselves, and against this city and its inhabitants. For in truth, the Lord sent me to you, so as to speak all these words in your hearing.16And then the leaders and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: "There is no judgment of death against this man. For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.24But the hand of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, was with Jeremiah, so that he would not be delivered into the hands of the people, and so that they would not put him to death
Psalm 69
1Unto the end. For those who will be changed: of David. Save me, O God, for the waters have entered, even to my soul2I have become stuck in a deep quagmire, and there is no firm footing. I have arrived at the height of the sea, and a tempest has overwhelmed me3I have endured hardships, while crying out. My jaws have become hoarse; my eyes have failed. Meanwhile, I hope in my God4Those who hate me without cause have been multiplied beyond the hairs of my head. My enemies, who persecuted me unjustly, have been strengthened. Then I was required to pay for what I did not take5O God, you know my foolishness, and my offenses have not been hidden from you6Let those who wait for you, O Lord, the Lord of hosts, not be shamed in me. Let those who seek you, O God of Israel, not be confounded over me7For because of you, I have endured reproach; confusion has covered my face8I have become a stranger to my brothers and a sojourner to the sons of my mother9For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen upon me10And I covered my soul with fasting, and it has become a reproach to me11And I put on a haircloth as my garment, and I became a parable to them12Those who sat at the gate spoke against me, and those who drank wine made me their song13But as for me, truly, my prayer is to you, O Lord. This time has pleased you well, O God. In the multitude of your mercy, in the truth of your salvation, hear me14Rescue me from the quagmire, so that I may not become trapped. Free me from those who hate me and from deep waters15Do not allow the tempest of water to submerge me, nor the deep to absorb me. And do not allow the well to close in on me16Hear me, O Lord, for your mercy is kind. Look upon me, according to the fullness of your compassion17And do not turn your face away from your servant, for I am in trouble: heed me quickly18Attend to my soul, and free it. Rescue me, because of my enemies19You know my reproach, and my confusion, and my reverence20All those who trouble me are in your sight; my heart has anticipated reproach and misery. And I sought for one who might grieve together with me, but there was no one, and for one who might console me, and I found no one21And they gave me gall for my food. And in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink22Let their table be a snare before them, and a retribution, and a scandal23Let their eyes be darkened, so that they may not see, and may their back always be crooked24Pour out your indignation upon them, and may the fury of your anger take hold of them25May their dwelling place be deserted, and may there be no one who dwells in their tabernacles26For they persecuted whomever you struck. And they have added to the grief of my wounds27Assign an iniquity upon their iniquity, and may they not enter into your justice28Delete them from the Book of the Living, and let them not be written down with the just29I am poor and sorrowful, but your salvation, O God, has taken me up30I will praise the name of God with a canticle, and I will magnify him with praise31And it will please God more than a new calf producing horns and hoofs32Let the poor see and rejoice. Seek God, and your soul will live33For the Lord has heard the poor, and he has not despised his prisoners34Let the heavens and the earth praise him: the sea, and everything that crawls in it35For God will save Zion, and the cities of Judah will be built up. And they will dwell there, and they will acquire it by inheritance36And the offspring of his servants will possess it; and those who love his name will dwell in it
Gospel: Matthew 14.1-12
1In that time, Herod the Tetrarch heard the news about Jesus2And he said to his servants: "This is John the Baptist. He has risen from the dead, and that is why miracles are at work in him.3For Herod had apprehended John, and bound him, and put him in prison, because of Herodias, the wife of his brother4For John was telling him, "It is not lawful for you to have her.5And though he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet6Then, on Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced in their midst, and it pleased Herod7And so he promised with an oath to give her whatever she would ask of him8But, having been advised by her mother, she said, "Give me here, on a platter, the head of John the Baptist.9And the king was greatly saddened. But because of his oath, and because of those who sat at table with him, he ordered it to be given10And he sent and beheaded John in prison11And his head was brought on a platter, and it was given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother12And his disciples approached and took the body, and they buried it. And arriving, they reported it to Jesus
Sermon
The readings today present us with two powerful examples of courage and conviction in the face of adversity. In the first reading from Jeremiah, the prophet stands trial before the leaders of Jerusalem for speaking God’s truth, which is uncomfortable and challenging to hear. Jeremiah’s message is not his own but comes from the Lord, and he insists that his words are meant to call the people to repentance and to amend their ways. Despite the threat of death, Jeremiah remains steadfast, trusting in God’s providence. The leaders, moved by his sincerity and the recognition of his divine mission, spare his life, thanks in part to the intervention of Ahikam, a man of good will.
In the Gospel, we encounter a very different outcome. John the Baptist, a prophet and precursor of Jesus, suffers martyrdom at the hands of Herod. John’s crime is his bold denunciation of Herod’s sinful union with Herodias, his brother’s wife. Herod, though intrigued by John and aware of his holiness, allows his pride and fear of embarrassment to lead him to order John’s execution. The tragic story highlights the consequences of sin and the dangers of allowing personal desires to cloud judgment. John’s martyrdom, however, is not in vain; it bears witness to the truth and prepares the way for the ministry of Jesus.
Both readings remind us of the cost of living according to God’s will and the importance of moral courage. Jeremiah and John the Baptist are prophets who risk everything to speak the truth, even when it is unpopular or dangerous. Their examples challenge us to reflect on how we live our faith in daily life. Are we willing to stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult? Do we have the courage to confront sin in ourselves and in the world around us? The readings call us to trust in God’s providence, as Jeremiah did, and to remain faithful to our mission, as John the Baptist did, even in the face of adversity. Let us ask for the grace to live with integrity and to bear witness to the truth, knowing that our efforts, like those of the prophets, can lead to transformation and renewal.