Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 4, 2024
First Reading: Exodus 16.2-4, 12-15, 31a
2And the entire congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness3And the sons of Israel said to them: "If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat around bowls of meat and ate bread until filled. Why have you led us away, into this desert, so that you might kill the entire multitude with famine?4Then the Lord said to Moses: "Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Let the people go out and collect what is sufficient for each day, so that I may test them, as to whether or not they will walk in my law12"I have heard the murmuring of the sons of Israel. Say to them: ‘In the evening, you will eat flesh, and in the morning, you will be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ 13Therefore, it happened in the evening: quails, rising up, covered the camp. Likewise, in the morning, a dew lay all around the camp14And when it had covered the face of the earth, it appeared, in the wilderness, small and as if crushed with a pestle, similar to hoar-frost on the ground15When the sons of Israel had seen it, they said one to another: "Manhu?" which means "What is this?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them: "This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat31And the house of Israel called its name ‘Manna.’ It was like white coriander seed, and its taste was like wheat flour with honey
Psalm 78
1The understanding of Asaph. O my people, attend to my law. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth2I will open my mouth in parables. I will speak about concepts that are from the beginning3We have heard and known such great things, as our fathers have described to us4These things have not been hidden from their sons in any generation: declaring the praises of the Lord, and his virtues, and the wonders that he has done5And he has received testimony with Jacob, and he has set a law within Israel. Such great things, he has commanded our fathers, so as to make these things known to their sons6so that another generation might know them, and so that the sons, who will be born and who will grow up, shall describe them to their sons7So then, may they put their hope in God, and may they not forget the works of God, and may they seek his commandments8May they not become like their fathers, a perverse and exasperating generation: a generation that does not straighten their heart and whose spirit is not trustworthy with God9The sons of Ephraim, who bend and shoot the bow, have been turned back in the day of battle10They have not kept the covenant of God. And they were not willing to walk in his law11And they have been forgetful of his benefits, and of his miracle, which he revealed to them12He performed miracles in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Tanis13He broke the sea and he led them through. And he stationed the waters, as if in a vessel14And he led them with a cloud by day, and with illumination by fire throughout the night15He broke through the rock in the wasteland, and he gave them to drink, as if from the great abyss16He brought forth water from the rock, and he conducted the waters, as if they were rivers17And yet, they continued to sin against him. In a waterless place, they provoked the Most High with resentment18And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking for food according to their desires19And they spoke badly about God. They said, "Would God be able to prepare a table in the desert20He struck the rock, and so waters flowed and the torrents flooded, but would even he be able to provide bread, or provide a table, for his people?21Therefore, the Lord heard, and he was dismayed, and a fire was kindled within Jacob, and an anger ascended into Israel22For they neither put their trust in God, nor did they hope in his salvation23And he commanded the clouds from above, and he opened the doors of heaven24And he rained down manna upon them to eat, and he gave them the bread of heaven25Man ate the bread of Angels. He sent them provisions in abundance26He transferred the south wind from heaven, and, in his virtue, he brought in the Southwest wind27And he rained down flesh upon them, as if it were dust, and feathered birds, as if they were the sand of the sea28And they fell down in the midst of their camp, encircling their tabernacles29And they ate until they were greatly satisfied, and he brought to them according to their desires30They were not cheated out of what they wanted. Their food was still in their mouth31and then the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones among them, and he impeded the elect of Israel32In all these things, they continued to sin, and they were not trustworthy with his miracles33And their days faded away into vanity, and their years with haste34When he slew them, then they sought him. And they returned, and they drew near to him in the early morning35And they were mindful that God is their helper and that the Most High God is their redeemer36And they chose him with their mouth, and then they lied to him with their tongue37For their heart was not upright with him, nor have they been living faithfully in his covenant38Yet he is merciful, and he will pardon their sins. And he will not destroy them. And he has abundantly turned aside his own wrath. And he did not enflame his wrath entirely39And he remembered that they are flesh: with a spirit that goes forth and does not return40How often did they provoke him in the desert and stir him to wrath in a waterless place41And they turned back and tempted God, and they exasperated the Holy One of Israel42They did not remember his hand, in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of the one troubling them43Thus, he positioned his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Tanis44And he turned their rivers into blood, along with their rain showers, so that they could not drink45He sent among them the common fly, and it devoured them, and the frog, and it scattered them46And he gave up their fruits to mold and their labors to the locust47And he slew their vineyards with hail and their mulberry trees with severe frost48And he delivered their cattle to the hail and their possessions to fire49And he sent the wrath of his indignation among them: indignation and wrath and tribulation, sent forth by evil angels50He made way for the path of his anger. He did not spare their souls from death. And he enclosed their beasts of burden in death51And he struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt: the first-fruits of all their labor in the tabernacles of Ham52And he took away his own people like sheep, and he led them through the wilderness like a flock53And he led them out in hope, and they did not fear. And the sea covered their enemies54And he led them to the mountain of his sanctification: the mountain that his right hand had acquired. And he cast out the Gentiles before their face. And he divided their land by lot to them, with a line of distribution55And he caused the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles56Yet they tempted and aggravated God Most High, and they did not keep his testaments57And they turned themselves aside, and they did not serve the covenant. In the same manner as their fathers, they were turned backwards, like a crooked bow58They impelled him to anger on their hills, and they provoked him to rivalry with their graven images59God listened, and he spurned them, and he reduced Israel greatly, almost to nothing60And he rejected the tabernacle of Shiloh, his tabernacle where he had dwelt among men61And he delivered their virtue into captivity, and their beauty into the hands of the enemy62And he enclosed his people with the sword, and he spurned his inheritance63Fire consumed their young men, and their virgins were not lamented64Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows did not weep65And the Lord was awakened, as if out of sleep, and like a powerful man impaired by wine66And he struck his enemies on the back. He gave them over to everlasting disgrace67And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim68But he chose the tribe of Judah: mount Zion, which he loved69And he built up his sanctuary, like a single-horned beast, in the land that he founded for all ages70And he chose his servant David, and he took him from the flocks of the sheep: he received him from following the ewes with their young71in order to pasture Jacob his servant and Israel his inheritance72And he fed them with the innocence of his heart. And he led them with the understanding of his hands
Second Reading: Ephesians 4.17, 20-24
17And so, I say this, and I testify in the Lord: that from now on you should walk, not as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind20But this is not what you have learned in Christ21For certainly, you have listened to him, and you have been instructed in him, according to the truth that is in Jesus22to set aside your earlier behavior, the former man, who was corrupted, by means of desire, unto error23and so be renewed in the spirit of your mind24and so put on the new man, who, in accord with God, is created in justice and in the holiness of truth
Gospel: John 6.24-35
24Therefore, when the crowd had seen that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they climbed into the small boats, and they went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus25And when they had found him across the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?26Jesus answered them and said: "Amen, amen, I say to you, you seek me, not because you have seen signs, but because you have eaten from the bread and were satisfied27Do not work for food that perishes, but for that which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.28Therefore, they said to him, "What should we do, so that we may labor in the works of God?29Jesus responded and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent.30And so they said to him: "Then what sign will you do, so that we may see it and believe in you? What will you work31Our fathers ate manna in the desert, just as it has been written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ 32Therefore, Jesus said to them: "Amen, amen, I say to you, Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven33For the bread of God is he who descends from heaven and gives life to the world.34And so they said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always.35Then Jesus said to them: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter themes of provision, transformation, and the call to seek what truly satisfies. The first reading from Exodus describes the Israelites’ murmuring in the wilderness, dissatisfied with their circumstances and longing for the comforts of Egypt. God responds by providing manna, a miraculous bread from heaven, to sustain them on their journey. This story reminds us of God’s faithfulness and provision, even in times of uncertainty and complaint. The second reading from Ephesians shifts our focus to the spiritual realm, urging us to set aside our old, sinful ways and be renewed in Christ. It calls us to live in the “new man,” created in God’s image, marked by justice and holiness. Finally, the Gospel from John 6 deepens this theme as Jesus reveals himself as the “bread of life,” the true and lasting fulfillment of our deepest hungers. He invites us to seek not merely physical sustenance but eternal life, found in believing in him.
The readings are interconnected in their emphasis on transformation and the pursuit of what truly satisfies. The Israelites in Exodus were focused on physical hunger, but God provided manna as a sign of his care and a call to trust in his providence. Similarly, in Ephesians, we are called to move beyond the “old man” of sin and worldly desires, embracing a new life in Christ. In the Gospel, Jesus takes this a step further, revealing that he is the ultimate bread from heaven, the source of eternal life. Together, these readings invite us to reflect on where we place our trust and what we truly seek in life. Are we content with temporary satisfactions, or do we hunger for something deeper?
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, we are reminded to trust in God’s providence, even when we feel uncertain or dissatisfied. Like the Israelites, we may grumble about our circumstances, but God is always working to provide for us in ways we may not fully understand. The call to “put on the new man” in Ephesians challenges us to examine our habits, attitudes, and priorities, inviting us to live in a way that reflects the holiness and love of Christ. And in the Gospel, Jesus invites us to seek him above all else, to hunger for the bread that gives eternal life. May we, like the crowd in Capernaum, ask Jesus for this bread, and may we find in him the fulfillment of our deepest longings.