Daily Readings - Wed Jul 23 2025
Exodus
1And they set out from Elim. And the entire multitude of the sons of Israel arrived at the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month, after they departed from the land of Egypt2And 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 law5But on the sixth day, let them prepare what they use for carrying, and let there be double what they were accustomed to collect on a single day.9Moses also said to Aaron: "Say to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Approach before the Lord. For he has heard your murmuring.’ 10And when Aaron spoke to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness. And behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud11Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying12"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 eat
Matthew
1In that day, Jesus, departing from the house, sat down beside the sea2And such great crowds were gathered to him that he climbed into a boat and he sat down. And the entire multitude stood on the shore3And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow seed4And while he was sowing, some fell beside the road, and the birds of the air came and ate it5Then others fell in a rocky place, where they did not have much soil. And they sprung up promptly, because they had no depth of soil6But when the sun rose up, they were scorched, and because they had no roots, they withered7Still others fell among thorns, and the thorns increased and suffocated them8Yet some others fell upon good soil, and they produced fruit: some one hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold9Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on God’s providence and our response to His Word. In the first reading from Exodus, the Israelites find themselves in the desert, murmuring against Moses and Aaron because of their hunger and frustration. They had left the abundance of Egypt but now felt abandoned. Yet, in their despair, God provides manna, a miraculous bread from heaven, to sustain them. This gift was not only physical sustenance but also a test of their trust in Him. The Israelites were to gather only what they needed each day, learning to rely on God’s daily provision rather than their own efforts.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches the parable of the sower, which speaks to how we receive the Word of God. The seed falls on different types of soil, representing the various ways people respond to God’s message. Some hearts are hard and unresponsive, like the rocky ground; others are distracted by the cares of the world, like the thorny soil. But the good soil, fertile and open, bears abundant fruit. Jesus’ parable reminds us that our receptivity to God’s Word determines its fruitfulness in our lives.
Both readings call us to examine our relationship with God. The Israelites in the desert had to learn to trust in God’s daily provision, even when the future seemed uncertain. Similarly, Jesus invites us to cultivate hearts that are open and receptive to His Word. In our daily lives, we often face challenges and uncertainties, but these are opportunities to deepen our faith. Let us ask ourselves: Do we grumble and doubt, or do we trust in God’s providence? Do we allow the cares of the world to choke the Word in our hearts, or do we nurture it with prayer and gratitude? May we strive to be like the good soil, bearing fruit in abundance, and may we remember that God’s grace is always sufficient for us, even in the wilderness.