Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 24, 2017
Psalm 139
1O LORD, you have searched me and known me!2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.3You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.4Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.5You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.7Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?8If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!9If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.11If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,"12even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.13For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.15My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.16Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!18If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.19Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!20They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain!21Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?22I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.23Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!24And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Second Reading: Acts 13.22-26
22And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, 'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.'23Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.24Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.25And as John was finishing his course, he said, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.'26"Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.
Sermon
In today's reading from Acts 13:22-26, we hear Paul's sermon in the synagogue at Antioch, where he recounts the transition from King Saul to King David. David, a man after God's own heart, is chosen by God to fulfill His will, setting the stage for the Messiah. The reading then shifts to John the Baptist, who humbly acknowledges his role as a precursor to Jesus, emphasizing that he is not the Messiah but one who prepares the way.
This passage is rooted in the context of Paul addressing both Jews and Gentiles, illustrating the progression of God's plan from the Old Testament to the New. David's kingship and John's baptism of repentance highlight the fulfillment of God's promises, leading to the arrival of Jesus Christ. The connection between the readings lies in their shared theme of preparation and fulfillment—David's obedience and John's humility both point to the coming of the Messiah.
In our daily lives, this teaches us to trust in God's plan and timing. Like David, we are called to be faithful and obedient, and like John, to humbly recognize our role in God's larger narrative. The moral lesson here is one of trust and humility—trusting in God's purpose and being open to how He works through us. Let us strive to be faithful in our roles, preparing the way for others to encounter Christ, just as John did.