Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 25, 2017
Psalm 69
1Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.2I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.3I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.4More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal must I now restore?5O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.6Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel.7For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face.8I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons.9For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.10When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.11When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.12I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.13But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.14Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.15Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.16Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.17Hide not your face from your servant; for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.18Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because of my enemies!19You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you.20Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.21They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.22Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.23Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually.24Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them.25May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents.26For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.27Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you.28Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.29But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high!30I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.31This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs.32When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.33For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.34Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them.35For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it;36the offspring of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.
Second Reading: Romans 5.12-15
12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned--13for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.14Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
Gospel: Matthew 10.26-33
26"So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.31Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.32So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound truths about sin, grace, and the courage to live our faith fearlessly. The Second Reading from Romans reminds us that through Adam, sin and death entered the world, but through Christ, God's grace abounds even more abundantly. This theological foundation underscores the transformative power of God's love. In the Gospel, Matthew shares Jesus' words of encouragement to His disciples, urging them not to fear persecution or death, for they are valued by God, who even knows the number of hairs on their heads. Jesus emphasizes that acknowledging Him before others will be reciprocated by the Father in heaven.
The context of these readings is rooted in the early Christian experience. Paul, in Romans, contrasts Adam and Christ, highlighting the redemptive act of Jesus. This contrast serves as a theological underpinning for understanding the nature of sin and grace. In Matthew, Jesus prepares His disciples for the challenges they will face, encouraging them to trust in God's providence and care. Together, these readings bridge the theological and the practical, offering both a understanding of God's plan and the courage to live it out.
Applying these teachings to our daily lives, we are reminded to face challenges with faith, trusting in God's love and care. Just as the disciples were called to be bold, we too are called to live our faith openly, unafraid of what others may think or do. The moral lesson here is one of trust and courage—trusting in God's love and living as His children with confidence. Let us embrace this call, knowing we are valued and loved beyond measure, and let our lives reflect the grace we have received.