Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 2, 2017
Psalm 89
1I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.2For I said, "Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness."3You have said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant:4'I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.'" Selah5Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!6For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,7a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him?8O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?9You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.10You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.11The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.12The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.13You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand.14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.15Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face,16who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.17For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted.18For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.19Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: "I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people.20I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him,21so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him.22The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him.23I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.24My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted.25I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.26He shall cry to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.'27And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.28My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.29I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens.30If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules,31if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments,32then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes,33but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness.34I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips.35Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.36His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me.37Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies." Selah38But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed.39You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust.40You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins.41All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.42You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice.43You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in battle.44You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground.45You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah46How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?47Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man!48What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah49Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David?50Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations,51with which your enemies mock, O LORD, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed.52Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.
Second Reading: Romans 6.3-4, 8-11
3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.9We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Gospel: Matthew 10.37-42
37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.40"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.41The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.42And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."
Sermon
In today's readings, we delve into profound truths about our commitment to Christ and the transformative power of faith. The second reading from Romans reminds us that through baptism, we are united with Christ's death and resurrection, signifying our liberation from sin's grasp. This sacred ritual isn't merely symbolic; it's a covenant that calls us to a new life, one where we walk in the light of Christ, free from sin's dominion.
The Gospel from Matthew challenges us to prioritize our love for Jesus above all earthly ties. Jesus emphasizes that true discipleship requires carrying our cross, embracing sacrifices for His sake. This isn't about self-denial for its own sake, but about aligning our hearts with His will. The passage also highlights the importance of hospitality and compassion, even in small acts, as reflections of our love for Him.
These readings converge on the theme of commitment. Baptism in Romans is a sacramental commitment to a sin-free life, while Matthew's Gospel calls us to a radical, daily commitment to follow Christ. In our lives, this means embracing our baptismal vows anew each day and prioritizing Jesus in our decisions. It's about recognizing that every act of kindness, no matter how small, is a testament to our faith. Let us reflect on how we can live out this commitment, not just in grand gestures, but in the simple, everyday choices that reflect our love for Christ.