Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 31, 2017
First Reading: Exodus 32.15-24, 30-34
15Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written.16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.17When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."18But he said, "It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear."19And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.20He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.21And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?"22And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.23For they said to me, 'Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'24So I said to them, 'Let any who have gold take it off.' So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf."30The next day Moses said to the people, "You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin."31So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, this people have sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.32But now, if you will forgive their sin--but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written."33But the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.34But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them."
Psalm 106
1Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!2Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?3Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!4Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them,5that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.6Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.7Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the Sea, at the Red Sea.8Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power.9He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.10So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.11And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.12Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.13But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.14But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;15he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.16When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,17the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.18Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.19They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image.20They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.21They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,22wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.23Therefore he said he would destroy them--had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.24Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.25They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD.26Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness,27and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands.28Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;29they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.30Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed.31And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.32They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account,33for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips.34They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them,35but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.36They served their idols, which became a snare to them.37They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;38they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.39Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.40Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;41he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them.42Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.43Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity.44Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.45For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.46He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive.47Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.48Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!
Gospel: Matthew 13.31-35
31He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.32It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."33He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened."34All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.35This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, growth, and redemption. From Exodus, we witness the Israelites' impatience and lack of faith as they turn to a golden calf while Moses is on Mount Sinai. Moses, bearing the Ten Commandments, is met with their idolatry, leading to his anger and the breaking of the tablets. Yet, Moses' subsequent intercession for his people highlights God's mercy and the possibility of redemption despite their sin.
In the Gospel, Jesus shares parables of the mustard seed and leaven, illustrating the kingdom of heaven's transformative power. A small mustard seed grows into a tree, and a little leaven ferments an entire batch of dough. These parables remind us that even the smallest acts of faith can lead to significant spiritual growth and impact.
Connecting these readings, we see that just as the kingdom begins small and flourishes, our faith, though it may start modestly, can grow and overcome even our greatest sins. The Exodus story teaches us that sin does not define us, for through repentance and intercession, we find mercy. The Gospel encourages us to nurture our faith, trusting in its potential to transform our lives and the world. Let us embrace the small beginnings of our faith, allowing it to grow and lead us toward redemption and a deeper connection with God.