Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 4, 2017
First Reading: Leviticus 23.1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,4"These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them.5In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the LORD's Passover.6And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.7On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.8But you shall present a food offering to the LORD for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work."9And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,10"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest,11and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.15"You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering.16You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD.27"Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD.34"Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD.35On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.36For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.37"These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day,
Psalm 81
1Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!2Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp.3Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.4For it is a statute for Israel, a rule of the God of Jacob.5He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt. I hear a language I had not known:6"I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket.7In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah8Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me!9There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.10I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.11"But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.12So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.13Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!14I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.15Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever.16But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."
Gospel: Matthew 13.54-58
54and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?55Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?56And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household."58And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
Sermon
In today's readings, we journey through sacred rituals and a poignant moment of rejection, inviting us to reflect on our relationship with the divine and our communities. The first reading from Leviticus details the feasts of the Lord, each a testament to Israel's covenant with God. These feasts were not mere events but communal acts of remembrance and celebration, grounding the people in their history and faith. They were times to pause, reflect, and reconnect with God's presence in their lives.
In the Gospel, we find Jesus in His hometown, where His wisdom and miracles amaze yet also offend. The familiarity of His presence leads to skepticism, a stark contrast to the sacred gatherings in Leviticus. Here, the sacred is overlooked because it is too familiar, highlighting a human tendency to undervalue what is closest to us. Jesus' experience reminds us that faith often falters when the divine is clothed in the ordinary.
As we reflect on these readings, let us consider how we perceive the sacred in our lives. Do we, like the people of Nazareth, allow familiarity to blind us to God's presence? Or do we, like the Israelites, embrace moments of communal reflection and celebration? Let us cultivate faith that sees beyond the ordinary, recognizing the divine in our midst. May we approach each day with openness, allowing God's presence to transform our lives, even in the most familiar of places.