Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 12, 2017
First Reading: Deuteronomy 6.4-13
4"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.6And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.7You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.8You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.9You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.10"And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you--with great and good cities that you did not build,11and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant--and when you eat and are full,12then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.13It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.
Psalm 18
1I love you, O LORD, my strength.2The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.3I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.4The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me;5the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.6In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.7Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry.8Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.9He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet.10He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water.12Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire.14And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.15Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.16He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.17He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.18They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.19He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.20The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.21For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.22For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me.23I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt.24So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.25With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;26with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.27For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down.28For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness.29For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.30This God--his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.31For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?--32the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.33He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.34He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.35You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.36You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.37I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed.38I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet.39For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.40You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed.41They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.42I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets.43You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me.44As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me.45Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses.46The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation--47the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me,48who delivered me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you rescued me from the man of violence.49For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name.50Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.
Gospel: Matthew 17.14-20
14And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him,15said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.16And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him."17And Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me."18And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"20He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."
Sermon
The readings today remind us of the central call to faith and love in our relationship with God. In Deuteronomy, Moses exhorts the people to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength, and to pass on this love and the commandments to their children. This passage, known as the Shema, is a cornerstone of Jewish and Christian faith, emphasizing the oneness of God and the total dedication required of His people. It also warns against forgetting God’s blessings, especially when prosperity and comfort come, urging us to remain faithful and grateful. In the Gospel, we see a father’s desperate plea for his suffering son, and Jesus’ response highlights the importance of faith. The disciples’ failure to heal the boy is attributed to their lack of faith, but Jesus assures them that even a small amount of faith can move mountains.
These readings are deeply connected. Both emphasize the necessity of unwavering faith in God. In Deuteronomy, faith is expressed through loving obedience and gratitude, while in Matthew, it is demonstrated through trust in God’s power to overcome even the most daunting challenges. Together, they remind us that faith is not just intellectual assent but a lived commitment that shapes our actions and attitudes. Just as the Israelites were called to remember God’s covenant and blessings, we too are called to trust in God’s providence, even when circumstances seem impossible.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on the state of our faith. Are we like the disciples, sometimes faltering in our trust? Or are we like the father, persistent in prayer and hopeful in God’s mercy? Let us ask ourselves: Do we love God with all our heart, soul, and strength? Are we passing on this love and faith to others? And when we face trials, do we turn to God with the humility and trust of the father in the Gospel? May we learn to live out our faith with greater fidelity, remembering that even a mustard seed of faith can accomplish great things in God’s hands.