Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 4, 2018
First Reading: 2 Peter 1.1-7
1Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:2May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.3His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,4by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.5For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,7and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
Psalm 91
1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.2I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.4He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.5You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,6nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.7A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.8You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.9Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place--the Most High, who is my refuge--10no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.11For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.12On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.13You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.14"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.15When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.16With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."
Gospel: Mark 12.1-12
1And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country.2When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.3And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.4Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully.5And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed.6He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'7But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'8And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.9What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.10Have you not read this Scripture: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;11this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"12And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages about faith, rejection, and the cultivation of virtues. The first reading from 2 Peter encourages believers to grow in faith and virtue, emphasizing that through these, we become partakers of the divine nature. This letter, written in a time of persecution, urges believers to remain steadfast and cultivate qualities like knowledge, moderation, patience, piety, love, and charity.
The Gospel from Mark presents Jesus' parable of the vineyard, where the owner's servants and son are rejected and killed by the tenants. This parable serves as a critique of religious leaders who reject God's messengers. Jesus quotes a Psalm, highlighting that the rejected stone becomes the cornerstone, a testament to God's transformative power.
Both readings connect through themes of rejection and the importance of faith. While 2 Peter focuses on believers' responses to rejection through virtue, Mark's parable illustrates the consequences of rejecting God's message. In daily life, we face rejection but should respond with patience and love, cultivating virtues that reflect our faith. The moral lesson is clear: faith and virtues transform us, and rejecting God's message leads to downfall. Let us embrace our faith and virtues, trusting in God's plan.