Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 23, 2018
First Reading: Micah 6.1-4, 6-8
1Hear what the LORD says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.2Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the LORD has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel.3"O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me!4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.6"With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"8He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Psalm 50
1The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.3Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.4He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people:5"Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"6The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah7"Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.8Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me.9I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds.10For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.11I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.12"If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.13Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?14Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High,15and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."16But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?17For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you.18If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers.19"You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit.20You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son.21These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.22"Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!23The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!"
Gospel: Matthew 12.38-42
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."39But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.40For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.41The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.42The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound messages that guide us in our faith journey. The first reading from Micah reminds us that God's expectations go beyond rituals. Micah conveys God's plea, recounting the blessings bestowed upon His people, such as liberation from Egypt. Yet, God seeks not sacrifices, but a life of justice, mercy, and humility. This emphasizes that true faith is lived through our actions, not just our offerings.
The Gospel from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus' encounter with the Pharisees. They seek a sign, but Jesus refers them to the sign of Jonah, symbolizing his resurrection. He highlights the responsiveness of the people of Nineveh and the Queen of the South, who recognized God's wisdom. This serves as a call to us to move beyond seeking signs and instead embrace genuine faith, recognizing the greatness of Jesus in our midst.
Both readings intertwine, urging us to reflect on our response to God. Micah calls for ethical living, while Matthew emphasizes faith over signs. In our daily lives, this means aligning our actions with our faith, living justly, and humbly walking with God. The moral lesson is clear: our faith should be a lived experience of justice, mercy, and humility, trusting in God's presence without needing constant signs. Let us strive to embody this truth in our lives.