Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 27, 2019
First Reading: Genesis 16.6b-12, 15-16
6But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please." Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.7The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur.8And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai."9The angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress and submit to her."10The angel of the LORD also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude."11And the angel of the LORD said to her, "Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction.12He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen."15And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
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 7.21-29
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'23And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'24"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."28And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,29for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two distinct yet interconnected narratives that guide us in understanding the essence of faith and action. The first reading from Genesis tells the story of Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, who, upon becoming pregnant with Abram's child, faces mistreatment and flees. An angel appears to her, promising numerous descendants and instructing her to return to Sarai. Hagar's obedience and trust in God's promise exemplify faith in action. The second reading from Matthew's Gospel features Jesus emphasizing that entering the kingdom of heaven requires more than mere lip service. He teaches that true faith is demonstrated through deeds, using the parable of the wise and foolish builders to illustrate the importance of a strong spiritual foundation.
Both readings highlight the theme of trust and action. In Genesis, Hagar's trust in God's promise leads her to act faithfully, returning to Sarai despite her hardships. In Matthew, Jesus underscores that faith must be lived out through obedience to God's will, not just proclaimed verbally. The connection between the two lies in the understanding that genuine faith is not passive but active, requiring us to trust in God's promises and act accordingly.
Applying this to our daily lives, we are reminded that faith should not be confined to words but should manifest in our actions. Like Hagar, we must trust in God's providence, even in challenging circumstances, and like the wise builder, we must build our lives on the solid rock of God's teachings. This ensures that our spiritual foundation can withstand life's storms, guiding us to live out our faith authentically and wholeheartedly.
In conclusion, today's readings teach us that true faith is not about mere profession but about living out God's will. By trusting in His promises and acting faithfully, we build a strong spiritual foundation, reflecting the wisdom of the house built on rock. Let us strive to be doers of the word, ensuring our actions align with our faith, thus embodying the essence of living faith.