Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 6, 2019
First Reading: Genesis 27.1-5, 9-10, 15-29
1When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, "My son"; and he answered, "Here I am."2He said, "Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death.3Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me,4and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die."5Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it,9Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves.10And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies."15Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.16And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.17And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.18So he went in to his father and said, "My father." And he said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?"19Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me."20But Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" He answered, "Because the LORD your God granted me success."21Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not."22So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau."23And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands. So he blessed him.24He said, "Are you really my son Esau?" He answered, "I am."25Then he said, "Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son's game and bless you." So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.26Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come near and kiss me, my son."27So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, "See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed!28May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine.29Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!"
Psalm 135
1Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD, give praise, O servants of the LORD,2who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God!3Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!4For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.5For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.6Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.7He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.8He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast;9who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants;10who struck down many nations and killed mighty kings,11Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan,12and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.13Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.14For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.15The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.16They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see;17they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths.18Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them!19O house of Israel, bless the LORD! O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!20O house of Levi, bless the LORD! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!21Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!
Gospel: Matthew 9.14-17
14Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"15And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two distinct narratives that invite us to reflect on change, tradition, and the ways in which God works in our lives. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Jacob and Esau, a tale of deception and the pursuit of blessing. Rebekah, Jacob's mother, orchestrates a plan to ensure her favored son receives the blessing intended for Esau, the firstborn. This story highlights the complexities of family dynamics and the human desire to control divine plans. The second reading from Matthew finds Jesus addressing the question of fasting. He uses the parables of the patch and the wineskins to explain that the newness of God's kingdom cannot be confined to old practices. Just as new wine requires new wineskins, Jesus' teachings demand a fresh approach to spirituality.
These readings, though separated by time and context, share a common theme: the tension between the old and the new. In Genesis, Rebekah's actions reflect a desire to redirect the course of events, while in Matthew, Jesus emphasizes the necessity of embracing change. Both stories remind us that God often works outside our expectations, challenging us to let go of familiar ways and trust in His plan. The Pharisees and John's disciples clung to traditional fasting practices, unable to see the new life Jesus brought. Similarly, Isaac's blessing was tied to the old order, yet God would use Jacob to fulfill His promises in unexpected ways.
As we apply these readings to our lives, we are invited to reflect on our own resistance to change. How often do we cling to comfortable traditions or try to manipulate circumstances to fit our desires? Jesus calls us to openness and flexibility, to recognize that His kingdom is not about preserving the past but about embracing the new life He offers. Let us ask ourselves: Are we like the wineskins, rigid and unable to hold the new wine of the Spirit? Or are we willing to be transformed, to let go of the old and receive the blessings God has in store for us? May we, like Jacob, trust in God's providence, even when the path is uncertain, and may we, like Jesus, welcome the fresh ways of the kingdom.