Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 16, 2020
First Reading: Isaiah 26.7-9, 12, 16-19
7The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous.8In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.9My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.12O LORD, you will ordain peace for us; you have done for us all our works.16O LORD, in distress they sought you; they poured out a whispered prayer when your discipline was upon them.17Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O LORD;18we were pregnant, we writhed, but we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.19Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.
Psalm 102
1Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you!2Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!3For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.4My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread.5Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh.6I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places;7I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.8All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse.9For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink,10because of your indignation and anger; for you have taken me up and thrown me down.11My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.12But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations.13You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come.14For your servants hold her stones dear and have pity on her dust.15Nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.16For the LORD builds up Zion; he appears in his glory;17he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.18Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:19that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,20to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die,21that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD, and in Jerusalem his praise,22when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.23He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days.24"O my God," I say, "take me not away in the midst of my days--you whose years endure throughout all generations!"25Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.26They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,27but you are the same, and your years have no end.28The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.
Gospel: Matthew 11.28-30
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the journey of faith, hope, and trust in God’s providence. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear the voice of one who has walked the difficult path of justice and perseverance. The prophet describes the soul’s deep longing for God, even in the midst of tribulation and anguish. He uses the image of a woman in labor to express the pain and struggle of waiting for salvation, but also the hope that God’s justice will ultimately prevail. The reading reminds us that our efforts and struggles, though they may seem fruitless at times, are not in vain when we place our trust in God.
In the Gospel, Jesus offers a comforting invitation to all who are weary and burdened. He calls us to come to Him, to take His yoke upon us, and to learn from His meek and humble heart. Jesus promises rest for our souls, not because the journey will become easy, but because His yoke is sweet and His burden is light. This passage reminds us that true strength comes not from our own efforts, but from surrendering to God’s will and trusting in His grace.
These readings are deeply connected, as both invite us to trust in God’s plan even when the path is difficult. Isaiah reminds us to persevere in hope, while Jesus offers us the grace to do so. In our daily lives, we often feel burdened by our struggles, whether they be personal, relational, or societal. The readings encourage us to turn to God, to lean on His strength, and to find rest in His presence. Let us learn to walk humbly, to trust in His justice, and to surrender our burdens to Him, knowing that He will give us the peace and strength we need to carry on.