Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 8, 2020
First Reading: Habakkuk 1.12 – 2.4
12Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.13You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and are silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?14You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler.15He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad.16Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich.17Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?
1I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.2And the LORD answered me: "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.3For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end--it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.4"Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Psalm 9
1I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.2I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.3When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence.4For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.5You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever.6The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.7But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,8and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.9The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.10And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.11Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!12For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.13Be gracious to me, O LORD! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death,14that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation.15The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid their own foot has been caught.16The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah17The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.18For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.19Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you!20Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah
Gospel: Matthew 17.14-20
14And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him,15said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.16And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him."17And Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me."18And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"20He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the power of faith and the importance of trusting in God’s plan, even when the world around us seems uncertain or unjust. In the first reading from Habakkuk, the prophet cries out to God, questioning why the wicked prosper and the just suffer. Habakkuk’s lament reflects a deep human struggle: the desire for justice and the frustration of waiting for God’s intervention. Yet, in the midst of his doubt, God assures him that the vision of justice will come in due time. The prophet is called to remain steadfast and trust in God’s promise, even when the fulfillment seems delayed.
In the Gospel, we encounter a father who brings his epileptic son to Jesus, desperate for healing. The father’s plea is one of both sorrow and faith, yet he is met with the disciples’ inability to help. Jesus responds by rebuking the demon and healing the boy, teaching the disciples that their lack of faith was the obstacle. Jesus emphasizes that even a small amount of faith—like a mustard seed—can move mountains. This passage reminds us that faith is not about our own strength but about trusting in God’s power to overcome even the most daunting challenges.
These readings call us to examine our own faith and trust in God. Like Habakkuk, we may find ourselves questioning why evil seems to prevail or why our prayers seem unanswered. Like the disciples, we may feel inadequate or unsure of our ability to trust. Yet, the readings assure us that faith, even in its smallest form, is enough. God’s timing and ways are not our own, but we are called to stand firm, to wait patiently, and to trust that His plan will unfold. Let us pray for the grace to grow in faith, to persevere in hope, and to trust in God’s promise of ultimate justice and healing.