Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 4, 2021
First Reading: Tobit 11.5-15
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Psalm 146
1Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!2I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.3Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.4When his breath departs he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.5Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,6who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;7who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.The LORD sets the prisoners free;8the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.9The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.10The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!
Gospel: Mark 12.35-37
35And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?36David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.'37David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?" And the great throng heard him gladly.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the power of faith, healing, and the mystery of God’s identity. In the first reading from Tobit, we witness the dramatic healing of Tobit’s blindness. Tobias, guided by the angel Raphael, uses the gall of a fish to restore his father’s sight. This story is not just about physical healing but also about the restoration of hope and faith in God’s providence. Tobit’s journey from darkness to light mirrors our own spiritual journeys, where God often works through unexpected means to bring us closer to Him.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges the understanding of the Messiah’s identity. He quotes Psalm 110, where David calls the Messiah “Lord,” prompting the question of how the Messiah can be David’s son if David himself refers to Him as Lord. This exchange highlights the paradox of Jesus’ divine and human nature. It reminds us that God’s ways are not bound by human logic or expectations. Just as Tobit’s healing defied natural explanations, Jesus’ identity as both Son of David and Lord of all transcends human understanding.
These readings call us to embrace faith in the face of uncertainty and to trust in God’s plan, even when it seems inexplicable. Like Tobit, we may find ourselves in dark or challenging situations, but God is always at work, bringing light and healing in ways we least expect. And like the crowd in the temple, we are invited to ponder the mystery of God’s nature and to surrender our limited understanding to His divine wisdom. May we, like Tobias, act with faith and trust, knowing that God’s power can transform even the darkest corners of our lives.