Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 26, 2021

First Reading: Sirach 44.1, 8, 10-15

This reading is not available in the ESV version. Visit the CPDV version to view the reading.

Psalm 132

¹Remember, O LORD, in David's favor, all the hardships he endured,²how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,³"I will not enter my house or get into my bed,⁴I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids,⁵until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."⁶Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar.⁷"Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!"⁸Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.⁹Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your saints shout for joy.¹⁰For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your anointed one.¹¹The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: "One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.¹²If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne."¹³For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place:¹⁴"This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.¹⁵I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread.¹⁶Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy.¹⁷There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.¹⁸His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine."

Gospel: Matthew 13.16-17

Matthew

Chapter 13

¹⁶But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.¹⁷Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of gratitude, legacy, and the call to live virtuously. In the first reading from Sirach, we are reminded of the importance of honoring our ancestors and the enduring impact of their virtuous lives. The text praises those who have left behind a name worthy of remembrance, not for their power or wealth, but for their mercy, piety, and fidelity to God’s covenants. Their good deeds, it says, continue to bear fruit in their descendants, and their memory lives on as a blessing for future generations. This passage emphasizes the value of living a life that transcends our own time, leaving behind a spiritual inheritance that endures. The Gospel reading from Matthew shifts our focus to the present moment and the unique blessings we have received. Jesus tells his disciples that they are blessed because they see and hear what many prophets and righteous people longed to experience but did not. This is not a boast but a reminder of the grace we have been given to know and follow Christ. The prophets of old looked forward to the day when God’s kingdom would be revealed, and now, in Jesus, that kingdom is present among us. This passage calls us to humility and gratitude, recognizing that we are part of a larger story of God’s salvation. Together, these readings encourage us to live with a sense of stewardship and responsibility. We are heirs of a rich spiritual legacy, and we are called to honor those who have gone before us by living out our faith with integrity. At the same time, we are blessed to be living in a time when we can see and experience the fulfillment of God’s promises in Christ. Let us not take this lightly. May we strive to live in such a way that our lives, like those of our ancestors, bear fruit for generations to come. Let us use the gifts we have been given to serve others and to share the Good News with a world in need. In doing so, we honor the past, live fully in the present, and hope for a future filled with God’s grace.