Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 24, 2023
First Reading: Isaiah 49.1-6
1Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.2He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away.3And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified."4But I said, "I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God."5And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him--for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength--6he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
Psalm 139
1O LORD, you have searched me and known me!2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.3You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.4Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.5You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.7Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?8If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!9If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.11If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,"12even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.13For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.15My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.16Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!18If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.19Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!20They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain!21Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?22I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.23Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!24And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Second Reading: Acts 13.22-26
22And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, 'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.'23Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.24Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.25And as John was finishing his course, he said, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.'26"Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.
Gospel: Luke 1.57-66, 80
57Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.58And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.59And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father,60but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John."61And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by this name."62And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called.63And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered.64And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.65And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea,66and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him.80And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Sermon
The readings today remind us of God’s plan and our role within it. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear the voice of the prophet, called by God from the womb, who struggles with the seeming futility of his mission but ultimately trusts in God’s judgment and strength. This servant is not just Isaiah but points to a greater servant, Jesus Christ, who will bring light to all nations. In the second reading from Acts, St. Paul connects the dots of salvation history, highlighting God’s faithfulness in raising up David and then Jesus, the Savior, from his lineage. Finally, in the Gospel, we witness the birth of John the Baptist, whose name signifies God’s grace and whose life is dedicated to preparing the way for the Lord.
These readings are deeply connected. Isaiah’s servant and John the Baptist both point to the same mission: to bring God’s salvation to the world. Isaiah’s struggle with his mission foreshadows John’s humility and recognition of his role as a precursor to Jesus. St. Paul’s reflection in Acts ties it all together, showing how God’s promises unfold over time, culminating in Jesus, the Savior of all people.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on our own calling and trust in God’s plan. Like Isaiah, we may sometimes feel that our efforts are in vain or that we are not making a difference. Like John the Baptist, we are called to humility and to point others to God, even if we do not see the full fruits of our labor. Let us trust that God’s hand is upon us, guiding us and strengthening us, even when the path is unclear. May we, like these figures, be faithful servants, open to God’s will, and may we bring light and hope to those around us.