Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 26, 2023
First Reading: Genesis 12.1-9
1Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.2And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.3I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."4So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.5And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,6Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.7Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.8From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.9And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
Psalm 33
1Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.2Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.4For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.5He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.6By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.7He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.8Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.10The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.11The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!13The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;14from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,15he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.16The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.17The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.18Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,19that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.20Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.21For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.22Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Gospel: Matthew 7.1-5
1"Judge not, that you be not judged.2For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?4Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye?5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of faith and reflection. The first reading from Genesis tells the story of Abram, who, at the age of seventy-five, is called by God to leave his home, family, and everything familiar. This call is a testament to Abram's trust in God's promise to make him the father of a great nation. The passage highlights Abram's obedience and faith as he journeys to an unknown land, building altars along the way to honor God. This act of faith sets the stage for the covenant between God and His people, showcasing trust and obedience as foundational virtues.
The Gospel reading from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus' teachings on judgment and self-reflection. Jesus warns against judging others, emphasizing that we will be judged by the same standards we use on others. He humorously illustrates this with the image of trying to remove a splinter from someone else's eye while having a plank in one's own. This teaching underscores the importance of humility and self-awareness, urging us to examine our own lives before criticizing others.
These readings, though separated by time, are connected by themes of faith and self-awareness. Abram's journey exemplifies trusting in God's plan, while Jesus' teaching calls us to introspection and humility. Together, they remind us to embrace faith with obedience and to approach others with compassion rather than judgment. In our daily lives, this means trusting God's plan and humbly examining our own actions before evaluating others. The moral lesson here is clear: true faith is accompanied by humility and self-reflection, leading us to live with integrity and grace.