Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 7, 2023
First Reading: Genesis 23.1-4, 19; 24.1-8, 62-67
1Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.2And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.3And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites,4"I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."19After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
1Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.2And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh,3that I may make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell,4but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac."5The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?"6Abraham said to him, "See to it that you do not take my son back there.7The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, 'To your offspring I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.8But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there."62Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb.63And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming.64And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel65and said to the servant, "Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself.66And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.67Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
Psalm 106
1Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!2Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?3Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!4Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them,5that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.6Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.7Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the Sea, at the Red Sea.8Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power.9He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.10So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.11And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.12Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.13But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.14But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;15he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.16When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,17the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.18Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.19They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image.20They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.21They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,22wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.23Therefore he said he would destroy them--had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.24Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.25They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD.26Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness,27and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands.28Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;29they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.30Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed.31And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.32They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account,33for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips.34They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them,35but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.36They served their idols, which became a snare to them.37They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;38they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.39Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.40Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;41he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them.42Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.43Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity.44Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.45For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.46He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive.47Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.48Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!
Gospel: Matthew 9.9-13
9As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.10And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"12But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.13Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on trust in God’s providence and the call to mercy. In the first reading from Genesis, we see Abraham, a man of deep faith, navigating the challenges of burying his wife Sarah and securing a wife for his son Isaac. Abraham’s trust in God is evident as he instructs his servant to find a bride for Isaac from his own kindred, confident that God will guide the process. This story highlights the importance of faith and reliance on God’s plan, even when the path is uncertain. The servant’s obedience and the eventual meeting between Isaac and Rebekah demonstrate how God weaves together human actions to fulfill His purposes.
In the Gospel, Jesus extends mercy and compassion to those often shunned by society—tax collectors and sinners. When the Pharisees question Jesus’ association with such individuals, He responds by emphasizing that His mission is to call sinners to repentance, not to condemn the righteous. This exchange reminds us that God’s mercy is not limited to the “worthy” but is offered to all, especially those who recognize their need for healing and forgiveness. Jesus’ words, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” challenge us to prioritize love and compassion over rigid adherence to rules or judgments.
Both readings call us to trust in God’s plan and to live out His mercy in our daily lives. Just as Abraham trusted God to guide Isaac’s future, we too can trust that God is at work in our lives, even when circumstances seem unclear. And just as Jesus reached out to those on the margins, we are called to extend kindness and understanding to those around us, recognizing that we are all in need of God’s grace. Let us strive to live with faith and compassion, allowing God’s mercy to flow through us to others.