Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 14, 2024
First Reading: Exodus 32.7-14
7And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.8They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'"9And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.10Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you."11But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?12Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'"14And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
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: John 5.18, 31-47
18This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.31If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true.32There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.33You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.34Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.35He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.36But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.37And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen,38and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.39You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,40yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.41I do not receive glory from people.42But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.43I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.44How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?45Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.46If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.47But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, mercy, and the nature of God’s relationship with humanity. The first reading from Exodus recounts the story of the golden calf, a moment of profound infidelity by the Israelites. While Moses is on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the people grow impatient and turn to idolatry, crafting a molten calf and worshipping it as a god. This act of rebellion provokes God’s anger, yet Moses intercedes on behalf of his people, appealing to God’s mercy and faithfulness to the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Moses’ prayer reminds us of the importance of intercession and the enduring nature of God’s covenant.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about the testimony that authenticates His divine mission. He explains that His works and the Father’s witness confirm His identity, yet many remain unbelieving. Jesus references Moses, noting that if the people do not believe Moses’ writings, they will struggle to believe in Him. This passage highlights the tension between faith and unbelief, as well as the fulfillment of God’s promises in Jesus Christ. Just as the golden calf incident reveals humanity’s tendency to turn away from God, Jesus’ words expose the spiritual blindness that prevents people from recognizing Him as the true revelation of God.
These readings remind us that faith is a gift that requires openness to God’s presence and action in our lives. Like the Israelites, we often falter and turn to lesser idols—whether material possessions, status, or our own desires. Yet, God remains faithful, always ready to extend mercy and forgiveness. Jesus, as the ultimate mediator, invites us to trust in His words and works, which reveal the Father’s love. Let us examine our own lives, asking where we may have turned away from God and where we might need to deepen our faith. May we, like Moses, intercede for ourselves and others, and may we, like Jesus, seek to glorify not ourselves but the One who sent us.