Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 2, 2024
First Reading: Jeremiah 26.1-9
1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD:2"Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the LORD all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word.3It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds.4You shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you,5and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened,6then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.'"7The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.8And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, "You shall die!9Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, 'This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant'?" And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
Psalm 69
1Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.2I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.3I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.4More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal must I now restore?5O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.6Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel.7For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face.8I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons.9For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.10When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.11When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.12I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.13But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.14Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.15Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.16Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.17Hide not your face from your servant; for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.18Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because of my enemies!19You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you.20Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.21They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.22Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.23Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually.24Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them.25May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents.26For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.27Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you.28Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.29But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high!30I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.31This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs.32When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.33For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.34Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them.35For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it;36the offspring of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.
Gospel: Matthew 13.54-58
54and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?55Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?56And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household."58And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments where God’s messengers face rejection. The first reading from Jeremiah depicts the prophet standing in the temple courtyard, delivering a stern warning to the people of Judah. He calls them to repentance, urging them to turn away from their sinful ways. However, his message is met with hostility, and the people, including the priests and prophets, seek to kill him. This reaction underscores the human tendency to resist uncomfortable truths, especially when they challenge our complacency.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents a similar theme of rejection, this time involving Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth. Despite His wisdom and miracles, the people are skeptical because they know Him as the son of a carpenter. Their familiarity with His humble origins blinds them to His divine mission, leading to unbelief. Jesus’ statement that a prophet is without honor in His own country highlights the difficulty of receiving truth from one who is close to us.
These readings remind us that faith requires humility and openness. Like the people in Jeremiah’s time and Jesus’ hometown, we may resist God’s message when it challenges our perceptions or comforts. Let us reflect on our own response to God’s word. Do we allow pride or familiarity to harden our hearts? Let us pray for the grace to receive God’s truth with humility, embracing the call to conversion and growth in our daily lives.