Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 4, 2024
First Reading: Exodus 16.2-4, 12-15, 31a
2And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,3and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."4Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.12"I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"13In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp.14And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground.15When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.31Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
Psalm 78
1Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth!2I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old,3things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.4We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.5He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children,6that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,7so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;8and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.9The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle.10They did not keep God's covenant, but refused to walk according to his law.11They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them.12In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.13He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap.14In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light.15He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.16He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers.17Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.18They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved.19They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the wilderness?20He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?"21Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; his anger rose against Israel,22because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power.23Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven,24and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven.25Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance.26He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind;27he rained meat on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas;28he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings.29And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved.30But before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths,31the anger of God rose against them, and he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young men of Israel.32In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe.33So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror.34When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly.35They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.36But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues.37Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.38Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.39He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again.40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert!41They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel.42They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,43when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan.44He turned their rivers to blood, so that they could not drink of their streams.45He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.46He gave their crops to the destroying locust and the fruit of their labor to the locust.47He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost.48He gave over their cattle to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts.49He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels.50He made a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death, but gave their lives over to the plague.51He struck down every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.52Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.53He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.54And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won.55He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.56Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies,57but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow.58For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols.59When God heard, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel.60He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among mankind,61and delivered his power to captivity, his glory to the hand of the foe.62He gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage.63Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song.64Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine.66And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame.67He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,68but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves.69He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever.70He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds;71from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance.72With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.
Second Reading: Ephesians 4.17, 20-24
17Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.20But that is not the way you learned Christ!--21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,22to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Gospel: John 6.24-35
24So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"26Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.27Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal."28Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?"29Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."30So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"32Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."34They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."35Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter themes of provision, transformation, and the call to seek what truly satisfies. The first reading from Exodus describes the Israelites’ murmuring in the wilderness, dissatisfied with their circumstances and longing for the comforts of Egypt. God responds by providing manna, a miraculous bread from heaven, to sustain them on their journey. This story reminds us of God’s faithfulness and provision, even in times of uncertainty and complaint. The second reading from Ephesians shifts our focus to the spiritual realm, urging us to set aside our old, sinful ways and be renewed in Christ. It calls us to live in the “new man,” created in God’s image, marked by justice and holiness. Finally, the Gospel from John 6 deepens this theme as Jesus reveals himself as the “bread of life,” the true and lasting fulfillment of our deepest hungers. He invites us to seek not merely physical sustenance but eternal life, found in believing in him.
The readings are interconnected in their emphasis on transformation and the pursuit of what truly satisfies. The Israelites in Exodus were focused on physical hunger, but God provided manna as a sign of his care and a call to trust in his providence. Similarly, in Ephesians, we are called to move beyond the “old man” of sin and worldly desires, embracing a new life in Christ. In the Gospel, Jesus takes this a step further, revealing that he is the ultimate bread from heaven, the source of eternal life. Together, these readings invite us to reflect on where we place our trust and what we truly seek in life. Are we content with temporary satisfactions, or do we hunger for something deeper?
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, we are reminded to trust in God’s providence, even when we feel uncertain or dissatisfied. Like the Israelites, we may grumble about our circumstances, but God is always working to provide for us in ways we may not fully understand. The call to “put on the new man” in Ephesians challenges us to examine our habits, attitudes, and priorities, inviting us to live in a way that reflects the holiness and love of Christ. And in the Gospel, Jesus invites us to seek him above all else, to hunger for the bread that gives eternal life. May we, like the crowd in Capernaum, ask Jesus for this bread, and may we find in him the fulfillment of our deepest longings.