Daily Readings - Tue Jul 15 2025
Exodus
1Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman.2The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.3When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank.4And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.5Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it.6When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."7Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"8And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the girl went and called the child's mother.9And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.10When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, "Because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."11One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.12He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.13When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, "Why do you strike your companion?"14He answered, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, and thought, "Surely the thing is known."15When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.
Matthew
20Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.21"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.22But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.23And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.24But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on God’s providence and our response to it. The first reading from Exodus tells the story of Moses’ early life, highlighting the courage and faith of his mother and sister who trusted in God’s plan to save him from Pharaoh’s decree. Moses, as a young man, attempts to defend his people but is forced to flee after his impulsive actions. This story reminds us that even the greatest leaders have moments of weakness, but it is through these experiences that God shapes them for their mission.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents Jesus rebuking the cities that witnessed His miracles but failed to repent. Jesus laments that even the notoriously sinful cities of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom would have responded more humbly to the signs He performed. This passage challenges us to examine our own response to God’s grace and mercy. Have we allowed the miracles of God’s presence in our lives to lead us to conversion, or do we remain indifferent?
Both readings call us to humility and trust in God’s plan. Moses’ story teaches us that even in uncertain and challenging times, God is at work, guiding us toward our purpose. Jesus’ words remind us that receiving God’s gifts is not enough; we must respond with repentance and a willingness to follow Him. Let us ask ourselves: How am I responding to God’s presence in my life? Am I trusting in His plan, even when the path is unclear? Let us strive to live with the faith and humility of Moses’ mother and sister, and may we turn to the Lord with hearts ready to repent and follow Him.