Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 16, 2017
Psalm 65
1Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.2O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.3Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.4Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.5By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:6Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:7Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.8They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.9Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.10Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.11Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.12They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.13The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.
Second Reading: Romans 8.18-23
18For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.19For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.20For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.23And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Gospel: Matthew 13.1-9
1The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.2And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.3And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:8But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Sermon
In today's readings, we are invited to reflect on the journey of faith and the hope that sustains us. The second reading from Romans reminds us that our current struggles are but a shadow of the glory that awaits us. Paul encourages us to endure suffering with patience, knowing that creation itself groans in anticipation of redemption. This passage is part of Paul's broader discussion on the Spirit and the hope of future glory, reassuring us that our trials are not in vain.
The Gospel from Matthew presents the parable of the sower, a powerful metaphor for how we receive God's Word. Jesus illustrates four responses to the seed: some reject it immediately, others embrace it superficially but falter, some let worries choke the Word, and a few nurture it to bear abundant fruit. This parable, part of Jesus' teachings on the Kingdom of God, challenges us to examine the soil of our hearts.
Both readings converge on themes of endurance and hope. Romans emphasizes enduring suffering with hope, while the parable calls us to receive God's Word with openness and commitment. In our daily lives, we are urged to cultivate the good soil of our hearts, allowing God's Word to take root and flourish despite life's challenges. Let us trust in God's plan, nurture our faith, and bear fruit in abundance, knowing that our perseverance will yield eternal rewards.