Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 4, 2018
First Reading: Amos 5.14-15, 21-24
14Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.15Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.21I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.22Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.23Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.24But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Psalm 50
1The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.3Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.4He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.5Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.6And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.7Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.8I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.9I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.10For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.11I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.12If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.13Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?14Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:15And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.16But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?17Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.18When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.19Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.20Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.21These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.22Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.23Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
Gospel: Matthew 8.28-34
28And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.29And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?30And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.31So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.32And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.33And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.34And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful messages that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our commitment to living a life of integrity. The first reading from Amos challenges us to seek good and reject evil, emphasizing the importance of living justly and authentically. Amos criticizes the superficial religious practices of his time, where people went through the motions of worship without truly turning their hearts to God. He calls us to establish justice and to hate evil, reminding us that true worship is not just about rituals but about how we live our lives.
The Gospel from Matthew presents a dramatic encounter between Jesus and two men possessed by demons. The demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God and beg Him not to torment them before their time. Jesus, in His mercy and power, casts the demons into a herd of swine, freeing the men from their torment. This story highlights Jesus’ authority over evil and His mission to restore humanity to wholeness. The reaction of the people, who ask Jesus to leave after witnessing this miracle, reminds us that the presence of God can sometimes make us uncomfortable, prompting us to confront our own sinfulness and need for conversion.
Both readings invite us to examine our own lives and hearts. Amos calls us to move beyond superficial religiosity and to live with integrity, while Matthew reminds us of the transformative power of Jesus’ presence in our lives. Let us ask ourselves: Are we seeking good and rejecting evil in our daily choices? Are we open to the transformative power of Jesus, even when it challenges us to change? May we turn to God with sincere hearts, seeking His mercy and living in a way that reflects His justice and love.