Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 7, 2018
First Reading: Amos 9.11-15
11In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:12That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.13Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.14And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.15And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.
Psalm 85
1LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.2Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.3Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.4Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.5Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?6Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?7Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.8I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.9Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.10Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.11Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.12Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.13Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Gospel: Matthew 9.14-17
14Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?15And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.16No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.17Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter themes of restoration and renewal, as God speaks through the prophet Amos and through Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Amos envisions a future where the tabernacle of David is restored, and Israel is rebuilt, symbolizing God's promise of abundance and peace. This vision is set against the backdrop of a time when Israel was prosperous yet corrupt, and Amos calls for justice and repentance. The reading from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus, who responds to questions about fasting by emphasizing the joy of his presence and the incompatibility of old traditions with the new covenant he brings. He uses the metaphors of a patch on old cloth and new wine in old wineskins to illustrate that his teachings cannot be confined by old ways.
These readings invite us to reflect on the nature of God's work in our lives. Amos reminds us that God is always seeking to restore and renew His people, even in the midst of decay. Jesus, in Matthew, challenges us to embrace the newness of His message, which cannot be contained within the structures of the past. Together, they teach us that God's plan is always forward-looking, bringing new life and possibilities.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to trust in God's plan and remain open to change. Just as Amos looked forward to a restored Israel and Jesus brought a new covenant, we too can expect God to do new things in our lives. We are called to be flexible and trusting, knowing that God's new ways are for our good. The moral lesson here is clear: embrace the newness God brings, do not resist change, and have faith in His power to restore and renew. Let us approach each day with openness to the Spirit, trusting that God is always doing something new in our lives.