Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 1, 2020
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
The first reading from the prophet Amos calls us to seek good and reject evil, reminding us that true worship of God is not about outward rituals but about living justly and loving mercy. Amos condemns the hollow religious practices of his time, where people went through the motions of sacrifice and celebration but neglected justice and compassion. He warns that God despises such hypocrisy and calls us instead to live in a way that reflects His justice and love. The reading challenges us to examine our own hearts and actions, ensuring that our faith is not just a matter of external observance but a transformative force in our lives.
The Gospel from Matthew presents a dramatic encounter between Jesus and two demon-possessed men. The demons, recognizing Jesus’ authority, beg Him not to torment them before their time. Jesus, in His mercy, allows them to enter a herd of swine, which then rush to their destruction. The people of the region, though witnesses to this miraculous display of power, ask Jesus to leave, perhaps out of fear or misunderstanding. This story underscores the reality of spiritual warfare and the power of God over evil. It also highlights the human tendency to recoil from God’s presence when we do not fully understand or welcome His transformative work in our lives.
Together, these readings invite us to reflect on the nature of true worship and the call to live as children of God. Amos reminds us that our relationship with God must be rooted in justice, compassion, and integrity, while Matthew shows us the liberating power of Jesus over sin and evil. In our daily lives, we are called to seek good, reject evil, and open ourselves to the transformative power of Christ. Let us ask ourselves: Are our actions and choices reflecting God’s justice and love? Are we willing to let go of sin and allow Christ to free us from the forces that bind us? May we strive to live in such a way that our faith is not merely outward but a deep, life-changing encounter with the living God.