Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 24, 2021
First Reading: Exodus 24.3-8
3And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.4And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.5And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.6And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.7And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.8And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
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 13.24-30
24Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:25But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound narratives that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and the challenges of living in a world where good and evil coexist. The first reading from Exodus recounts the establishment of the covenant between God and the Israelites. Moses, acting as a mediator, reads the terms of the covenant to the people, who unanimously agree to follow God's laws. This moment is sealed with the sprinkling of blood, symbolizing the sacred bond between God and His people. This act signifies their commitment to live according to God's will, trusting in His guidance and promises.
The Gospel from Matthew presents a parable that challenges us to think about the nature of good and evil. Jesus describes a field where an enemy sows weeds among the wheat. The master, rather than pulling up the weeds immediately, allows them to grow together until the harvest. This parable reminds us that in this world, good and evil often coexist, and it is not always easy to distinguish between them. The master's patience teaches us to trust in God's timing and His ultimate judgment, rather than taking matters into our own hands.
These readings, though separated by centuries, are deeply connected. The covenant in Exodus establishes a relationship based on trust and obedience, while the parable in Matthew calls us to live out that relationship with patience and faith. In our daily lives, we are called to remain faithful to our covenant with God, even when we encounter challenges and evils. Like the Israelites, we must trust in God's plan and promises, knowing that He will ultimately bring justice and peace. Let us strive to live with the same commitment and patience, trusting that God is always at work, even when we cannot see it clearly.