Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 18, 2024
First Reading: Isaiah 26.7-9, 12, 16-19
7The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.8Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.9With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.12LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.16LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.17Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.18We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.19Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
Psalm 102
1Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.2Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.3For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.4My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.5By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.6I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.7I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.8Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.9For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,10Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.11My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.12But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.13Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.14For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.15So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.16When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.17He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.18This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.19For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;20To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;21To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;22When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.23He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.24I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.25Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.26They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:27But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.28The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.
Gospel: Matthew 11.28-30
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound messages of hope and comfort amidst suffering. The passage from Isaiah speaks to those enduring hardship, assuring them that their struggles are not in vain. It paints a vivid picture of a people in anguish, yearning for deliverance, yet holding onto the promise of resurrection and new life. The Gospel offers a complementary message, as Jesus invites the weary to find rest in Him, promising that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Isaiah's words are set against the backdrop of a nation in distress, likely during the exile, where the people are grappling with the consequences of their actions. Despite their tribulations, Isaiah instills hope, reminding them that God's judgments are not merely punitive but transformative. Jesus, in Matthew's Gospel, addresses those burdened by life's challenges, offering a different kind of rest—one that comes from surrendering to His will. Both readings converge on the theme of trust: trusting in God's plan even when the path is difficult, and trusting in Jesus' promise of rest.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to embrace faith and trust in God's providence. When we face struggles, we are reminded that our efforts, though they may seem futile, are part of a larger divine plan. Jesus' invitation to take His yoke upon us is a call to reorient our burdens, finding strength and comfort in Him. The moral lesson here is clear: in times of trial, we must turn to God with unwavering faith, trusting that He will bring light out of darkness and rest to the weary. This trust is not passive but active, a choice to seek God in every moment, knowing that true rest and redemption are found in Him.