Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 3, 2024
First Reading: Jeremiah 26.11-16, 24
11Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.12Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.13Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.14As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.15But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.16Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.24Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Psalm 69
1Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.2I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.3I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.4They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.5O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.6Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.7Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.8I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.9For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.10When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.11I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.12They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.13But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.14Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.15Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.16Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.17And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.18Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.19Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.20Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.21They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.22Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.23Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.24Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.25Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.26For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.27Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.28Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.29But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.30I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.31This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.32The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.33For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.34Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.35For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.36The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.
Gospel: Matthew 14.1-12
1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,2And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.3For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.4For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.5And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.6But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.7Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.8And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.9And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.10And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.11And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.12And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
Sermon
The readings today present us with two powerful examples of courage and conviction in the face of adversity. In the first reading from Jeremiah, the prophet stands trial before the leaders of Jerusalem for speaking God’s truth, which is uncomfortable and challenging to hear. Jeremiah’s message is not his own but comes from the Lord, and he insists that his words are meant to call the people to repentance and to amend their ways. Despite the threat of death, Jeremiah remains steadfast, trusting in God’s providence. The leaders, moved by his sincerity and the recognition of his divine mission, spare his life, thanks in part to the intervention of Ahikam, a man of good will.
In the Gospel, we encounter a very different outcome. John the Baptist, a prophet and precursor of Jesus, suffers martyrdom at the hands of Herod. John’s crime is his bold denunciation of Herod’s sinful union with Herodias, his brother’s wife. Herod, though intrigued by John and aware of his holiness, allows his pride and fear of embarrassment to lead him to order John’s execution. The tragic story highlights the consequences of sin and the dangers of allowing personal desires to cloud judgment. John’s martyrdom, however, is not in vain; it bears witness to the truth and prepares the way for the ministry of Jesus.
Both readings remind us of the cost of living according to God’s will and the importance of moral courage. Jeremiah and John the Baptist are prophets who risk everything to speak the truth, even when it is unpopular or dangerous. Their examples challenge us to reflect on how we live our faith in daily life. Are we willing to stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult? Do we have the courage to confront sin in ourselves and in the world around us? The readings call us to trust in God’s providence, as Jeremiah did, and to remain faithful to our mission, as John the Baptist did, even in the face of adversity. Let us ask for the grace to live with integrity and to bear witness to the truth, knowing that our efforts, like those of the prophets, can lead to transformation and renewal.