Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 4, 2018
First Reading: Amos 5.14-15, 21-24
14Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.15Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.21"I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies.22Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.23Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.24But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Psalm 50
1The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.2From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.3Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages.4He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people:5"Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."6And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah7"Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God.8I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.9I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens,10for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.11I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.12If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.13Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?14Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High,15and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."16But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?17You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.18When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers.19You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.20You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son.21These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face.22"Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:23He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."
Gospel: Matthew 8.28-34
28When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.29"What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"30Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.31The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."32He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.33Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.34Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful messages that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our commitment to living a life of integrity. The first reading from Amos challenges us to seek good and reject evil, emphasizing the importance of living justly and authentically. Amos criticizes the superficial religious practices of his time, where people went through the motions of worship without truly turning their hearts to God. He calls us to establish justice and to hate evil, reminding us that true worship is not just about rituals but about how we live our lives.
The Gospel from Matthew presents a dramatic encounter between Jesus and two men possessed by demons. The demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God and beg Him not to torment them before their time. Jesus, in His mercy and power, casts the demons into a herd of swine, freeing the men from their torment. This story highlights Jesus’ authority over evil and His mission to restore humanity to wholeness. The reaction of the people, who ask Jesus to leave after witnessing this miracle, reminds us that the presence of God can sometimes make us uncomfortable, prompting us to confront our own sinfulness and need for conversion.
Both readings invite us to examine our own lives and hearts. Amos calls us to move beyond superficial religiosity and to live with integrity, while Matthew reminds us of the transformative power of Jesus’ presence in our lives. Let us ask ourselves: Are we seeking good and rejecting evil in our daily choices? Are we open to the transformative power of Jesus, even when it challenges us to change? May we turn to God with sincere hearts, seeking His mercy and living in a way that reflects His justice and love.