Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 13, 2019
First Reading: Genesis 49.29-31, 33; 50.15-26
29Then he gave them these instructions: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,30the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field.31There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah.33When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.
15When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?"16So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died:17'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept.18His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said.19But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?20You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.21So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.22Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years23and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph's knees.24Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."25And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place."26So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
Psalm 105
1Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.2Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.3Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.4Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.5Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,6O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.7He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.8He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,9the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.10He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:11"To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."12When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,13they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.14He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:15"Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."16He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;17and he sent a man before them- Joseph, sold as a slave.18They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,19till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true.20The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.21He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed,22to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.23Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.24The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes,25whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.26He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.27They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.28He sent darkness and made the land dark- for had they not rebelled against his words?29He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.30Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.31He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.32He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land;33he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.34He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;35they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil.36Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.37He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.38Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.39He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.40They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.41He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert.42For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.43He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;44he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-45that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.
Gospel: Matthew 10.24-33
24"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.25It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!26"So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.32"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.33But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
Sermon
The first reading from Genesis brings us to the end of Jacob’s life, where he gives final instructions to his sons and dies surrounded by his family. Joseph, now a powerful figure in Egypt, is met with fear by his brothers, who worry he will avenge the wrongs they committed against him. Instead, Joseph weeps and consoles them, explaining that the evil they intended was turned into good by God’s providence. This passage highlights themes of forgiveness, trust in God’s plan, and the enduring bonds of family. The second reading from Matthew’s Gospel finds Jesus preparing his disciples for the challenges they will face. He warns them that they will be persecuted and that nothing done in secret will remain hidden. Jesus encourages them to speak boldly and not fear those who can harm the body, for their true value lies in their relationship with God. He reminds them that even the smallest details of their lives are known to the Father, who cares for them deeply.
Both readings invite us to reflect on trust in God’s providence and the courage to live according to His will. In Genesis, Joseph’s forgiveness and trust in God’s plan are evident as he sees beyond the evil intentions of his brothers to the greater good that unfolded. In Matthew, Jesus calls the disciples—and us—to trust in the Father’s care, even in the face of persecution or uncertainty. The readings remind us that our lives are part of a larger story, one that God is writing with love and purpose.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to embrace forgiveness and trust in God’s plan, even when circumstances seem difficult or unjust. Like Joseph, we are called to let go of resentment and see how God can transform suffering into grace. Like the disciples, we are invited to live with courage, knowing that our worth is rooted in God’s love, not in the opinions or actions of others. Let us strive to trust in God’s providence, to forgive freely, and to live with the confidence that we are valued and cared for by our Heavenly Father.