Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 2, 2019
First Reading: Leviticus 23.1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
1The LORD said to Moses,4"'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times:5The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.6On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast.7On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.8For seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.'"9The LORD said to Moses,10"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest.11He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath.15"'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks.16Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD.27"The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire.34"Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days.35The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work.36For seven days present offerings made to the LORD by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work.37("'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to the LORD by fire-the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day.
Psalm 81
1Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!2Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre.3Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;4this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.5He established it as a statute for Joseph when he went out against Egypt, where we heard a language we did not understand.6He says, "I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket.7In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah8"Hear, O my people, and I will warn you- if you would but listen to me, O Israel!9You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god.10I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.11"But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me.12So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.13"If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways,14how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!15Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever.16But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."
Gospel: Matthew 13.54-58
54Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked.55"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?56Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."58And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Sermon
The first reading from Leviticus describes the sacred feasts of the Israelites, which were not just cultural traditions but deeply spiritual practices. These feasts—such as the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Tabernacles—were instituted by God to remind the people of His mighty acts of salvation and to draw them into a deeper relationship with Him. They were times of celebration, sacrifice, and renewal, rooted in the history of Israel’s deliverance and covenant with God. The feasts also pointed forward, in a way, to the ultimate sacrifice and salvation that would come through Christ.
In the Gospel, we see Jesus returning to His hometown of Nazareth, where He teaches in the synagogue. The people are amazed by His wisdom and power, yet they are also scandalized because they know Him as the son of a carpenter. Their familiarity with Jesus leads to unbelief, and as a result, He is unable to perform many miracles there. Jesus responds by saying that a prophet is not honored in his own house—a reminder that faith often falters in the face of familiarity or comfort.
These readings remind us that faith requires us to move beyond our limited perspectives and to trust in God’s presence and plan, even when it seems ordinary or unexpected. The feasts in Leviticus call us to remember God’s saving acts and to live in gratitude and awe. Similarly, the Gospel challenges us to avoid the kind of unbelief that comes from thinking we already know God or that He cannot work in our lives in new and surprising ways. Let us ask for the grace to cultivate a deeper faith, to see God’s hand at work in our lives, and to trust in His providence, even when it seems closest to home.