Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 16, 2020

First Reading: Isaiah 26.7-9, 12, 16-19

⁷The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.⁸Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.⁹My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.¹²LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.¹⁶LORD, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer.¹⁷As a woman with child and about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, O LORD.¹⁸We were with child, we writhed in pain, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth; we have not given birth to people of the world.¹⁹But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.

Psalm 102

Psalms

Chapter 102

¹Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come to you.²Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.³For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers.⁴My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food.⁵Because of my loud groaning I am reduced to skin and bones.⁶I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.⁷I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof.⁸All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse.⁹For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears¹⁰because of your great wrath, for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.¹¹My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.¹²But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.¹³You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.¹⁴For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity.¹⁵The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.¹⁶For the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory.¹⁷He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.¹⁸Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD:¹⁹"The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth,²⁰to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death."²¹So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem²²when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the LORD.²³In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days.²⁴So I said: "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations.²⁵In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.²⁶They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.²⁷But you remain the same, and your years will never end.²⁸The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you."

Gospel: Matthew 11.28-30

Matthew

Chapter 11

²⁸"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the journey of faith, hope, and trust in God’s providence. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear the voice of one who has walked the difficult path of justice and perseverance. The prophet describes the soul’s deep longing for God, even in the midst of tribulation and anguish. He uses the image of a woman in labor to express the pain and struggle of waiting for salvation, but also the hope that God’s justice will ultimately prevail. The reading reminds us that our efforts and struggles, though they may seem fruitless at times, are not in vain when we place our trust in God. In the Gospel, Jesus offers a comforting invitation to all who are weary and burdened. He calls us to come to Him, to take His yoke upon us, and to learn from His meek and humble heart. Jesus promises rest for our souls, not because the journey will become easy, but because His yoke is sweet and His burden is light. This passage reminds us that true strength comes not from our own efforts, but from surrendering to God’s will and trusting in His grace. These readings are deeply connected, as both invite us to trust in God’s plan even when the path is difficult. Isaiah reminds us to persevere in hope, while Jesus offers us the grace to do so. In our daily lives, we often feel burdened by our struggles, whether they be personal, relational, or societal. The readings encourage us to turn to God, to lean on His strength, and to find rest in His presence. Let us learn to walk humbly, to trust in His justice, and to surrender our burdens to Him, knowing that He will give us the peace and strength we need to carry on.