Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 8, 2020
First Reading: Habakkuk 1.12 – 2.4
12O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish.13Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?14You have made men like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler.15The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad.16Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food.17Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?
1I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.2Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.3For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.4"See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright- but the righteous will live by his faith -
Psalm 9
1I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.2I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.3My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.4For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.5You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.6Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.7The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.8He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice.9The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.10Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.11Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.12For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.13O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,14that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.15The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.16The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion. Selah17The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God.18But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.19Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence.20Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah
Gospel: Matthew 17.14-20
14When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him.15"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."17"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me."18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the power of faith and the importance of trusting in God’s plan, even when the world around us seems uncertain or unjust. In the first reading from Habakkuk, the prophet cries out to God, questioning why the wicked prosper and the just suffer. Habakkuk’s lament reflects a deep human struggle: the desire for justice and the frustration of waiting for God’s intervention. Yet, in the midst of his doubt, God assures him that the vision of justice will come in due time. The prophet is called to remain steadfast and trust in God’s promise, even when the fulfillment seems delayed.
In the Gospel, we encounter a father who brings his epileptic son to Jesus, desperate for healing. The father’s plea is one of both sorrow and faith, yet he is met with the disciples’ inability to help. Jesus responds by rebuking the demon and healing the boy, teaching the disciples that their lack of faith was the obstacle. Jesus emphasizes that even a small amount of faith—like a mustard seed—can move mountains. This passage reminds us that faith is not about our own strength but about trusting in God’s power to overcome even the most daunting challenges.
These readings call us to examine our own faith and trust in God. Like Habakkuk, we may find ourselves questioning why evil seems to prevail or why our prayers seem unanswered. Like the disciples, we may feel inadequate or unsure of our ability to trust. Yet, the readings assure us that faith, even in its smallest form, is enough. God’s timing and ways are not our own, but we are called to stand firm, to wait patiently, and to trust that His plan will unfold. Let us pray for the grace to grow in faith, to persevere in hope, and to trust in God’s promise of ultimate justice and healing.