Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 2, 2021
First Reading: Tobit 3.1-6a, 7-10a, 11-13, 15b-17a
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Psalm 25
1To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;2in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.3No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.4Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;5guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.6Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.7Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.8Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.9He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.10All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.11For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.12Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.13He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.14The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.15My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.16Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.17The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.18Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.19See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me!20Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.21May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.22Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles!
Gospel: Mark 12.18-27
18Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.19"Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.20Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children.21The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third.22In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too.23At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"24Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?25When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.26Now about the dead rising--have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, suffering, and the promise of eternal life. The first reading from Tobit presents us with two figures, Tobit and Sarah, who are each enduring immense suffering. Tobit, overwhelmed by his circumstances, prays for mercy and acceptance of God's will, even if it means death. Similarly, Sarah, having lost seven husbands and facing scorn, turns to God in prayer, seeking liberation from her affliction. Both stories highlight the human experience of grappling with pain while maintaining faith in God's providence.
The Gospel reading from Mark shifts our focus to a theological debate about the resurrection. The Sadducees, skeptical of the afterlife, pose a question to Jesus about a woman who marries seven brothers, asking whose wife she would be in the resurrection. Jesus responds by clarifying that the resurrection is not a mere continuation of earthly life but a transformation. He emphasizes that in the resurrected state, we will be like angels, free from the bonds of marriage and earthly concerns. This teaching underscores the spiritual nature of eternal life and corrects the Sadducees' misunderstanding by referencing God's covenant with the patriarchs, asserting that He is the God of the living, not the dead.
These readings remind us to trust in God's mercy and providence, even in the face of suffering. Like Tobit and Sarah, we are called to perseverance and faith, knowing that our ultimate hope lies in the resurrection. Jesus teaches us that our true fulfillment is not in earthly relationships but in a spiritual existence where we live in the presence of God. As we navigate our own struggles, may we find strength in prayer and trust in God's promise of eternal life, where suffering will be transformed into joy and peace.