Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 29, 2021
First Reading: Exodus 40.16-21, 34-38
16Moses did everything just as the LORD commanded him.17So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year.18When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts.19Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the LORD commanded him.20He took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it.21Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the Testimony, as the LORD commanded him.34Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.35Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.36In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out;37but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out-until the day it lifted.38So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.
Psalm 84
1How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!2My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.3Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young- a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.4Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah5Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.6As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.7They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.8Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. Selah9Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.10Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.11For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.12O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.
Gospel: John 11.17-27 or Luke 10.38-42
17On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.18Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things,42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound expressions of God's presence and promise. The first reading from Exodus describes the establishment of the tabernacle, a sacred space where God dwells among the Israelites. The detailed setup and the cloud and fire symbols emphasize God's guidance and presence, reassuring the Israelites of His constant companionship in the wilderness.
The Gospel from John presents a deeply personal moment between Jesus and Martha, where Martha's faith is tested by grief. Jesus' response transcends her hope for a future resurrection by declaring Himself as the Resurrection and the Life, offering eternal life through faith in Him. Martha's affirmation underscores her trust in Jesus as the Messiah.
Both readings converge on the theme of God's presence and the hope it inspires. The tabernacle symbolizes God's physical presence, while Jesus embodies the spiritual presence of God, offering eternal life. This duality reminds us to trust in God's presence in our lives, finding hope and comfort in His promises. Let us embrace this hope, trusting in God's plan and the eternal life offered through faith in Jesus.