Daily Readings - Fri Jul 28 2023
Exodus
1And God spoke all these words:2"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.3"You shall have no other gods before me.4"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,6but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.7"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.8"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.9Six days you shall labor and do all your work,10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.12"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.13"You shall not murder.14"You shall not commit adultery.15"You shall not steal.16"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.17"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Matthew
18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Sermon
In today's readings, we first hear the Ten Commandments from Exodus, a foundational moral code given to the Israelites as part of their covenant with God. These commandments are not just rules but a guide for living a life that honors God and fosters community. They call us to worship only God, respect life, relationships, and possessions, and to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest and sanctification.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches the parable of the sower, illustrating how people receive God's word. The seed represents the word of the kingdom, and the different soils symbolize the various ways people respond. Some hear but don't understand, others accept joyfully but lack depth, some are distracted by worldly cares, and others receive the word in fertile hearts, bearing abundant fruit. This parable invites us to reflect on the condition of our own hearts and how receptive we are to God's message.
Together, these readings remind us that our faith is both about living according to God's commandments and being open to His word. Just as the Israelites were called to a covenant of obedience, we too are called to live out our faith in action. The parable challenges us to examine our own receptivity to God's word, ensuring our hearts are fertile ground where His teachings can take root and flourish. May we strive to follow God's laws and nurture our spiritual lives, allowing His word to transform us and bear fruit in abundance.