Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 2, 2024
First Reading: Jeremiah 26.1-9
1Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD:2"This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD's house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word.3Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done.4Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you,5and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened),6then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.'"7The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD.8But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, "You must die!9Why do you prophesy in the LORD's name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?" And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
Psalm 69
1Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.2I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.3I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.4Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.5You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you.6May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.7For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face.8I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons;9for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.10When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn;11when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me.12Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards.13But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.14Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.15Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me.16Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.17Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.18Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes.19You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.20Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.21They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.22May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap.23May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.24Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them.25May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.26For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt.27Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation.28May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.29I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me.30I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.31This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.32The poor will see and be glad- you who seek God, may your hearts live!33The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.34Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them,35for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it;36the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.
Gospel: Matthew 13.54-58
54Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked.55"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?56Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."58And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments where God’s messengers face rejection. The first reading from Jeremiah depicts the prophet standing in the temple courtyard, delivering a stern warning to the people of Judah. He calls them to repentance, urging them to turn away from their sinful ways. However, his message is met with hostility, and the people, including the priests and prophets, seek to kill him. This reaction underscores the human tendency to resist uncomfortable truths, especially when they challenge our complacency.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents a similar theme of rejection, this time involving Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth. Despite His wisdom and miracles, the people are skeptical because they know Him as the son of a carpenter. Their familiarity with His humble origins blinds them to His divine mission, leading to unbelief. Jesus’ statement that a prophet is without honor in His own country highlights the difficulty of receiving truth from one who is close to us.
These readings remind us that faith requires humility and openness. Like the people in Jeremiah’s time and Jesus’ hometown, we may resist God’s message when it challenges our perceptions or comforts. Let us reflect on our own response to God’s word. Do we allow pride or familiarity to harden our hearts? Let us pray for the grace to receive God’s truth with humility, embracing the call to conversion and growth in our daily lives.